“The arrival of the new MT-09 marks another significant milestone for Yamaha towards its aspirations of becoming the desired lifestyle and recreation motor vehicle brand,” said HLYM managing director Datuk Jim Khor.
He added that the new bike is the “ultimate street fighter” inspired by the flagship MT-10 Hyper Naked model.
While the 847cc engine remains unchanged from its previous version, the latest MT-09 sports a few features that will endear itself to aggressive riders. First and foremost is the quick shift system, which allows one to downshift rapidly like professionals. The slipper clutch system claims to deliver a 20% lighter clutch lever action, while keeping the pesky back-torque from interfering with ride safety when one has to downshift aggressively, such as when encountering many bends.
Safety is also taken care of by the pairing between the ABS and the traction control system, while ride-ability of this machine is also switchable between the “mild” and “aggressive” modes, a feature that changes how the engine responds to throttle input.
Other things that boost its street cred as fully adjustable 41mm front forks, which allows one to adjust the amount of damping. The left fork leg allows for compression damping to be tweaked, while the right leg allows one to tune the rebound damping.
Another pleasant surprise is the inclusion of the swingarm-mounted license plate holder, which allows designers to create a sleek looking rear end with the LED tail lamp. The plate holder is secured to the bike through a single-sided aluminum stay, lending to the bike’s overall aggressive look. All of these come at a price of RM47,388, including GST, and deliveries to customers will begin February.
For those who are looking to buy a maxi or mid-sized scooter, HLYM also confirmed that it will be bringing in the 2018 X-Max 250 scooter in the first quarter of this year. Pricing for this single-cylinder scooter is not available yet as the matter is still awaiting regulatory approval.
Other things that boost its street cred as fully adjustable 41mm front forks, which allows one to adjust the amount of compression and rebound damping.
