Years ago, before I knew how much journalists made, a man I was riding with said, “No self-respecting motorcyclist owns just one bike”. And I thought, “What a great motto to live by. As soon as I can afford another one, I’ll get started on my two-bike garage”.
Then I found out how much writers made.
Ever since then, owning one motorcycle that can do it all has been an elusive search of mine. I felt very close with my Street Triple, but just a few months ago I found myself at a dealership in some kind of moto-induced fever, wanting to trade it for a supersport and a sport touring bike. But I quickly realized this wasn’t the answer.
There’s no perfect do-it-all bike for everyone, that’s a myth. But there is a best do-it-all bike for every rider, one that embodies where they’re at in their riding life. I want something that’s up there with the best on canyon roads, capable on track, comfortable enough for 300-mile plus day trips, can carry some luggage, and most of all is an absolute riot. Oh, and I have to be able to afford it.
But even if a bike had all those qualities, it’d have to pass the look-back test. You know, when you’re walking away but have to take a quick look back? It has to feel special.
Enter the 2024 Yamaha MT-09 SP.
That Special Feeling
There’s no denying the MT-09 SP’s styling is divisive, but it has all those lovely colors and shapes that lock motorcyclists into a hypnotic trance. There’s that gold, the one you only find on Öhlins shocks, and the cylindrical remote reservoir that accompanies them. The flash of red embedded in blocks of aluminum shows the word “Brembo”. And off-gold KYB forks that compress around diamond-like carbon (DLC) coated lowers—undeniably more attention-grabbing than the forks on the standard MT-09.
I also found myself ogling the brushed aluminum swingarm on more than one occasion.
But these are all just words, images, and brands that give you that special feeling. If they don’t work together to deliver the riding experience you crave, the one that makes you love motorcycling, they’re pointless. And I felt worried to this end.
I feared throwing all these performance parts on the MT-09 would take a ridiculously fun road bike and make it too serious, sharp, and intense for day-to-day road riding.
Man, was that fear unfounded.
How Have You Done This?
It wouldn’t be the first time a manufacturer took a sporty bike and made it even sportier, only for most riders to prefer the standard version on the road due to the harshness of the upgraded model. But Yamaha’s engineers have worked magic with the suspension upgrades.
The SP feels far more planted around tight nadgery bends and fast, flowing sweepers than its standard sibling. This is down to how the new front and rear suspension units work together, which are well set up out of the box but so easy to adjust on the fly that it encourages you to play around with the settings.
So I did, and after I adjusted the rear shock’s rebound, I felt like the SP was even more compliant on the road.
But along with feeling more planted and having less pitch back and forth under heavy acceleration and braking, the ride felt plusher. One of my complaints was that the seat on the standard MT-09 was a bit too firm. The SP has the same seat, but I didn’t finish my ride with nearly the same iron cheeks, and I have to imagine that’s largely down to the suspension upgrades.
From uphill hairpins to banked turns that the SP compressed into before shooting out, I tried to find my flow on the Tail of the Dragon. Although the Öhlins and KYB components played a big role in helping me find a groove, here is where the stopping force of the Brembo Stylemas came into play.
The Brembo master cylinder gives so much feel, just like on the standard model, but the one-finger braking force provided by the Stylemas let me flow with confidence. A good pull will stop you in a hurry, but some soft touches here and there helped keep this bike feeling planted, which was great to combat the somewhat light front end on the MT-09 SP—Something the bike has always suffered from relative to its competitors, due to its geometry. But that’s not a bad thing—It’s what makes me want it for my one-bike garage.
Yamaha could make the MT-09 SP tighter and put even more weight over the front, but that’d ruin some of the bike’s best attributes. The almost standard, but just sporty enough, ergonomics are all-day comfy and confidence-inspiring during low-speed tricky maneuvers, making it great for city riding, too. A light front end mixed with borderline silly torque means you have a bike that can go from chill, comfy, and relaxing to hooligan and back again within a few seconds. This bike will go as fast as I ever wanted to on public roads.
There are competitors that could be even quicker or more composed on the pavement, but I’d be having more fun on the SP. That’s what riding motorcycles on the road is all about for me.
But here’s the thing: the best roads are spread all over the country. If I’m going to have a one-bike garage, the bike needs to get me to the best roads, shred them with me, and carry enough stuff so I can spend a weekend exploring. My ass, knees, and wrists also need to survive the trip.
Here’s where the MT–09 SP makes the play for being the only bike you need.
Getting to the Road
Ever since I rode the standard MT-09, there’s been a niggly thought in my mind that if I replaced the seat with a comfort seat and added a 50-liter top box, both of which Yamaha sells, then I could see myself doing serious miles on the bike—Making it a one-bike garage contender. But it just didn’t have the handling prowess or suspension refinement for me to really pursue the idea—You can probably see where this is going.
The MT-09 SP is such a level-up in terms of handling and its ability to tune its suspension to handle rougher roads that it reignited the thought that this was the model to morph into my do-it-all motorcycle. Hell, it even has cruise control. Yamaha’s added a few more rider aids over the standard model, too, and you don’t have to pay a subscription for them.
Undoubtedly, the most fun electronic upgrade for me is the ability to turn off the rear ABS, which you can only activate in Track Mode, a mode that isn’t available on the standard MT-09. This lets you back it in on track or do skids in your driveway. Realistically, I’d see myself using it to hoon rather than shaving seconds off my lap times, and I have to praise Yamaha for giving that to riders.
Even the Track Mode setting is a bit of fun. Sure, it shows your lap times, but you can also see how many Gs you pulled while accelerating and decelerating, and even your maximum lean angle. It kind of gamifies riding and will likely be something used to show off to your mates down at the pub rather than actually improve lap times.
I also found myself playing with the new engine braking control system, which was developed for the 2020 R1M, and this is a feature I could see having benefits on the track. Although there are only two settings, there’s a notable difference between them and it was fun figuring out what I enjoyed most.
There’s that feeling again—Fun.
Attainable Aspirations
Everything about the MT-09 SP was a riot, and I didn’t want for more while riding the Tail of the Dragon, an aspirational road for me. Once we’d finished the Tail and stopped for a break, I was hit with the realization that the SP, with all its trick parts, is an aspirational bike to own, and like the Tail, riding it is attainable.
The standard bike is already a hoot, and the upgrades Yamaha made for 2024, especially the third-generation quickshifter, make it a steal at $10,599. But for $1,700 more, you get Brembo Stylemas, an Öhlins rear shock, and fully adjustable KYB forks that even feature high- and low-speed compression adjustment (very uncommon), not to mention fun electronic upgrades.
If the standard MT-09 is already a financial stretch, I understand not splashing out for the SP. But, if you can afford the extra $1,700, getting the SP seems like a no-brainer. You’ll still be saving hundreds compared to its rivals, hundreds that I’d spend on a comfort seat and top box, giving me my one-bike garage solution. But I have to mention that I’d take some of that cash to flash the ECU and rectify the power dip in second gear that I mentioned in my standard MT-09 review.
Yamaha, if you’re reading, can I please test my theory and find out if the SP is the one bike to rule them all?
