08-20-2018, 01:05 PM
I've been able to put a little over 300 miles on the FZ09 and have a bit better idea of what ownership is like for this manic little motorbike. Manic seems to be the best way to describe it's power. That doesn't mean it is difficult to ride which some might be thinking given this bike's reputation as having a very touchy throttle. Yes, the early models had more of an on/off switch connected to the throttle bodies. I rode a 2014 and it was insanely fun...and insane. Yamaha smoothed out the throttle response, but I am referring to the fact that this is a light bike with a lot of power that comes on very early in the power band.
In any gear, you can open the throttle and expect a strong surge forward. If you are first gear and you whack open the go-stick, better lean forward and hold on. The front end doesn't want to stay down unless you have traction control turned up. Even with TC in the least intrusive setting (it can be shut off, too), it will easily loft the front end. Second gear just requires a little yank on the bars to get her up. I haven't been trying to wheelie this thing, but I know it will clutch up in 3rd with no problem. I was going down a lumpy, dippy road and at 70 mph, it was floating the front end in 4th gear.
I love how nimble it is. I figured it was going to take getting use to leaning over a bike with a 180mm rear tire since I have been riding bikes with 140-150mm rears. Nope, it keels right over and then has no qualms with flipping the other way with a little tug on the bars. The wide bars are helpful, but this is just a well designed chassis in terms of geometry and handling. Those wide bars also make this feel a bit supermoto like. I've fed in some power on sharper turns and the back end predictably steps out with just the right amount of oversteer. Very nice! Can't wait till I am really confident and used to this bike.
I think that confidence is going to come with not only miles, but some tweaks to my body positioning and ergos. If I have one complaint, it is the seat. Yamaha improved the downward to the tank slope, but you still find yourself slipping forward under hard braking. A flatter saddle will solve that issue and I have ordered the Yamaha comfort saddle to see how that works. It was half the cost of aftermarket options, so I figured it would be worth a shot. My sit bones also start getting a bit sore after an hour or so in the saddle.
Folks, there is a reason this bike is such a good seller. You can't touch it in terms of fun factor for the suggest price of $8999. I really wanted one of the XSR900s when they came out, but cooled off on it because the styling wasn't retro enough. I still love the 2016 60th Anniversary model in the Kenny Roberts livery, though. Since Yamaha updated the FZ 09 (now the MT 09) for 2017, it gained all of the electronic and mechanical upgrades that previously made the extra expense of the XSR justifiable.
Here's a pic from my ride Sunday morning around the lakes and hills around Austin, TX. One of the roads I took it on is popular with motorcyclists due to the many corners, some decreasing radius. While part of the road had recently been seal coated, keeping me from riding briskly, I still got to have some fun and get a feel for the bike. I was a bit nervous knowing how lively and powerful this bike is, but it proved to be incredibly adept and easy ride. What a bike!
In any gear, you can open the throttle and expect a strong surge forward. If you are first gear and you whack open the go-stick, better lean forward and hold on. The front end doesn't want to stay down unless you have traction control turned up. Even with TC in the least intrusive setting (it can be shut off, too), it will easily loft the front end. Second gear just requires a little yank on the bars to get her up. I haven't been trying to wheelie this thing, but I know it will clutch up in 3rd with no problem. I was going down a lumpy, dippy road and at 70 mph, it was floating the front end in 4th gear.
I love how nimble it is. I figured it was going to take getting use to leaning over a bike with a 180mm rear tire since I have been riding bikes with 140-150mm rears. Nope, it keels right over and then has no qualms with flipping the other way with a little tug on the bars. The wide bars are helpful, but this is just a well designed chassis in terms of geometry and handling. Those wide bars also make this feel a bit supermoto like. I've fed in some power on sharper turns and the back end predictably steps out with just the right amount of oversteer. Very nice! Can't wait till I am really confident and used to this bike.
I think that confidence is going to come with not only miles, but some tweaks to my body positioning and ergos. If I have one complaint, it is the seat. Yamaha improved the downward to the tank slope, but you still find yourself slipping forward under hard braking. A flatter saddle will solve that issue and I have ordered the Yamaha comfort saddle to see how that works. It was half the cost of aftermarket options, so I figured it would be worth a shot. My sit bones also start getting a bit sore after an hour or so in the saddle.
Folks, there is a reason this bike is such a good seller. You can't touch it in terms of fun factor for the suggest price of $8999. I really wanted one of the XSR900s when they came out, but cooled off on it because the styling wasn't retro enough. I still love the 2016 60th Anniversary model in the Kenny Roberts livery, though. Since Yamaha updated the FZ 09 (now the MT 09) for 2017, it gained all of the electronic and mechanical upgrades that previously made the extra expense of the XSR justifiable.
Here's a pic from my ride Sunday morning around the lakes and hills around Austin, TX. One of the roads I took it on is popular with motorcyclists due to the many corners, some decreasing radius. While part of the road had recently been seal coated, keeping me from riding briskly, I still got to have some fun and get a feel for the bike. I was a bit nervous knowing how lively and powerful this bike is, but it proved to be incredibly adept and easy ride. What a bike!