As we go to press, we’re just receiving the final details on Yamaha’s long-awaited R9 sportsbike. And it’s quite a tempting little proposition on the quiet. Yamaha’s gone above and beyond our expectations in some respects, giving the new uppermiddleweight sportster some classy chassis components and a new lightweight bespoke aluminium frame, as well as modern aerodynamic bodywork with winglets. But with peak power output of 117bhp and a wet weight of 195kg, the bare performance figures were already attracting criticismcism on social media, with unflattering comparisons to 15-year-old 600 supersports bikes (never change, Facebook!)
This is simplistic stuff, of course. The 890cc CP3 triple motor inside the new R9 is a fabulous powerplant, with strong, torquey delivery (and compliance with the Euro5 rules that killed the old R6). On the road, it’s a very capable unit, with all the modern bells and whistles that come with ride-by-wire throttle and 2024 electronics. It’s been tweaked from the version in the MT-09, with different fuel injection settings and altered final drive ratios – but the fundamentals of the 890cc inline-three DOHC 12v unit remain the same, with a bore and stroke of 78x62mm and 11.5:1 compression ratio.