We recently rode the 2024 Yamaha MT-09 and its variants around the Sodegaura Forest Raceway in Japan and here are our thoughts on the bike:

Sharp yet neat design lines make it look quite aggressive — Still has a distinct MT feel to it

The revised fairing with bi-functional LED projector headlight looks unconventional— We think the second-gen bike’s split LED headlight setup was better looking

The 888cc, inline-three motor producing 119PS & 93Nm provides very linear power delivery — A strong mid-range & short gearing enables it to pull hard in any gear

On a twisty mountain road, the performance from the motor will be exciting — Bi-directional quickshifter works flawlessly

Despite weighing 193kg, the MT-09 has the agility of something like the KTM 390 Duke — Switching directions is very easy on this one

New spin-forged alloy wheels has made the bike lighter & front-end feels really nimble as a result — Bike feels very planted when leaned over

Dual 298mm front disc brakes with a Brembo radial master cylinder and a 245mm rear disc brake setup offers confidence inspiring performance — Brake lever feedback is very good

Despite having an aggressive riding posture with the rear-set foot pegs, comfort levels are quite good

MT-09 is feature packed with rider aids such as cornering traction control, wheelie control, cornering ABS & customisable riding modes

Also gets cruise control along with a new 5-inch TFT instrument console with smartphone connectivity and a customisable interface

The Y-AMT variant with the Yamaha’s automated manual transmission is visually identical to the standard variant except for the lack of a clutch lever and toe shifter

Instead, gets a rocker switch on the left handlebar and can be operated with your thumb to shift down and the index finger to shift up

If you engage the D or D+ modes, shifting is taken care of automatically — Upshifts are quite jerky in D mode

Also, in D mode, the bike wants to shift up gears earlier in the rev range, and stays in a higher gear than desired — D+ lets the revs run higher in each gear & downshifts are quicker

Switching to manual mode & changing gears with the rocker switch improves the experience significantly & lets you be in control most of the time

In some instances, while braking from 170kmph and switching from 5th to 2nd gear, the AMT gearbox didn’t downshift quickly enough

The AMT gearbox doesn’t quite work in the aggressive scenario of a racetrack — But shouldn’t be that much of a hassle on the road

Verdict: Hands down, this could be one of the best middleweight naked bikes for India. The MT-09 is coming to India by the end of 2024