If the Yamaha MT-09 has had a flaw it’s been its rather gawky styling – but for 2017 the firm has solved that with a fresh new look for its best-
selling triple along with a new model called the MT-10SP.
The front is completely new, with LED lights that are much neater and more compact than the old version. The instruments are also moved towards the lights, and the turn signals repositioned to the new radiator cowls.
Further back there’s a new rear cowl and a shorter subfram e, while the rear licence plate hanger is moved to a swingarm-mounted design. That helps the back look even lighter shorter.
There are technical tweaks, too. An assist and slipper clutch is added, reducing the lever load by 20%, along with a quick shifter so you don’t need the clutch at all during up-changes.
The front suspension is reworked, with adjustable compression and rebound. The compression adjustment is in the left fork tube, the rebound in the right.
A new silencer is also presented as a styling change, although it’s probably needed to meet Euro4 exhaust and noise emissions rules, too.
Yamaha has also revealed a new MT-10SP. This is effectively a naked R1M, just as the normal MT-10 is a naked R1.
That means it gets Ohlins Racing electronic suspension, a TFT dash and an R1M-style silver-blue paint scheme.
