Hat in the Ring

Yamaha's all-new R9 won in World SuperSport upon its début, but what is the road bike like? We went to Spain to find that out

- Adam Child 'Chad'

THE RESURGENT MIDDLEWEIGHT SPORTS bike category, traditionally known as the SuperSport class, continues to excite as Yamaha re-enter the ring with the all-new Yamaha R9. The 890-cc triple has already claimed a World SuperSport (WSS) victory upon its début at Phillip Island and is competitively priced at £12,250 (Rs 13.72 lakh). It already looks like the competition should be worried.

It would be understandable to assume the R9 is a re-packaged MT-09 given that its R7 and R3 stablemates are, with their sleek and sporty bodywork removed, essentially the same as their naked siblings. But the R9 is very different. It has a completely new Deltabox frame and chassis geometry, multi-adjustable KYB suspension, and, while the potent and flexible CP3 engine used in the MT-09 remains, almost everything else is new, including a six-axis IMU and an extensive suite of lean-sensitive rider aids, including ABS, and high-end Brembo Stylema callipers. All this is wrapped in attractive aero bodywork which, Yamaha say, is their most aerodynamic to date.

Yamaha's track-only R6 and R1 and racy GYTR models will still be available (depending upon where you live in the world) and the new R9 does not replace either model. Despite its track focus, the R9 has been designed to work on the road as well and, according to Yamaha, has “pure sports performance and a strong R-model DNA, while also being highly accessible”.