Yamaha MT-09X leaked - by Yamaha

THE secrecy around Yamaha’s forthcoming FJ-09 (as it will be called in America) has been a disaster since day one.

Many months ago, the existence of the bike, a touring version of the MT-09, was revealed when the firm trademarked the name 'FJ-09'. The use of the ‘FJ’ tag left little doubt that it would be a tourer of some sort, while the ‘09’ was always a clear link to the MT-09, or FZ-09 as it’s called in the States.

A little later, black and white photos of the bike appeared when Yamaha patented its appearance. And now, just to add insult to injury, somebody at Yamaha accidentally uploaded a shot of the FJ-09 to its American media website. It was quickly removed, but not before the ‘Common Tread’ part of Revzilla’s website had downloaded it. 

In Europe, the bike is understood to be going under a version of the MT-09 name, possibly MT-09X.

While it’s a tourer, it has hints of adventure bike in the styling – not least in the addition of hand guards and a slightly Super Tenere-ish look to the fairing. Underneath, it’s all MT-09, complete with 850cc triple and the same chassis as the existing versions.

Look out for the bike’s official launch at EICMA in early November.