Yamaha R9 Review: The Best of The 'New' Bunch?

The revived middleweight sports bike category – traditionally known as the SuperSport class – continues to captivate as Yamaha returns to the fold with the all-new Yamaha R9. Powered by an 890cc triple, the R9 has already secured a World SuperSport (WSS) victory on its debut at Phillip Island and comes with a competitive price tag of just over £12,000. It’s clear the competition has reason to be concerned.

At first glance, one might assume the R9 is just a reworked MT-09, especially since its R7 and R3 counterparts share the same basic structure as their naked sibling models. However, the R9 is far from that. It features an entirely new Deltabox frame and chassis geometry, multi-adjustable KYB suspension, and while it retains the powerful and versatile CP3 engine from the MT-09, nearly everything else is fresh. This includes a six-axis IMU and a comprehensive suite of lean-sensitive rider aids, such as ABS, along with top-tier Brembo Stylema calipers. All of this is encased in a sleek and aerodynamic design, which Yamaha claims is their most efficient design yet.

While the R9 is clearly track-oriented, it has been meticulously designed to also perform on the road. According to Yamaha, the R9 offers "pure sports performance with a strong R-model DNA, while also being highly accessible."

SuperSport is experiencing a resurgence, both on the track and in showrooms, and here at Visor Down we were eager to ride the latest entry in the segment. However, after a massive rainstorm flooded the iconic MotoGP Jerez racetrack and surrounding areas in southern Spain, Yamaha swiftly shifted the entire press launch to Seville — the same track where we had ridden the new Ducati V2 weeks before. It was a logistical challenge, but Yamaha went the extra mile, ensuring we still had the chance to test the R9 on track.

What's the new Yamaha R9 all about

There’s been a bucket load of interest in the new R9. After all, Yamaha has a tradition of producing red hot mid-capacity sports bikes. Think FZ600, FZR600 and, for the last 25 years or so, the at times dominant YZF-R6. Now the Japanese giant is hungry for more WSS success and the road-bike sales that will follow.

Centre stage is the flexible, fun and grunt-rich CP3 890cc triple, a direct lift from the hugely popular MT-09, now producing 119PS/117bhp @10,000rpm and 93Nm/69 fllb @ 7,000 of torque. It's a cracking engine suited to any number of riding environments and, for this track-focused iteration, Yamaha has altered the final gearing from the MT-09's 16/45 to 16/43 to increase top speed and tweaked the YCCT fuelling. Although the engine is the same, the aluminium Deltabox frame is bespoke, a staggering 10kg lighter than the MT's, with tighter, faster steering geometry and increased rigidity. Quoted wet weight for the bike is 195kg, with an unofficial dry weight of 179kg. That is light.

KYB suspension is fully adjustable, high-end Brembo Stylema brake calipers pair with large-diameter 320mm discs (there's a single 220mm disc on the rear), while a plethora of riding modes, power modes and lean-sensitive rider aids derived from the R1 are installed alongside a six-axis IMU. There's new switchgear, a 5-inch full colour dash with a race display option and connectivity, and the most aerodynamic bodywork Yamaha has ever produced with an attractive minimalist front end and integrated winglets. Priced at just over £12,000 the R9 is cheaper than the track-only R6 and less than Ducati’s recently launched Panigale V2 S, but more than the traditional inline four-cylinder 600cc machines from both Kawasaki and Honda.

Rain stopped play at Jerez

Yamaha's riding plan for the press test was for a one-day road ride followed by a day lapping the historic and magnificent Circuito de Jerez MotoGP track. However, on arrival a fierce storm flooded the track and surrounding roads, meaning we had to uproot and head to a new track just outside Seville. Luckily for me, I’d ridden the very same circuit the previous week on Ducati’s new Panigale V2 S, which added extra relevance to our test. I, meanwhile, was like a greyhound waiting for the rabbit and couldn’t wait to get out on track.

Conditions were not perfect, with a few damp patches, meaning Yamaha opted for the standard Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport RS11 road rubber. It's a bold move for a manufacturer to launch a bike on a racetrack with standard road tyres instead of dedicated race rubber but, wrapped in tyre warmers and up on stands waiting for the track to dry, the new R9 certainly looked the part. With the number plate and mirrors removed it carries the aura of a race bike, and it is hard to see where Yamaha has saved on cost to get the price down to £12k.

Seat height is lower than the R7 and Yamaha claims the riding position is not as radical as the R6, but it certainly feels very R6, with a familiar (14-litre) tank shape. I opted for the pegs set in the high position and a race pattern gear shift. The new 5-inch dash is neat, with multiple themes to choose from including a track mode. Switchgear we have seen before on other new-ish Yamaha models features the love-it-or-hate-it indicator switch, while cruise control comes as standard. With my head locked into track mode, the fact that the R9 also has self-cancelling indicators and a USB C outlet under the seat, seemed welcome but rather incongruous. After days of travel and waiting around, I just wanted to get out on track.

There’s no Race ABS setting, and Yamaha took the decision to remove the ABS altogether for the purpose of this test. There are four power modes, three standard riding modes – Sport, Street and Rain – two customisable modes, and four-track modes. With the track still damp in places, I opted for a track mode Yamaha had pre-set to suit the weather and Seville circuit. Given the lack of grip, the setting was similar to the standard Sport mode with some rider aid intervention just in case.

What's it like to ride? Very much alike the R6

On the first few familiarisation laps there was no escaping the fact it does feel very much like a Yamaha R6, only more relaxed and with new switchgear and clocks. The riding position isn’t as radical as the 600's but it’s still quite aggressive with low (below the top yoke) and narrow bars, and pegs now on their highest settings. You’re close to the wide fuel tank and feel part of the bike. Even at a steady pace, you can feel what the KYB suspension and Bridgestones are translating.

If the chassis reminds of the R6, the engine is far less frantic and more usable. You can afford to be in the wrong gear, use the CP3's always-available torque, and drive out of turns like a R6 or any inline 600cc could only dream of. The R9 is user-friendly and will be ideal for new riders taking to the track for the first time, or more experienced riders learning a new track. Easy power, easy handling, very light – it might appear a little intimidating with those racy wings and minimal lights, but those first few laps highlighted how easy is to just jump on and ride briskly.

Once I’d figured out where the damp patches were lurking it was time to tuck in and push for a fast lap. Yamaha had fitted the optional GPS unit and with the VPB (Virtual Pit Board) display on the new dash each lap turned into a mission to cut my PB lap time, which was clearly shown on the dash every time I crossed the start-finish.

Even when pushing for a fast lap the third-generation QSS quick-shifter works so smoothly you can backshift at high rpm without any issues. Front-end feel, critical to a lap time on a SuperSport machine, is excellent, again very much like the R6, giving you the confidence to roll a little bit too quickly into fast corners and brake relatively deep into the apex. A few times I had to remind myself that I had no ABS and was on road-biased Bridgestones – but still I felt able to take liberties. The set up of the R9 chassis, particularly those 43mm KYB forks, is that good. 

Once into the corner, the flat-top tank, whose supportive shape has been sculpted into near perfection over the decades, makes it second nature to hang off the inside. As per the R6, some taller riders wanted the adjustable pegs lower, but I was fine on the higher settings which also gave ample ground clearance. Mid-corner, you feel immersed in what the chassis is doing. You hit every apex thinking: ‘I could have gone faster! I should have carried more corner speed!’. I couldn't pull elbow dragging lean angles  on the road rubber but it will be very exciting to see how the R9 performs on slicks. 

On the corner exit, it’s simply a matter of how brave you are and how much grip the tyres have left. On a 200bhp YZF-R1 you must wait, then wait some more, before unleashing the power. On the R6 you must be immaculate and precise, hit the exact rpm every time. On the R9 you can get on the power early and afford to be imperfect and lazy. It's working with you all the time.

Towards the end of a 20-minute session, I could start to feel the road-biased rubber complain (but again the feedback is excellent). I think, in hindsight, that I was riding it like a high-revving R6, hitting the rev limiter time and again and generally getting a bit carried away. The R9 has so much more torque and oomph but runs out of revs at around 10,500rpm, which for a sports bike is relatively low. The standard gearing didn’t help on the Seville circuit, either, as there were several sections where I wanted to hold onto a gear longer but had no over-rev to play with. Just a few more thousand RPM would have cut the lap time.

Playing with the rider aids.

Back in the pits I opted to leave the power in the recommended 2 mode and not the more aggressive 1, but did remove the LIF (wheelie control) and turned down the rider aids a fraction. I wanted to push for a decent lap but was also aware we were on the standard R11 Bridgestones and not race Pirelli slicks like we had the week previous on the Ducati V2.

With lap times automatically displayed by the new VPB display, it’s almost impossible not to push. As the pace increased, the handling continued to impress, especially that forensically wonderful front-end feel. I quickly learnt that carrying more corner speed and using a gear higher, which means not hitting the limiter as frequently, is the key. With all that torque to push you along, lap times are still impressive – and it is much easier to ride.

The final section of the track is very tight, with lots of switchbacks that the R9 makes easy work of. At around 179kg dry it's supremely flickable, the only hindrance being the narrow bars. I'd prefer slightly wider bars with more leverage for less effort. That said, at the end of each track session, I didn't feel fatigued. The R9 is undemanding to ride at pace – so relaxed compared to an R6 – you feel you are lapping slower, which the timer shows is not the case.

Slight downside

One disappointment: the Brembo Stylema and 320mm discs, complete with stainless steel mesh brake lines, didn’t feel as sharp as I would expect. A detectable sponginess might have been down to the front tyre grip and feel on the limit, so too a little instability when turning and braking – but overall the Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport R11s worked incredibly well on track given their road focus. With tack-specific rubber fitted, I suspect the R9 would carry even more corner speed and hit the limiter even less. Tweak the suspension, trim the rider aids further, and things could start to get interesting. But sadly, our test was cut short by poor weather.

Verdict

A washout impeded the original test of the new Yamaha R9 at Jerez, but Yamaha made a bold move by relocating the entire launch to an untested venue overnight. This was a gamble for the company, as manufacturers typically have a week to set up and fine-tune everything — from suspension settings to tyre pressures — to ensure their new machine is working perfectly. However, Yamaha rolled the dice, opting to test the R9 at a new track on road-going rubber designed for decent mileage rather than outright lap times. Fortunately, their gamble paid off, as the R9 performed exceptionally well despite the challenging conditions.

Running the bike in its standard form highlighted how well the R9 performs even in showroom settings. Its sublime chassis and excellent front end give it an R6-like feel, but it’s far easier and more forgiving to ride, thanks to a more user-friendly engine. While the engine’s delivery is less frantic, making it feel slower in some ways, the lap times proved otherwise. The only minor downside was the brakes, which lacked the sharpness typically associated with Brembo Stylema calipers.

In essence, the R9 is a grown-up version of the R6. It retains the light, taut, and precise chassis, along with a confidence-inspiring front end, but now boasts a more approachable engine and cutting-edge electronics. This makes it more accessible for a wider range of riders, allowing more people to enjoy its performance. It’s already winning in racing and looks fantastic — though we can’t comment on comfort, fuel range, or other typical road-test factors just yet. That said, the R9 should be more suited to road use than the R6. Only time and miles will tell.

Rest assured, a full UK road test will follow soon. Will Toad be as impressed with its road performance as Chad was with its on-track abilities? We'll find out soon!

2025 Yamaha R9 specs

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