I had yamaha MT09 did around 7000 miles on it. First 1500 tried to put lots of crap into it like screens and bags however it never felt home and looked ugly. Thus March removed all crap from it, put bar end mirrors, no screen and only left comfort sit. Never looks back as looks trumps function for these sort of bikes 😂😂😂 suddenly I started driving it more and enjoying the wind 🎉
I think you have all the advantages of a Tracer but you keep the fun factor of the MT09 SP... Only thing I personally like better on the Tracer is the headlight, but looks are always personal taste. Awesome job !
I think a lockable top case would really suit this as well. Locking the side bags would be a bonus as well. I hate worrying about opportunistic thieves when I need to go in a store.
Big touring bikes in Europe tend to be used for 2 or 3 trips a year and spend the rest of their lives in the garage, so the great advantage of the solution with an MT09 is that its a bike that can be used all year round and also be used as a compromised touring bike. I wear a backpack which is again a compromise but means I dont have costly saddle bags sitting around not doing anything for most of the year. Overal a much more cost efficient solution. :-)
I've a little experience with some long distance travel on a sporty semi-naked bike (2011 FZ1 I used to have). Things that don't pose any fatigue factor within a few hours ride are going to start showing their ugly face after a few more hours. Anyone that wants to tour on a naked bike, or almost-naked bike should get out and ride some good long rides just to investigate where their pain factors are going to be. For me it was BUTT, KNEES, THROTTLE, and WIND. I had a custom seat foam built on my stock seat pan. That was a huge help. Also put a sheep wool topper on it to keep the backside ventilated. I also wore some custom undergarments against my skin to reduce chafing, vibration, and moisture issues. Knees? I didn't do anything. Depending on how high, fore/aft your pegs are relative to your seat, relative to your inseam length, you'll tend to get some stiffness and cramp in your legs over long distance. Being able to stand up on the pegs, move your foot arch or your toe back and forth on the peg, being able to put your feet beneath you to releive some seat pressure are all good things. If you put some crash bars on your motorcycle (I had not, beyond delrin frame protectors), you might be able to clamp some cheap-and-easy highway pegs further forward to help stretch out your legs and take pressure off the knees. Throttle? I purchased a Kaoko throttle lock. The ability to remove one's hand from the grip and swing your arm around, stretch the muscles, relieve forearm tension and stress was huge. Today with modern cruise control, that's an ever day reality and you don't need to make fine adjustments to the throttle with wind and hills, unlike a throttle lock. Wind? This is where everyone is vastly different in their needs and wants. For me, I decided the most important factor in wind was NOISE, not temperature or pressure. Shop long and hard for a helmet that not only doesn't cause your face, jaw, forehead, eyes fatigue/pressure problems, but make sure whatever wind you'll be hearing for thousands of miles is not going to cause hearing damage or NUMB YOUR BRAIN WITH FATIGUE through the day. Relative silence, a lack of low-frequency rumbling, pounding, roaring is massive to your enjoyment and fatigue levels. For me, the clean flow of ambient air around my helmet and neck are very important. That means if a windscreen is pushing air up to my chin, it better be clean, smooth, laminar flow or forget it. If the noise level increases, I'm going to HATE it. Since I wear a full face helmet all of the time, I need adequate air pressure around the helmet to keep my head cool, dry, and face shield fog-free. My textile jackets have all had ventilation controls, so I need airflow to make those function as designed. Turns out, removing some air pressure from the torso is all I really need. Air pressure helps keep the travel speeds in check, in case you're apt to be moving more quickly than you intend to more often than not (law enforcement, ticket/insurance costs, reduced reaction times). Temperature would be the last thing that is a critical control point. Good gear is often very expensive, but you can still have decent gear for not a ton of money. Consider layering, electric heated vest/chaps/gloves, other stuff. Hot weather ends up ADDING heat to the human body, so covering up and controlling air flow with jacket vents is better than shedding down to nothing in heat. Add soaked water garments to create evaporative cooling with jacket vents. In very cold weather, it doesn't matter how many layers you use, to the point of not being able to flex your arms or legs..... you'll eventually get cold. You need to put heat INTO your body from an electric source. Tons of great options exist on the market to change the game for staying warm. Just remember to have a backup option in case the electrics fail (hotel, undergarments, shorter rides, hot cocoa, whatever). Heated grips? Every motorcycle should have them OEM. Easy enough to add, no matter the bike. Grip wind deflectors? Excellent for very cold wind, the first step in breaking the blast from the all-important hands. Remember, your brain's ability to pay attention to what's going on around you, and to enjoy what's going on around you, depends on reducing or eliminating fatigue/pain/discomfort. Addressing a few key fatigue points will make long distance a totally feasible thing. Fortunately when I went 4450 miles over the course of two weeks, I hit almost no rain the entire time. If you're going to hit rain, that's a challenge. If you can avoid it, avoid it. For those interested, I left MN, across SD, saw the Badlands, Black Hills, cut down into northwest NE, eastern WY, into northweast CO, over Rocky Mountain National park, west through the Rockies, south at Glenwood Canyon, spent some time at a relative's place which allowed me to loop over Grand Mesa, loop south on the Million Dollar Highway out of Ouray and back up along the north side of the Gunnison Gorge. Trip home was mostly interstate slog from west CO all the way to Des Monies IA and back north to MN. I was done with riding for a while after that. But I have a lot of fond memories of the trip and a good amount of pictures, many of which I took by point and shoot while riding (I do not recommend) via a small Sony camera. Pictures turned out great. Only close call was dodging an antelope that shot out of the ditch in the south Black Hills area. No problems the entire trip otherwise.
A lot of really good points made here - Would definitely echo many of the suggestions made 🙂 Agree that the difference in helmets is remarkable - And its probably the hardest thing to shop for in motorcycling in my opinion - So lets forget all about the one that "looks cool" or your favourite colour or race rep lookalikes (yeah we all do it! ;-) Much smarter to do your homework and check reviews with focus on noise and buffeting (etc) - And its really hard to know prior to buying unless you have a very user friendly shop that will let you try before you buy (and yes its so important that it is worth asking! For example my local shop lets me try for style and size so i dont spend before testing at speed (ideally test at speed in a crosswind too) - Most older riders have had helmets they spent good money on but just cant work with which really sucks.. 😞The emphasis on tight fits for helmets for safety is also all very well and no doubt safer in a crash but this can also work against comfort and even satisfactory blood flow which make you tire quickly and can make riding less enjoyable so you need to balance all these things when shopping too, esp if shopping for a touring helmet that you will be wearing all day... We all need to buy a half decent heavier jacket and layer beneath as the weather cools - But the best way I have found to really boost protection against the cold for 4 season touring is not to worry too much about main ride jacket (as they usually all have weaknesses) but to shop hard for a decent and ideally rather neat fitting rain jacket (waterproof + windproof at least) that goes right over the top of your outfit (pants too of course) and has a real high neck with a properly weather sealing zip and ideally also some cinching system for cuffs and waist - Integrated jacket waterproof layers never work as well as higher quality secondary waterproofing systems that just cover the whole main ride jacket in my experience - And adding secondary outer rain shells totally eliminates any air leaks that allow cold drafts to slowly penetrate - This approach also doubles as far superior rain protection too of course (which is when your cold protection needs to be at its best) as you have effectively added a second weather protection layer - Also keeps your main ride jacket dry if you get protracted multi-day wet weather too, so you only really need to dry a rain shell when you arrive at motel which can be done in 5mins with a towel - Much less likely you will need to ride in damp gear the next day with this approach, so much smarter than trying to get that one elusive dream jacket that can do it all And if using a decent secondary outer rain layer then I have found you can then do most 2-3 season touring with a higher quality ventilating jacket + pants outfit like BMWs excellent "AirFlow" system which also offers great protection by vented system standards - Means you have far superior comfort when it get really hot (ie most of the time in summer) and just use the rain shell as primary protection from nasty cold snaps or early/late rides or higher altitude etc - And augment that with layered thermals beneath your ventilating ride gear as required - Minimal packed volume for touring as well so happy days 🙂
@@MajorDrama1 Thanks for the information. I would like to specify too, that these multi-layer jackets that basically don't resist rain on the outer layer but have a waterproof liner are basically stupid. By the time that jacket has soaked up rain and gained 5 pounds of weight, the insulating properties of that jacket are nil. The liner might stop the water, but it's going to be cold. Also the next ride is going to be miserable and gross putting on a soppy jacket. If you stop at a restaurant or coffee shop for a rest and warm up, you'll puddle water all over the place and the establishment surely won't respect you being there. A waterproof shell that can handle wind whipping is the only way to go. Stop the water and wind, and stay warm beneath. Rain quits, take it off and continue. Aerostitch sells waterproof glove covers that you can continue to wear your favorite gloves beneath. They pack super small and are waterproof and a hand saver.
@@exothermal.sprocket Would totally and emphatically support your argument re inadequacy of that whole generation of multilayer jackets with the innermost layer being the rain barrier layer - These really show just how disconnected ride gear designers are from real world performance and riders real needs - The inner rain layer is usually clammy and cold even in highish humidity and they are dangerously cold once it rains - Ive had a couple of such suits and first thing I do is throw the internal raincoat away as its critical you dont rely on this esp when real cold at altitude inland etc - Once its wet the wind chill continues to act on the water keeping it really cold and that water is now buried under 2 outer suit layers and so cant even easily evaporate away! I think these jacket systems are probably serious contenders for the most retarded concepts in all of motorcycling! Yeah as you say it is essential that your outer rain shell doesnt flap at high speed like a pennant flag.. Would drive you mad - Some outer shell jackets now have an elastic component which helps, as does velcro cinching tabs on arms and waist and as also do larger heavier gauge rubber bands (or similar) on the arms if trying to tame a flappy coat with no other plan Thanks for the tip re aerostitch glove covers - I hate the disconnected feeling that most waterproof/winter gloves have and have been looking for a outer rain layer product so I can extend the (seasonal) range of a sports glove so will track a set down 👍
@@MajorDrama1 No problem! I've only had to use those glove covers once, but they worked really well. I don't remember what size I bought, I think they were one size larger than normal, to fit over gloves. The product page might have some info on that.
I'm about to do a long touring trip on my mt07. I've done a couple test runs and I found the biggest and most necessary adjustments for me were a) very comfortable/effective earplugs b) properly getting off the bike/out of the helmet and stretching for like 10-15 mins every 90 minutes of riding or so c) Overall limiting yourself to like 300 miles per day d) keep some ibuprofen around e) A nice thermos of coffee :) f) being dynamic in the seat. There is a good amount of room to sit forward or scoot your butt back. Make use of it! g) Just slow down a little bit. The difference between 70mph and 60mph is huge in terms of wind noise/pressure/fatigue. Given all those considerations, and an adjustment in mindset, I've actually had an incredible time touring on my mt07. I earnestly regret avoiding longer trips because I was scared it'd be too uncomfortable to tour on my bike. Any motorcycle is a touring motorcycle if you prepare well and have the right mindset!
I was torn between this bike and the Tracer 9GT. Ultimately I chose the MT09 because I only get to tour a week or so out of the year and the rest of the year I wanted the lighter & more hooliganable bike. I'm very happy with my decision. I added a Corbin seat, which made a huge difference on long rides. I also welded up a rack that bolts onto the subframe with room for piles of dry bags. As for the fuel I drilled a hole in the top of the cup that drops into the tank where you fuel it. This allows about an extra quart to easily fit in the tank by venting the air gap at the top of the tank the cup creates. Not much but every little bit helps with such a small tank. Finally I have De Pretto Moto frame sliders on the bike. I made little leg rest that zip tie onto them so I can stretch my legs out from time to time.
@@lucasbim Hi this was my same situation....same bikes and weekly play, but with some option of going away places in Australia for 2 weeks at a time, enjoying the ride, catching up with family and friends. Thank you for the heads up and Big Rock Moto your reviews are good value - keep on, keeping on - ride safe. John
This is the approach many motorcyclists used in the hayday of the UJM. My CB750K1 provided the fun factor and an after-market Wixom fairing provided the wind protection. An army-surplus marzette bag, strapped on the rear seat space served well as luggage. This was the formula for touring all over North America! Fun!!
Plenty of people in the uk head to France Germany Spain Portugal etc on their mt-09s the benefit you have once you hit some nice roads is they’re a lot more fun than 230kg+ adv bikes
I have a 2023 MT09 with a tall madstad windsceen plus a clip on deflector like yours. The big-ass shield doesn’t look great but it rock solid and provides incredibly effective body and head air pocket without helmet buffeting. The shield also is a quick release with just two pins uncovering a bikini type shield. Brilliant stuff for interstate and cold weather riding.
Looks like it works, but for those who can afford it and have the space, nothing beats 2 (or more) bikes, each fit for purpose. In my case, that's a Street Triple for hooliganism and track days, and a Tiger with proper hard cases for touring/long weekend rides.
Nice job! I did something similar to my 2005 Yamaha FZ6. I’ve ridden that bike coast to coast on many adventures. 40,000 miles later I still have it in the garage.
Same here. 05 FZ6 as my first bike. Added a Shad top case, Shad seat, Sedici dry bags and a cheap (but invaluable) Bilt tank bag over the past two years. 25k miles here.
Im literally getting a Can Am Ryker Adjustable Windscreen and modding a bracket for the MT-09. It's a really awesome Windscreen and exactly what I wish more companies would offer. It slides up and down 3 inches and they make 2 different sizes, a sport and an adventure version. Sport version is basically perfect for the Mt-09 and offers alot of wind protection. They sell them on Amazon for like $100-$160 depending on sport or adventure size. Just have to figure out a way to mod the mount with some brackets to make it fit. The Sport is 15.25 inch wide and base height of 12.5 inches but can slide up another 3 inches so 15.5 inch height. The adventure version may be too big looking for the MT-09 which is why im not going that route but it is 19.25 inches wide and base height of 14.75 inch and extends to 17.75 inches. Adventure would be really nice wind protection but probably look disproportionate and the sport is kind of just right while still offering really strong wind protection. To me the aesthetic actually fits the MT-09 very well and lines up nice with front end but I have to customize a mount for it which im very good at figuring out good solutions but im just not good at executing the solution as far as making the mounts and any welding and precision bends etc. I don't even know who to go to to create the mount ive come up with so this will be a pain in my rear but I think it's worth it.
i did some big tours with my kawa er-6n 2016 / Ninja 650 naked bike and i felt that the luggage was doing me a favour while doing tight corners on mountain roads.
It works well in summer weather. I did this with my Honda 919 and a national cycle windscreen. Right now I have a salvaged Kawasaki, Z 400 that I put an Amazon windscreen, saddlebags in tiny bike bags all over it with a raised saddle and handlebars. I went down some dusty trails to go gold panning with it, and made frequent stops along the way, and had just as much fun, taking it slow and not having any range anxiety with its 3.7 gas tank. Also, it’s super light to pick up, and I’m not as fearful on gravel roads
I highly recommend getting the Yamaha Comfort Seat. My backside doesn’t get anywhere near as sore as with the std. seat, it transfers less kinetic energy from bumps, potholes etc. and due to it being thicker it raises the seat height giving me more legroom.
I'm 6'4" with a 36" inseam, so smaller bikes like this would be uncomfortable for touring. You mentioned the disadvantages of weight but didn't touch on the positives in terms of stability and ride smoothness. I purchased my BMW R1250RS in Arizona and rode it back to Wisconsin last fall. During a day riding across windy Nebraska, I surely would have noticed the loss of 100+ lbs of mass, making that part of the ride an uncomfortable slog. Another consideration is where the weight is located in relation to the bike's Center of Gravity (CoG). Lastly, it's worth noting that weight itself isn't always as crucial as the weight-to-power ratio. Yes, my RS is about 120 lbs heavier than the SP, but it boasts over 20 more HP and, more importantly, nearly double the torque. It accelerates faster and, with better brakes, decelerates faster too. I'll choose all of that over chuckability - I'm a big guy and have no issues throwing my big German girl around when I want. 😊 The Advrider forums host a 100+ page thread on what defines a sport-touring bike, and it boiled down to an agreement that any bike you can tour with and ride in a "sporty" way qualifies. I've witnessed inexperienced riders struggle to keep a 250 upright and professional riders effortlessly handling big HD or BMW police cruisers better than most people could ride a bicycle. How, where, and when you ride are way more important than what.
@@toddsorel-pg4hrhe's like 2m tall, even the mt09 is dwarfed by people our size. I will definitely be buying German for my next bike, I dwarf my XSR700 and an R1200RS like he has seems like the best option.
This is basically exactly what I did with my FZ-07. Then I strapped a dry bag to the back seat and voila I went moto camping with it no problem. I also got a ~$40 gel seat pad that fixed the hard seat but you could always ball out and get an aftermarket soft seat
I absolutely approve of your touring mods, as I take my F900r out on multi-day motocamping trips. I use an inflatable seat pad, handlebar risers, a relatively modest windscreen, and factory saddlebags and a rear luggage rack by SW Motech. Honestly the only real drawback I see with my bike while out on tour is the minuscule fuel range, but I also have a gallon fuel bag for those stretches of road where gas is sparse. Moral of the story, if you can tolerate some of the drawbacks, just get out there and ride, you don’t need some mythical “perfect” tourer to have an epic trip. 😊
I put a windshield, tail box and panniers on my 2018 Duke 690. All of a sudden, long high speed highway travel is completely comfortable. I can also get a little over 60 mpg and the bike is still the best handling bike ever and around 340 lbs wet. It pulls like a 900 (or better in many cases), it’s starting to get more use than my K75S.
Great video! Love the mounting system on those bags, may put a set on my bike at some point. Every time i see a video like this, it makes me even happier I bought my old 6th gen VFR800. I can be comfortable for longer rides, the price was right, its reliable, and it makes sweeeeeet noises.
I did a Saddle-Sore 1000 on my 800 Dragster RR...1065 miles 22hrs. Carried supplies... spare fuel etc...the extra weight on the tail made the bike ride pretty smooth...
I installed Shad 3P racks on my Z900 with 35 liter panniers, and i installed a top box mount onto an extra passenger seat. The wind isn't that big of a deal. Its incredible fun.
You can also swap out the passenger pegs for those on the Tracer 9 or FJ9 which gives the passenger a much better experience if you are doing 2 up riding! Same goes for the MT10 for anyone looking to turn these into 2-up sport touring machines.
This is interesting... I would recommend the Tracer 900gt up to year 2020 for a sport tourer with an emphasis on sport. After 2020, the emphasis is on touring with the 9gt, IMHO (having owned both). For daily sporty riding, I trim weight by removing the windscreen, grab bars, luggage rails, handguards, etc on my '20 900gt. For multi-day trips, I add the goodies back on. I've found the 900gt to be perfectly sporty when I need it around town; and then excellent for multi-day, 1000+ mile treks. With cruise control, modest luggage, & heated grips, it's great. I'd take the 900 GT over the MT-09 as the GT is sporty enough, yet excellent for road touring - a true road all-purpose champion. But, after 2020, the ergos, stance, and poise of the Tracer 9 gt just don't pop, plant, and sling through corners and twisties like the earlier model; and the leg room is awful. I got rid of my '23 9GT and stayed with the '20 900GT and have zero regrets and no issues at 18,000 miles. It seems Yamaha took a step backwards in some ways with the +2021 years by adding lots of creature comforts, but sacrificing "the ride." Keep up the great work, Ian.
A worthy presentation, fair with respect to pros/cons. But not for me. I take multiple day trips. That means I can’t ride the first day to my fatigue limit, and expect to repeat that day after day. Wind buffeting, becoming chilled due to colder temps, fighting crosswinds and turbulence from semi’s-all very doable on a 3-4 hour ride, but not every day for a week. Plus, some days, one may have to ride 8+ hours due to weather, to make up time due to a variety of reasons. One needs to build in a margin of reserve because “stuff happens on the road”. AND, riding fatigued is as hazardous as riding drunk-very MUCH nor recommended.
I rode my MT09 from Scotland to the South of France this year....we did Route Napoleon, Monaco, Italy, Route De Grand Alpes, Switzerland, back into France and home via the channel tunnel in south east England. I've owned a tracer as well and sold it during COVID when we couldn't tour. Also last year was Scotland to the Vosges mountains in France. This is the best bike I've ever toured on, especially when you get to the Twisties in the mountains. I'll probably buy the SP model next year as an upgrade. 👍🏻
I had nothing but motocross bikes until I was 43. I walked into the Yamaha shop early spring of 06 and spotted a brand new R6. Love at first sight!! I rode that bike all over the Midwest for years. Had some tourmaster soft luggage, it worked out great. Fast forward to present day and being 58 I can’t ride that bike for more than an hour due to riding position. Can’t bring myself to sell it though. Trying to convince my wife to let me bring it in the family room and use it as a fine piece of art!
I have done close to 19.000km from may till now with it, fitted it with a SW-Motech Rackpack Set (42Liters; it was worth every penny of the 440EU, you can do 200km/h with it without any problems). The guys that i usually ride with have medium/big adventure bikes. The only place were this bike was inferior was on highway; on everything else performed like a charm; if you go the legal limit on the highway it will not be a problem. You can feel the seat after 300-400 km. Another thing i don't like is the fuel indicator it has 1 big line with half a tank and the rest in smaller lines. If you plan to do allot of rain ridding, do not remove the tail tidy that comes with the bike, you will always be full of mud and pebbles otherwise. Make sure you setup the suspension on the softer side if the roads aren't the greatest condition were you live.
Really enjoy your bike reviews Ian, thank you. This seems like a great lightweight occasional touring option! Really looking forward to seeing you ride the new BM R1300 GS.
Ive used a few naked bikes for long rides. Add in a taller windshield and strap a saddle bag or bagpack to the seat had always work for me. A little bit of wind to the body and helmet is great to give me a little bit of cooling. So i say yours is definitely an upgrade well done
I turned my former UJM, the Z9000RS, into a UJM/ST, doing similar things that you did. Added a windscreen, better seat, lowering pegs, Blaze saddlebags, Kaoko throttle lock, Grip Puppies and blammo, great for day rides. I know some folks who actually tour on theirs but that's what my FJR1300 is for. The Z900RS ST was much better for around town and shorter rides, so long as I was riding solo.
A definite success. Every bike is a compromise and this will not be the bike for every rider, but if you enjoy a sporty ride and don't need to put down big miles this could be the setup for you. I was making this decision in 2016 and opted for an FJ-09 because of the bigger fuel tank (4.8 gal), better wind protection, heated grips and lockable hard bags all for $8500 (it was a 2015 demo model). Still have it 60,000 miles later and it has been a great ride and taken me on some amazing adventures with plenty more to come.
Snap Ian…. I did the exact same with my 2020 MT09. Took it all round the UK on a 2,000 mile trip…… With the Yamaha comfort seat I managed to do 12 hours in the saddle no problem! Only problem is the screen situation….. I have 3 different ones and constantly play around with them depending on the ride I’m going on. Currently, I have a double bubble one fitted which seems to provide the least turbulence whilst keeping the air flow off my chest. Now considering taking it on track next year. It’s one of those bikes that seems to turn just by thinking about it and giving it a little pressure on the foot peg. Keep up the good work and congratulations on your house move. 👏🏼👍🏻
I have a very similar setup on my naked bike. Wind does beat you up a bit and unfortunately my tuned bike is very thirsty. But I've had some fun trips and hammock camping on it.
Looks good. As you said not as capable mileage wise or luggage wise as the Tracer 9 GT (which is what I have) but if you have the MT09 these are all great solutions for a bit more capability. Deffinitly makes it a great commuter.
I really like the SW-MOTECH stuff. I have the same Tank bag that you do plus I have the Pro Rear Tail Bag which I add if I am going out all day. I use that setup on my Super Duke. Longer trips though I take the more touring oriented bike. More room for my camping stuff plus less fatiguing on those 8+ hour days of riding.
Love this video and those bags. Have a pre-order for a 2024 MT-09 SP in with my local dealer as of 11/02 (the day it was announced). Also, sick garage! The dream!
Hi everyone. I just bought an MT09 last summer, put in the weekend pack with the windshield, comfort seat and saddle bags, plus the tank bag and the 45 litres top case, I use the bike every day to conmute from home to work and back, weekend trips to my second home, Sunday routes with friends and some long distance events such as Rider1000 ( 1000 km in a day) or Rodibook (750km more or less in one day), and I can assure that it's a wonderful bike for the kind of roads we have here in Europe, probably not for Interstate or American highways, but for European roads definitely is a touring bike if you don't want to throw your money into a trail bike, such as the Tracer GT9 or a BMW FX900R.
I have almost a carbon copy of your setup. Used it to travel through Europe 10 days straight, morning. No issues at all! It is boring on autobahn but everywhere else I was soo happy using this bike because I HAD FUN EVERY TURN! If comfort is all that matters buy a van. Agree that I needed to fuel up about twice a day and may put on a comfort seat for next trip. We'll see.
Shad makes an awesome trunk setup with x-large adjustable capacity [Model Sh59x]for the MT09. I use it on my 1st Gen MT09 and love it. I might add that I have been riding my MT09 as a Sport Tourer for the past 2 years primarily and it does a great job. Another pointer is tha I have engine crash bars that add like 4 add'l foot positions for long rides :)
I rode from LA to Chicago on a 1972 XLCH sportster. 2.2 gallons of gas, fiberglass bags and a 55 quart cooler on the back and the stock seat. Weight distribution was so bad that I developed speed wobble at 55mph. Needless to say it was a long ride. Anything other than this bike is pure comfort. I was 19. Can't do that now.
That's really a great video! It certainly increases the versatility of the bike. From what you said , the handling or performance wasn't really compromised by the added weight and equipment. So, why not? Great job. Best!
As an owner of both an MT09 SP and a BMW R1250R I can definitively say that for longer rides with sport touring in mind, my R1250R wins hand down for comfort. The seat to peg ratio, comfortable stock seat and, heated grips on the R1250R alone make all the difference. (I do have taller handlebars fitted though) To your point about cost however, the out the door cost for the R1250R (new in 2020) was almost double what the cost of the 2021 MT09 SP (used in 2023) was. I have heard it said that sport touring is a state of mind not, (and you alluded to this in your video) specific to a particular motorcycle. The one exception is probably the age of the rider. 😂 I did some sport touring on a CBR 600 back in the day but, my body was a lot younger then. 😅 These days I do not have the patience to put up with much more than minor to moderate comfort compromises on a motorcycle for longer than one day's riding at a time.
Good point... But which one is more fun going through the canyons?! I tend to think that should be a big part of our calculus when deciding which touring bike to buy as well?
I have the exact same bike, saddlebags and tank bag. It works great for me. I take all my bike trips on this setup. Only thing that I would add is a dry bag on the back seat. The sides of the dry bag rest on top of the saddlebags. 😊
I have a similar set up on my 2019 MT-09. Just a note that you can get yamaha heated grips for these bikes and the aftermarket "comfort" seat was the first thing I got to replace the factory plank. If I ever get the chance to do a multi-week tour I'd be very tempted to move up into a proper touring bike.
I like what you did with the MT09. I wonder about adding some flip down highway pegs to give the legs and feet some options to move around. Since we are going into Winter I think about things like bark busters, heated grips, an aftermarket heated touring seat… all of these things extend range and extend the riding season.
This is exactly the video that I needed, I'm cross shopping this and the Tracer 9 GT. The insurance difference between them is 1k eur less for the MT09 and I like that Idea that I can add stuff to make it more tourer AND track the MT09 more easily.
I will say I will be upgrading from my mt09 sp in the future as my desire for more trips has risen. Love the bike for a short ride through the twisty mountain roads near my home but even with Yamahas comfort seat, I experience discomfort in 45 min and pain after an hour. Hard to find something with the best of both worlds so I’m torn to what I’m going to purchase next
@@colink2000au I’m quite fit thank you very much for assuming and I’ve been riding for over 20 years. I still tolerate it and I’m far more comfortable on an aggressive sport bike. Something about the ergonomics doesn’t agree with me. Someone experiencing discomfort doesn’t always necessarily need to get “stronger” lol
I’ve done the same with a 2019 Triumph Speed Triple RS. Combination of SW Motech Kreiga, I have toured the Pyrenees this year, but use my Tiger Rally Pro for other tours.
Hey there, this year in autumn I did a tour in France (5,000 kilometers in 16 days) with my MT09-SP (2021) and it was really awesome. 90+% were on small twisty roads and this is where the bike really shines. No issues whatsoever. Even though I drove quickly, the fuel consumption was around 4.5 l/100km so I had a range of around 300 km with one tank. The bike has just a flyscreen and I had the seat upholstered (+3cm seat height) which now makes it very comfy. For luggage I simply used a waterproof tailbag mounted on a small luggage rack from SW-Motech. It was just fantastic….
I would add at least two more things to it, first heated grips either OEM Yamaha, or Oxford, and hand guards from the Tracer series, maybe a top box. Only one thing is missing, the center stand but you can live without it. Personally I would use the Ducati Monster Plus as a base, or even better bike would be the Ducati Hyperstrada, because it is the same idea out from the factory, but you can only buy that bike used. I plan to do something similar with my 2012 Aprilia Shiver 750, at the moment it is half done. I managed to do a 600km day once and I wasn't all that tired after that.
Ducati Hyperstrada was a brilliant (factory) effort to adding basic touring comforts to a really agile (Hypermotard) platform - Had superlight but very useful pannier set and remarkably effective small screen - But retained the all important agility that almost all heavier touring machines lose - I wish more manufacturers would take this design philosophy more seriously because I like a machine tahts comfortable over longer distances but if I wanted something heavy and unwieldy I'd just take the car
You’re not wrong. I did 1500 miles multi day trips on Honda CB500 X with no issues. If anything I had a ton of fun in the curvy country roads in the Colorado Rockies
I have a mt07 and put a windshield and tank bag on it. The tank bag is really handy i agree with that. I say you should get a exhaust my brother has that bike and it sounds really good
I've done 500 mile trips on Monster 796...the most uncomfortable thing was the bike being pushed around in the wind. You do get used to it, but it's tiring. Done 200mi trips on Z900RS Cafe. It was much more stable and the seat was more comfy.
Turning a naked bike to a sports tourer is a dated idea imo. Way before the whole crossover segment came along (tracer 7/9, s900/1000xr etc) manufacturers used to sell bikes, like the one Ian made, stock (fazer 600/800/1000, bandit 650/1250, cbf 600s etc). However the crossover segment has a few key advantages over the naked/tourer build, mainly comfort, wind protection of the legs, and ability to carry a pillion and more luggage. And bikes like the tracer 9 ain't that expensive nor heavy (really excited for the gsxs 1000gx) All things considered I would definitely consider turning my sport's-naked to a sports tourer if i already had an older naked bike that i liked. But i wouldn't buy a new mt09 (or other brand's naked) in order to turn it to a sports tourer. Just buy the tracer 9. Edit: The build Ian made would be perfect for really short riders. A tracer 9 is pretty accessible for 95% of riders, but if you are really short (like 5'5/165 or below) or most likely a female rider this might be the perfect sport's tourer.
I tour on my XSR900 and I love it even though I know a diff. Bike would be more comfortable. I’ve done 6 hrs with a few stops here and there and just felt tired at the end. I’m sure I’ll get a tourer when my budget allows me to own two bikes but for now I can live with this
I’ve got a Honda Grom, can it be a good touring bike? lol Know what you’re gunna do with your bike before you buy it guys. IMO an MT-09 is a bike that can do it all..track days, Sunday rides in the twisties near the house, daily to work, 4 hour trips to lunch and back, goon riding in the suburbs. It’s not perfect at any of those but it can do it with a few mods for your type of riding. If you do all those types of riding then this bike can but then you also prob have the money to buy a couple bikes that can do each one better.
Great content. I just bought a Triumph 765 Street Triple and after 1st ride wondered if a wind screen would help with comfort and not ruin the look of the bike. After seeing your segment I’m going to give it a try!
I got a rear rack and a box for mine that I can lock , and a backpack , I toured the US for 3 weeks last summer , its a fun bike , I made a custom windshield... mine is 2015 , but i think Tracer is maybe better for touring
I liked my striple RS so much I wanted a similar sport touring bike. I didnt like what triumph offered in the tiger range and realized Yama's CP3 is similar. After seeing the john wick movies I really had to have a CP3 for the sound. I have about 10k mikes on my 22 tracer already and its fantastic for my daily commuter and now my striple is just for fare-weather and track days.
I'm planning to do the same with my next bike. On another channel, the CC put the SW-Motech Legend(?) bags on his neo-retro. Everything I see from that company impresses me. I have a number of long weekend trips planned and two big ones (for me. 1-2 week trips) I'm thinking of doing. I'm curious about my comfort over time and will test it out. The Puig windscreen and that extended piece (especially) intrigue me as I was toying with the idea of a bikini fairing. My experience has not been with touring bikes. I just know my sight being obscured by the larger fairings bugs me but maybe it's something I can get past quickly. I don't see why I wouldn't but...
I did long adventure rides on a BMW F800R with a two helmet top case that fit everything I needed. After the first long trip (12 hour almost non-stop) I was destroyed, but after that I got used to it.
These kinds of bikes really are the perfect sport touring bikes imo. ADV bikes work good for most applications, but when you start to ride more aggressively(on road or off), they show their flaws. These are comfortable enough to ride long distances on, and still be very sporty and sharp when you get there, and you dont have to spend stupid amounts of money to buy these either.
I’d say as far as the seat. Maybe you’d be restricted moving around with that setup in the back. But at least for me the ergonomics are perfect for standing up. The tank is shaped great to grip it, the pegs and bars are in a great position so I feel supported. Also while I haven’t done a ride long enough to bring it with me, but I have an air hawk seat pad. Heated grips are supported by the dash. Idk if they have to be Yamaha or if say Oxford works with it. I’d rather use wireless heated gloves but I’m more tolerant of the cold than most.
How would you compare the wind protection to an older sport touring bike like the fazer fz6 or the cb600? In the 2000 they used to turn naked bikes into sport tourers with couple of fairings only.. Now they ve started making them tall and comfy which i dont like.
My problem would be the foot pegs. The angle of my knees would probably hurt too much after a few hours in the saddle. Do you think it would be possible to get a custom higher saddle or a lower rear set?
You can tour on a 125cc or a 1800cc on a goldwing or a sportsbike. I have gone on a 600km a day roadtrips on a dualsports, a 125cc scooter, and an mt03 and excluding a dedicated tourer like a goldwing a scooter is the best tourer in my opinion
I had one for 3 months and found the fuel range really poor when you gave it some and far from comfortable with is narrow bars and slightly raised pegs. The suspension was not good for the state of British roads even when set up for my weight etc. I swapped it for a 23 KTM890 Adventure which is as much fun but a damn sight more comfortable. It’s almost as good as my 950 Adventure in the garage.😃
Bikes like this are doing a lot of miles in Europe without the need of a flagship bike like the GSA/ RT/FJR1300 and so on… It’s the commercial hype/hack the dealers make for us here in the US. For example you can get a Premium package on a GSA and if you add the touring package on top of that for the extra $1000 you get all three aluminum panniers from BMW… Here you have to spend at least $2500+ !! Whyyy?? Good video Ian
Everyone talks about adventure, but there was a guy riding around the world for several years on a 90cc Honda Super Cub. Adventure is something you do, not something you own.
Well.. what do you think? Waste of effort, or super cool lightweight sporty touring bike? Sound off below!
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that windshield totally transforms the look of the bike
Bro, you must get your hands on some KENSTO MOTO PARTS for your MT09. they make some really unique things that you WILL definitely love
I had yamaha MT09 did around 7000 miles on it. First 1500 tried to put lots of crap into it like screens and bags however it never felt home and looked ugly. Thus March removed all crap from it, put bar end mirrors, no screen and only left comfort sit. Never looks back as looks trumps function for these sort of bikes 😂😂😂 suddenly I started driving it more and enjoying the wind 🎉
I think you have all the advantages of a Tracer but you keep the fun factor of the MT09 SP...
Only thing I personally like better on the Tracer is the headlight, but looks are always personal taste.
Awesome job !
I think a lockable top case would really suit this as well. Locking the side bags would be a bonus as well. I hate worrying about opportunistic thieves when I need to go in a store.
Big touring bikes in Europe tend to be used for 2 or 3 trips a year and spend the rest of their lives in the garage, so the great advantage of the solution with an MT09 is that its a bike that can be used all year round and also be used as a compromised touring bike. I wear a backpack which is again a compromise but means I dont have costly saddle bags sitting around not doing anything for most of the year. Overal a much more cost efficient solution. :-)
I've a little experience with some long distance travel on a sporty semi-naked bike (2011 FZ1 I used to have). Things that don't pose any fatigue factor within a few hours ride are going to start showing their ugly face after a few more hours. Anyone that wants to tour on a naked bike, or almost-naked bike should get out and ride some good long rides just to investigate where their pain factors are going to be.
For me it was BUTT, KNEES, THROTTLE, and WIND.
I had a custom seat foam built on my stock seat pan. That was a huge help. Also put a sheep wool topper on it to keep the backside ventilated. I also wore some custom undergarments against my skin to reduce chafing, vibration, and moisture issues.
Knees? I didn't do anything. Depending on how high, fore/aft your pegs are relative to your seat, relative to your inseam length, you'll tend to get some stiffness and cramp in your legs over long distance. Being able to stand up on the pegs, move your foot arch or your toe back and forth on the peg, being able to put your feet beneath you to releive some seat pressure are all good things. If you put some crash bars on your motorcycle (I had not, beyond delrin frame protectors), you might be able to clamp some cheap-and-easy highway pegs further forward to help stretch out your legs and take pressure off the knees.
Throttle? I purchased a Kaoko throttle lock. The ability to remove one's hand from the grip and swing your arm around, stretch the muscles, relieve forearm tension and stress was huge. Today with modern cruise control, that's an ever day reality and you don't need to make fine adjustments to the throttle with wind and hills, unlike a throttle lock.
Wind? This is where everyone is vastly different in their needs and wants. For me, I decided the most important factor in wind was NOISE, not temperature or pressure. Shop long and hard for a helmet that not only doesn't cause your face, jaw, forehead, eyes fatigue/pressure problems, but make sure whatever wind you'll be hearing for thousands of miles is not going to cause hearing damage or NUMB YOUR BRAIN WITH FATIGUE through the day. Relative silence, a lack of low-frequency rumbling, pounding, roaring is massive to your enjoyment and fatigue levels. For me, the clean flow of ambient air around my helmet and neck are very important. That means if a windscreen is pushing air up to my chin, it better be clean, smooth, laminar flow or forget it. If the noise level increases, I'm going to HATE it. Since I wear a full face helmet all of the time, I need adequate air pressure around the helmet to keep my head cool, dry, and face shield fog-free. My textile jackets have all had ventilation controls, so I need airflow to make those function as designed. Turns out, removing some air pressure from the torso is all I really need. Air pressure helps keep the travel speeds in check, in case you're apt to be moving more quickly than you intend to more often than not (law enforcement, ticket/insurance costs, reduced reaction times).
Temperature would be the last thing that is a critical control point. Good gear is often very expensive, but you can still have decent gear for not a ton of money. Consider layering, electric heated vest/chaps/gloves, other stuff. Hot weather ends up ADDING heat to the human body, so covering up and controlling air flow with jacket vents is better than shedding down to nothing in heat. Add soaked water garments to create evaporative cooling with jacket vents. In very cold weather, it doesn't matter how many layers you use, to the point of not being able to flex your arms or legs..... you'll eventually get cold. You need to put heat INTO your body from an electric source. Tons of great options exist on the market to change the game for staying warm. Just remember to have a backup option in case the electrics fail (hotel, undergarments, shorter rides, hot cocoa, whatever). Heated grips? Every motorcycle should have them OEM. Easy enough to add, no matter the bike. Grip wind deflectors? Excellent for very cold wind, the first step in breaking the blast from the all-important hands.
Remember, your brain's ability to pay attention to what's going on around you, and to enjoy what's going on around you, depends on reducing or eliminating fatigue/pain/discomfort.
Addressing a few key fatigue points will make long distance a totally feasible thing.
Fortunately when I went 4450 miles over the course of two weeks, I hit almost no rain the entire time. If you're going to hit rain, that's a challenge. If you can avoid it, avoid it. For those interested, I left MN, across SD, saw the Badlands, Black Hills, cut down into northwest NE, eastern WY, into northweast CO, over Rocky Mountain National park, west through the Rockies, south at Glenwood Canyon, spent some time at a relative's place which allowed me to loop over Grand Mesa, loop south on the Million Dollar Highway out of Ouray and back up along the north side of the Gunnison Gorge. Trip home was mostly interstate slog from west CO all the way to Des Monies IA and back north to MN. I was done with riding for a while after that. But I have a lot of fond memories of the trip and a good amount of pictures, many of which I took by point and shoot while riding (I do not recommend) via a small Sony camera. Pictures turned out great. Only close call was dodging an antelope that shot out of the ditch in the south Black Hills area. No problems the entire trip otherwise.
A lot of really good points made here - Would definitely echo many of the suggestions made 🙂
Agree that the difference in helmets is remarkable - And its probably the hardest thing to shop for in motorcycling in my opinion - So lets forget all about the one that "looks cool" or your favourite colour or race rep lookalikes (yeah we all do it! ;-) Much smarter to do your homework and check reviews with focus on noise and buffeting (etc) - And its really hard to know prior to buying unless you have a very user friendly shop that will let you try before you buy (and yes its so important that it is worth asking! For example my local shop lets me try for style and size so i dont spend before testing at speed (ideally test at speed in a crosswind too) - Most older riders have had helmets they spent good money on but just cant work with which really sucks.. 😞The emphasis on tight fits for helmets for safety is also all very well and no doubt safer in a crash but this can also work against comfort and even satisfactory blood flow which make you tire quickly and can make riding less enjoyable so you need to balance all these things when shopping too, esp if shopping for a touring helmet that you will be wearing all day...
We all need to buy a half decent heavier jacket and layer beneath as the weather cools - But the best way I have found to really boost protection against the cold for 4 season touring is not to worry too much about main ride jacket (as they usually all have weaknesses) but to shop hard for a decent and ideally rather neat fitting rain jacket (waterproof + windproof at least) that goes right over the top of your outfit (pants too of course) and has a real high neck with a properly weather sealing zip and ideally also some cinching system for cuffs and waist - Integrated jacket waterproof layers never work as well as higher quality secondary waterproofing systems that just cover the whole main ride jacket in my experience - And adding secondary outer rain shells totally eliminates any air leaks that allow cold drafts to slowly penetrate - This approach also doubles as far superior rain protection too of course (which is when your cold protection needs to be at its best) as you have effectively added a second weather protection layer - Also keeps your main ride jacket dry if you get protracted multi-day wet weather too, so you only really need to dry a rain shell when you arrive at motel which can be done in 5mins with a towel - Much less likely you will need to ride in damp gear the next day with this approach, so much smarter than trying to get that one elusive dream jacket that can do it all
And if using a decent secondary outer rain layer then I have found you can then do most 2-3 season touring with a higher quality ventilating jacket + pants outfit like BMWs excellent "AirFlow" system which also offers great protection by vented system standards - Means you have far superior comfort when it get really hot (ie most of the time in summer) and just use the rain shell as primary protection from nasty cold snaps or early/late rides or higher altitude etc - And augment that with layered thermals beneath your ventilating ride gear as required - Minimal packed volume for touring as well so happy days 🙂
@@MajorDrama1 Thanks for the information.
I would like to specify too, that these multi-layer jackets that basically don't resist rain on the outer layer but have a waterproof liner are basically stupid. By the time that jacket has soaked up rain and gained 5 pounds of weight, the insulating properties of that jacket are nil. The liner might stop the water, but it's going to be cold. Also the next ride is going to be miserable and gross putting on a soppy jacket. If you stop at a restaurant or coffee shop for a rest and warm up, you'll puddle water all over the place and the establishment surely won't respect you being there.
A waterproof shell that can handle wind whipping is the only way to go. Stop the water and wind, and stay warm beneath. Rain quits, take it off and continue. Aerostitch sells waterproof glove covers that you can continue to wear your favorite gloves beneath. They pack super small and are waterproof and a hand saver.
@@exothermal.sprocket
Would totally and emphatically support your argument re inadequacy of that whole generation of multilayer jackets with the innermost layer being the rain barrier layer - These really show just how disconnected ride gear designers are from real world performance and riders real needs - The inner rain layer is usually clammy and cold even in highish humidity and they are dangerously cold once it rains - Ive had a couple of such suits and first thing I do is throw the internal raincoat away as its critical you dont rely on this esp when real cold at altitude inland etc - Once its wet the wind chill continues to act on the water keeping it really cold and that water is now buried under 2 outer suit layers and so cant even easily evaporate away! I think these jacket systems are probably serious contenders for the most retarded concepts in all of motorcycling!
Yeah as you say it is essential that your outer rain shell doesnt flap at high speed like a pennant flag.. Would drive you mad - Some outer shell jackets now have an elastic component which helps, as does velcro cinching tabs on arms and waist and as also do larger heavier gauge rubber bands (or similar) on the arms if trying to tame a flappy coat with no other plan
Thanks for the tip re aerostitch glove covers - I hate the disconnected feeling that most waterproof/winter gloves have and have been looking for a outer rain layer product so I can extend the (seasonal) range of a sports glove so will track a set down 👍
@@MajorDrama1 No problem! I've only had to use those glove covers once, but they worked really well. I don't remember what size I bought, I think they were one size larger than normal, to fit over gloves. The product page might have some info on that.
I'm about to do a long touring trip on my mt07. I've done a couple test runs and I found the biggest and most necessary adjustments for me were a) very comfortable/effective earplugs b) properly getting off the bike/out of the helmet and stretching for like 10-15 mins every 90 minutes of riding or so c) Overall limiting yourself to like 300 miles per day d) keep some ibuprofen around e) A nice thermos of coffee :) f) being dynamic in the seat. There is a good amount of room to sit forward or scoot your butt back. Make use of it! g) Just slow down a little bit. The difference between 70mph and 60mph is huge in terms of wind noise/pressure/fatigue.
Given all those considerations, and an adjustment in mindset, I've actually had an incredible time touring on my mt07. I earnestly regret avoiding longer trips because I was scared it'd be too uncomfortable to tour on my bike. Any motorcycle is a touring motorcycle if you prepare well and have the right mindset!
I was torn between this bike and the Tracer 9GT. Ultimately I chose the MT09 because I only get to tour a week or so out of the year and the rest of the year I wanted the lighter & more hooliganable bike. I'm very happy with my decision.
I added a Corbin seat, which made a huge difference on long rides. I also welded up a rack that bolts onto the subframe with room for piles of dry bags. As for the fuel I drilled a hole in the top of the cup that drops into the tank where you fuel it. This allows about an extra quart to easily fit in the tank by venting the air gap at the top of the tank the cup creates. Not much but every little bit helps with such a small tank. Finally I have De Pretto Moto frame sliders on the bike. I made little leg rest that zip tie onto them so I can stretch my legs out from time to time.
This is exactly what I'm thinking. Thanks for sharing!
@@lucasbim Hi this was my same situation....same bikes and weekly play, but with some option of going away places in Australia for 2 weeks at a time, enjoying the ride, catching up with family and friends. Thank you for the heads up and Big Rock Moto your reviews are good value - keep on, keeping on - ride safe. John
The tracer is still plenty hooliganable 😉
I have a 2017 tracer 700 and I love it.
This is the approach many motorcyclists used in the hayday of the UJM. My CB750K1 provided the fun factor and an after-market Wixom fairing provided the wind protection. An army-surplus marzette bag, strapped on the rear seat space served well as luggage. This was the formula for touring all over North America! Fun!!
For distance, I'm all about highway pegs. My old knees can't take being in a bent position for a long period.
Plenty of people in the uk head to France Germany Spain Portugal etc on their mt-09s the benefit you have once you hit some nice roads is they’re a lot more fun than 230kg+ adv bikes
I have a 2023 MT09 with a tall madstad windsceen plus a clip on deflector like yours. The big-ass shield doesn’t look great but it rock solid and provides incredibly effective body and head air pocket without helmet buffeting. The shield also is a quick release with just two pins uncovering a bikini type shield. Brilliant stuff for interstate and cold weather riding.
Who made the windscreen?
Looks like it works, but for those who can afford it and have the space, nothing beats 2 (or more) bikes, each fit for purpose. In my case, that's a Street Triple for hooliganism and track days, and a Tiger with proper hard cases for touring/long weekend rides.
Nice job! I did something similar to my 2005 Yamaha FZ6. I’ve ridden that bike coast to coast on many adventures. 40,000 miles later I still have it in the garage.
Right on
Nice! There are those bikes you should never sell or the ones you wish you never sold.
Same here. 05 FZ6 as my first bike. Added a Shad top case, Shad seat, Sedici dry bags and a cheap (but invaluable) Bilt tank bag over the past two years. 25k miles here.
Im literally getting a Can Am Ryker Adjustable Windscreen and modding a bracket for the MT-09. It's a really awesome Windscreen and exactly what I wish more companies would offer. It slides up and down 3 inches and they make 2 different sizes, a sport and an adventure version. Sport version is basically perfect for the Mt-09 and offers alot of wind protection. They sell them on Amazon for like $100-$160 depending on sport or adventure size. Just have to figure out a way to mod the mount with some brackets to make it fit. The Sport is 15.25 inch wide and base height of 12.5 inches but can slide up another 3 inches so 15.5 inch height. The adventure version may be too big looking for the MT-09 which is why im not going that route but it is 19.25 inches wide and base height of 14.75 inch and extends to 17.75 inches. Adventure would be really nice wind protection but probably look disproportionate and the sport is kind of just right while still offering really strong wind protection. To me the aesthetic actually fits the MT-09 very well and lines up nice with front end but I have to customize a mount for it which im very good at figuring out good solutions but im just not good at executing the solution as far as making the mounts and any welding and precision bends etc. I don't even know who to go to to create the mount ive come up with so this will be a pain in my rear but I think it's worth it.
That pull when you open the throttle, is addictive!! I have the 2022 Tracer 9 GT, it floats that wheel, and the quick shifter!!
i did some big tours with my kawa er-6n 2016 / Ninja 650 naked bike and i felt that the luggage was doing me a favour while doing tight corners on mountain roads.
It works well in summer weather. I did this with my Honda 919 and a national cycle windscreen. Right now I have a salvaged Kawasaki, Z 400 that I put an Amazon windscreen, saddlebags in tiny bike bags all over it with a raised saddle and handlebars. I went down some dusty trails to go gold panning with it, and made frequent stops along the way, and had just as much fun, taking it slow and not having any range anxiety with its 3.7 gas tank. Also, it’s super light to pick up, and I’m not as fearful on gravel roads
big reason i got the 24 mt09 is the cruise control that's gunna be amazing for long rides
It truly is
my 23 mt-09 had cruise control
I never knew how good cruise control on a bike is until I got the '24 MT09
I highly recommend getting the Yamaha Comfort Seat.
My backside doesn’t get anywhere near as sore as with the std. seat, it transfers less kinetic energy from bumps, potholes etc. and due to it being thicker it raises the seat height giving me more legroom.
I'm 6'4" with a 36" inseam, so smaller bikes like this would be uncomfortable for touring.
You mentioned the disadvantages of weight but didn't touch on the positives in terms of stability and ride smoothness. I purchased my BMW R1250RS in Arizona and rode it back to Wisconsin last fall. During a day riding across windy Nebraska, I surely would have noticed the loss of 100+ lbs of mass, making that part of the ride an uncomfortable slog. Another consideration is where the weight is located in relation to the bike's Center of Gravity (CoG). Lastly, it's worth noting that weight itself isn't always as crucial as the weight-to-power ratio. Yes, my RS is about 120 lbs heavier than the SP, but it boasts over 20 more HP and, more importantly, nearly double the torque. It accelerates faster and, with better brakes, decelerates faster too. I'll choose all of that over chuckability - I'm a big guy and have no issues throwing my big German girl around when I want. 😊
The Advrider forums host a 100+ page thread on what defines a sport-touring bike, and it boiled down to an agreement that any bike you can tour with and ride in a "sporty" way qualifies. I've witnessed inexperienced riders struggle to keep a 250 upright and professional riders effortlessly handling big HD or BMW police cruisers better than most people could ride a bicycle. How, where, and when you ride are way more important than what.
Small?!?
@@toddsorel-pg4hrhe's like 2m tall, even the mt09 is dwarfed by people our size. I will definitely be buying German for my next bike, I dwarf my XSR700 and an R1200RS like he has seems like the best option.
Im older and 6'3" and found the MT09SP had acres of room and a roomy cabin as well so might be worth trying
This is basically exactly what I did with my FZ-07. Then I strapped a dry bag to the back seat and voila I went moto camping with it no problem. I also got a ~$40 gel seat pad that fixed the hard seat but you could always ball out and get an aftermarket soft seat
I absolutely approve of your touring mods, as I take my F900r out on multi-day motocamping trips. I use an inflatable seat pad, handlebar risers, a relatively modest windscreen, and factory saddlebags and a rear luggage rack by SW Motech. Honestly the only real drawback I see with my bike while out on tour is the minuscule fuel range, but I also have a gallon fuel bag for those stretches of road where gas is sparse. Moral of the story, if you can tolerate some of the drawbacks, just get out there and ride, you don’t need some mythical “perfect” tourer to have an epic trip. 😊
I put a windshield, tail box and panniers on my 2018 Duke 690. All of a sudden, long high speed highway travel is completely comfortable. I can also get a little over 60 mpg and the bike is still the best handling bike ever and around 340 lbs wet. It pulls like a 900 (or better in many cases), it’s starting to get more use than my K75S.
Great video! Love the mounting system on those bags, may put a set on my bike at some point. Every time i see a video like this, it makes me even happier I bought my old 6th gen VFR800. I can be comfortable for longer rides, the price was right, its reliable, and it makes sweeeeeet noises.
I have a Tracer 9 GT. The T9 is definitely more top heavy. But the CP3 is a great engine.
Totally agree
@@BigRockMotoI bought the Tracer because I ride two up. Very comfortable for that, but I do miss a naked/sport bike some times.
I did a Saddle-Sore 1000 on my 800 Dragster RR...1065 miles 22hrs. Carried supplies... spare fuel etc...the extra weight on the tail made the bike ride pretty smooth...
Thanks for all the great content you put out.
I installed Shad 3P racks on my Z900 with 35 liter panniers, and i installed a top box mount onto an extra passenger seat. The wind isn't that big of a deal. Its incredible fun.
You can also swap out the passenger pegs for those on the Tracer 9 or FJ9 which gives the passenger a much better experience if you are doing 2 up riding! Same goes for the MT10 for anyone looking to turn these into 2-up sport touring machines.
Good for people that are simply working with what they got.
This is interesting... I would recommend the Tracer 900gt up to year 2020 for a sport tourer with an emphasis on sport. After 2020, the emphasis is on touring with the 9gt, IMHO (having owned both). For daily sporty riding, I trim weight by removing the windscreen, grab bars, luggage rails, handguards, etc on my '20 900gt. For multi-day trips, I add the goodies back on. I've found the 900gt to be perfectly sporty when I need it around town; and then excellent for multi-day, 1000+ mile treks. With cruise control, modest luggage, & heated grips, it's great. I'd take the 900 GT over the MT-09 as the GT is sporty enough, yet excellent for road touring - a true road all-purpose champion. But, after 2020, the ergos, stance, and poise of the Tracer 9 gt just don't pop, plant, and sling through corners and twisties like the earlier model; and the leg room is awful. I got rid of my '23 9GT and stayed with the '20 900GT and have zero regrets and no issues at 18,000 miles. It seems Yamaha took a step backwards in some ways with the +2021 years by adding lots of creature comforts, but sacrificing "the ride." Keep up the great work, Ian.
A worthy presentation, fair with respect to pros/cons. But not for me. I take multiple day trips. That means I can’t ride the first day to my fatigue limit, and expect to repeat that day after day. Wind buffeting, becoming chilled due to colder temps, fighting crosswinds and turbulence from semi’s-all very doable on a 3-4 hour ride, but not every day for a week. Plus, some days, one may have to ride 8+ hours due to weather, to make up time due to a variety of reasons. One needs to build in a margin of reserve because “stuff happens on the road”. AND, riding fatigued is as hazardous as riding drunk-very MUCH nor recommended.
I rode my MT09 from Scotland to the South of France this year....we did Route Napoleon, Monaco, Italy, Route De Grand Alpes, Switzerland, back into France and home via the channel tunnel in south east England. I've owned a tracer as well and sold it during COVID when we couldn't tour. Also last year was Scotland to the Vosges mountains in France. This is the best bike I've ever toured on, especially when you get to the Twisties in the mountains. I'll probably buy the SP model next year as an upgrade. 👍🏻
You did a great job...looks awesome..waiting for 2024 to order mine...
So if you mount a tail tidy on the bike, you can’t use those bags. They wouldn’t fit because of the blinkers.
Get some frame sliders. They work as pegs to allow you to stretch your legs out in front of you.
I had nothing but motocross bikes until I was 43. I walked into the Yamaha shop early spring of 06 and spotted a brand new R6. Love at first sight!! I rode that bike all over the Midwest for years. Had some tourmaster soft luggage, it worked out great. Fast forward to present day and being 58 I can’t ride that bike for more than an hour due to riding position. Can’t bring myself to sell it though. Trying to convince my wife to let me bring it in the family room and use it as a fine piece of art!
I did exactly this to my FZ1 and Inazuma, I found out late a touring bike better suits me but didn't want to buy another bike.
I have done close to 19.000km from may till now with it, fitted it with a SW-Motech Rackpack Set (42Liters; it was worth every penny of the 440EU, you can do 200km/h with it without any problems). The guys that i usually ride with have medium/big adventure bikes. The only place were this bike was inferior was on highway; on everything else performed like a charm; if you go the legal limit on the highway it will not be a problem. You can feel the seat after 300-400 km. Another thing i don't like is the fuel indicator it has 1 big line with half a tank and the rest in smaller lines. If you plan to do allot of rain ridding, do not remove the tail tidy that comes with the bike, you will always be full of mud and pebbles otherwise. Make sure you setup the suspension on the softer side if the roads aren't the greatest condition were you live.
Really enjoy your bike reviews Ian, thank you. This seems like a great lightweight occasional touring option! Really looking forward to seeing you ride the new BM R1300 GS.
Ive used a few naked bikes for long rides. Add in a taller windshield and strap a saddle bag or bagpack to the seat had always work for me. A little bit of wind to the body and helmet is great to give me a little bit of cooling. So i say yours is definitely an upgrade well done
I turned my former UJM, the Z9000RS, into a UJM/ST, doing similar things that you did. Added a windscreen, better seat, lowering pegs, Blaze saddlebags, Kaoko throttle lock, Grip Puppies and blammo, great for day rides. I know some folks who actually tour on theirs but that's what my FJR1300 is for. The Z900RS ST was much better for around town and shorter rides, so long as I was riding solo.
A definite success. Every bike is a compromise and this will not be the bike for every rider, but if you enjoy a sporty ride and don't need to put down big miles this could be the setup for you.
I was making this decision in 2016 and opted for an FJ-09 because of the bigger fuel tank (4.8 gal), better wind protection, heated grips and lockable hard bags all for $8500 (it was a 2015 demo model). Still have it 60,000 miles later and it has been a great ride and taken me on some amazing adventures with plenty more to come.
if you're looking for more wind protection Madstad makes some much bigger windscreen for the MT09
Snap Ian…. I did the exact same with my 2020 MT09. Took it all round the UK on a 2,000 mile trip…… With the Yamaha comfort seat I managed to do 12 hours in the saddle no problem! Only problem is the screen situation….. I have 3 different ones and constantly play around with them depending on the ride I’m going on. Currently, I have a double bubble one fitted which seems to provide the least turbulence whilst keeping the air flow off my chest. Now considering taking it on track next year. It’s one of those bikes that seems to turn just by thinking about it and giving it a little pressure on the foot peg. Keep up the good work and congratulations on your house move. 👏🏼👍🏻
I have a very similar setup on my naked bike. Wind does beat you up a bit and unfortunately my tuned bike is very thirsty. But I've had some fun trips and hammock camping on it.
Looks good. As you said not as capable mileage wise or luggage wise as the Tracer 9 GT (which is what I have) but if you have the MT09 these are all great solutions for a bit more capability. Deffinitly makes it a great commuter.
I really like the SW-MOTECH stuff. I have the same Tank bag that you do plus I have the Pro Rear Tail Bag which I add if I am going out all day. I use that setup on my Super Duke. Longer trips though I take the more touring oriented bike. More room for my camping stuff plus less fatiguing on those 8+ hour days of riding.
Love this video and those bags. Have a pre-order for a 2024 MT-09 SP in with my local dealer as of 11/02 (the day it was announced). Also, sick garage! The dream!
Hi everyone. I just bought an MT09 last summer, put in the weekend pack with the windshield, comfort seat and saddle bags, plus the tank bag and the 45 litres top case, I use the bike every day to conmute from home to work and back, weekend trips to my second home, Sunday routes with friends and some long distance events such as Rider1000 ( 1000 km in a day) or Rodibook (750km more or less in one day), and I can assure that it's a wonderful bike for the kind of roads we have here in Europe, probably not for Interstate or American highways, but for European roads definitely is a touring bike if you don't want to throw your money into a trail bike, such as the Tracer GT9 or a BMW FX900R.
thanks for sharing
I did a similar setup with my KTM 890 Duke R, main difference being I used a 48 Liter
Givi top case from my 07 Ducati 1100 Multistrada.
I have almost a carbon copy of your setup. Used it to travel through Europe 10 days straight, morning. No issues at all! It is boring on autobahn but everywhere else I was soo happy using this bike because I HAD FUN EVERY TURN! If comfort is all that matters buy a van. Agree that I needed to fuel up about twice a day and may put on a comfort seat for next trip. We'll see.
awesome
Shad makes an awesome trunk setup with x-large adjustable capacity [Model Sh59x]for the MT09. I use it on my 1st Gen MT09 and love it. I might add that I have been riding my MT09 as a Sport Tourer for the past 2 years primarily and it does a great job. Another pointer is tha I have engine crash bars that add like 4 add'l foot positions for long rides :)
I rode from LA to Chicago on a 1972 XLCH sportster. 2.2 gallons of gas, fiberglass bags and a 55 quart cooler on the back and the stock seat. Weight distribution was so bad that I developed speed wobble at 55mph. Needless to say it was a long ride. Anything other than this bike is pure comfort. I was 19. Can't do that now.
That's really a great video! It certainly increases the versatility of the bike. From what you said , the handling or performance wasn't really compromised by the added weight and equipment. So, why not? Great job. Best!
As an owner of both an MT09 SP and a BMW R1250R I can definitively say that for longer rides with sport touring in mind, my R1250R wins hand down for comfort. The seat to peg ratio, comfortable stock seat and, heated grips on the R1250R alone make all the difference. (I do have taller handlebars fitted though)
To your point about cost however, the out the door cost for the R1250R (new in 2020) was almost double what the cost of the 2021 MT09 SP (used in 2023) was.
I have heard it said that sport touring is a state of mind not, (and you alluded to this in your video) specific to a particular motorcycle. The one exception is probably the age of the rider. 😂
I did some sport touring on a CBR 600 back in the day but, my body was a lot younger then. 😅 These days I do not have the patience to put up with much more than minor to moderate comfort compromises on a motorcycle for longer than one day's riding at a time.
Good point... But which one is more fun going through the canyons?!
I tend to think that should be a big part of our calculus when deciding which touring bike to buy as well?
I have the exact same bike, saddlebags and tank bag. It works great for me. I take all my bike trips on this setup. Only thing that I would add is a dry bag on the back seat. The sides of the dry bag rest on top of the saddlebags. 😊
I have a similar set up on my 2019 MT-09. Just a note that you can get yamaha heated grips for these bikes and the aftermarket "comfort" seat was the first thing I got to replace the factory plank. If I ever get the chance to do a multi-week tour I'd be very tempted to move up into a proper touring bike.
I like what you did with the MT09. I wonder about adding some flip down highway pegs to give the legs and feet some options to move around. Since we are going into Winter I think about things like bark busters, heated grips, an aftermarket heated touring seat… all of these things extend range and extend the riding season.
I have been running my 2017 SP with bags and long trips since 2018. It even handles gravel roads fine.
This is exactly the video that I needed, I'm cross shopping this and the Tracer 9 GT. The insurance difference between them is 1k eur less for the MT09 and I like that Idea that I can add stuff to make it more tourer AND track the MT09 more easily.
I will say I will be upgrading from my mt09 sp in the future as my desire for more trips has risen. Love the bike for a short ride through the twisty mountain roads near my home but even with Yamahas comfort seat, I experience discomfort in 45 min and pain after an hour. Hard to find something with the best of both worlds so I’m torn to what I’m going to purchase next
Have you considered using your body’s ability to get stronger for your purposes? The bike is quite flexible. Just an idea
@@colink2000au I’m quite fit thank you very much for assuming and I’ve been riding for over 20 years. I still tolerate it and I’m far more comfortable on an aggressive sport bike. Something about the ergonomics doesn’t agree with me. Someone experiencing discomfort doesn’t always necessarily need to get “stronger” lol
$$$: Multistrada v4, 1290R, 1290GT, S1000XR, S1000R, Tuono Factory, H2 SX SE, Tracer GT+
$$: Multistrada v2, Monster, 890R, F900XR, GSXS1000GT, 1000SX, Versys 1000
$: MT07, Versys 650
I’ve done the same with a 2019 Triumph Speed Triple RS. Combination of SW Motech Kreiga, I have toured the Pyrenees this year, but use my Tiger Rally Pro for other tours.
Hey there, this year in autumn I did a tour in France (5,000 kilometers in 16 days) with my MT09-SP (2021) and it was really awesome. 90+% were on small twisty roads and this is where the bike really shines. No issues whatsoever. Even though I drove quickly, the fuel consumption was around 4.5 l/100km so I had a range of around 300 km with one tank. The bike has just a flyscreen and I had the seat upholstered (+3cm seat height) which now makes it very comfy. For luggage I simply used a waterproof tailbag mounted on a small luggage rack from SW-Motech. It was just fantastic….
awesome
I would add at least two more things to it, first heated grips either OEM Yamaha, or Oxford, and hand guards from the Tracer series, maybe a top box. Only one thing is missing, the center stand but you can live without it. Personally I would use the Ducati Monster Plus as a base, or even better bike would be the Ducati Hyperstrada, because it is the same idea out from the factory, but you can only buy that bike used.
I plan to do something similar with my 2012 Aprilia Shiver 750, at the moment it is half done. I managed to do a 600km day once and I wasn't all that tired after that.
Ducati Hyperstrada was a brilliant (factory) effort to adding basic touring comforts to a really agile (Hypermotard) platform - Had superlight but very useful pannier set and remarkably effective small screen - But retained the all important agility that almost all heavier touring machines lose - I wish more manufacturers would take this design philosophy more seriously because I like a machine tahts comfortable over longer distances but if I wanted something heavy and unwieldy I'd just take the car
You’re not wrong. I did 1500 miles multi day trips on Honda CB500 X with no issues. If anything I had a ton of fun in the curvy country roads in the Colorado Rockies
I have a mt07 and put a windshield and tank bag on it. The tank bag is really handy i agree with that. I say you should get a exhaust my brother has that bike and it sounds really good
I've done 500 mile trips on Monster 796...the most uncomfortable thing was the bike being pushed around in the wind. You do get used to it, but it's tiring.
Done 200mi trips on Z900RS Cafe. It was much more stable and the seat was more comfy.
Turning a naked bike to a sports tourer is a dated idea imo. Way before the whole crossover segment came along (tracer 7/9, s900/1000xr etc) manufacturers used to sell bikes, like the one Ian made, stock (fazer 600/800/1000, bandit 650/1250, cbf 600s etc). However the crossover segment has a few key advantages over the naked/tourer build, mainly comfort, wind protection of the legs, and ability to carry a pillion and more luggage. And bikes like the tracer 9 ain't that expensive nor heavy (really excited for the gsxs 1000gx)
All things considered I would definitely consider turning my sport's-naked to a sports tourer if i already had an older naked bike that i liked. But i wouldn't buy a new mt09 (or other brand's naked) in order to turn it to a sports tourer. Just buy the tracer 9.
Edit: The build Ian made would be perfect for really short riders. A tracer 9 is pretty accessible for 95% of riders, but if you are really short (like 5'5/165 or below) or most likely a female rider this might be the perfect sport's tourer.
good points
That would all make sense.. if a) cash was not an issue and b) if the MT09SP wasnt noticeably more agile than the Tracer ;-)
You set it up for an actual motorcyclists , as opposed to a standard weekend warrior
I tour on my XSR900 and I love it even though I know a diff. Bike would be more comfortable. I’ve done 6 hrs with a few stops here and there and just felt tired at the end. I’m sure I’ll get a tourer when my budget allows me to own two bikes but for now I can live with this
Love that tank bag and to be able to mount on the rear seat is cool thanks Ian
I did the same thing with my KTM 1290 Super Duke R and absolutely love it
Nice, it works
brilliant,an absolute brilliant package,for real
I’ve got a Honda Grom, can it be a good touring bike? lol
Know what you’re gunna do with your bike before you buy it guys. IMO an MT-09 is a bike that can do it all..track days, Sunday rides in the twisties near the house, daily to work, 4 hour trips to lunch and back, goon riding in the suburbs. It’s not perfect at any of those but it can do it with a few mods for your type of riding.
If you do all those types of riding then this bike can but then you also prob have the money to buy a couple bikes that can do each one better.
Great content. I just bought a Triumph 765 Street Triple and after 1st ride wondered if a wind screen would help with comfort and not ruin the look of the bike. After seeing your segment I’m going to give it a try!
I got a rear rack and a box for mine that I can lock , and a backpack , I toured the US for 3 weeks last summer , its a fun bike , I made a custom windshield... mine is 2015 , but i think Tracer is maybe better for touring
Good stuff. Appreciate the time and effort you put into these things. Great content.
I liked my striple RS so much I wanted a similar sport touring bike. I didnt like what triumph offered in the tiger range and realized Yama's CP3 is similar. After seeing the john wick movies I really had to have a CP3 for the sound. I have about 10k mikes on my 22 tracer already and its fantastic for my daily commuter and now my striple is just for fare-weather and track days.
I'm planning to do the same with my next bike. On another channel, the CC put the SW-Motech Legend(?) bags on his neo-retro. Everything I see from that company impresses me. I have a number of long weekend trips planned and two big ones (for me. 1-2 week trips) I'm thinking of doing. I'm curious about my comfort over time and will test it out. The Puig windscreen and that extended piece (especially) intrigue me as I was toying with the idea of a bikini fairing.
My experience has not been with touring bikes. I just know my sight being obscured by the larger fairings bugs me but maybe it's something I can get past quickly. I don't see why I wouldn't but...
I did long adventure rides on a BMW F800R with a two helmet top case that fit everything I needed. After the first long trip (12 hour almost non-stop) I was destroyed, but after that I got used to it.
Thnx for putting the other values like km on screen :)
bro side bag info please
I like it. Good idea for a minimalist type of person or one on a very tight budget.
These kinds of bikes really are the perfect sport touring bikes imo. ADV bikes work good for most applications, but when you start to ride more aggressively(on road or off), they show their flaws. These are comfortable enough to ride long distances on, and still be very sporty and sharp when you get there, and you dont have to spend stupid amounts of money to buy these either.
I have that Puig screen extender on my 2019 CB500x. It’s brilliant.
Love your videos mate. I was considering doing similar thing to bone stock MT-09 and you addressed several of my concerns, thanks!
I think you could fit Shad rigid side cases on this, which will take a full face modular helmet if needed.
I’d say as far as the seat. Maybe you’d be restricted moving around with that setup in the back. But at least for me the ergonomics are perfect for standing up. The tank is shaped great to grip it, the pegs and bars are in a great position so I feel supported. Also while I haven’t done a ride long enough to bring it with me, but I have an air hawk seat pad. Heated grips are supported by the dash. Idk if they have to be Yamaha or if say Oxford works with it. I’d rather use wireless heated gloves but I’m more tolerant of the cold than most.
How would you compare the wind protection to an older sport touring bike like the fazer fz6 or the cb600? In the 2000 they used to turn naked bikes into sport tourers with couple of fairings only.. Now they ve started making them tall and comfy which i dont like.
Please, please, please! Review the 1000sx… I think you’ve tried every bike around it, but never thrown a leg over it!
Thanks Ian. Great job. Good info. God bless. Happy trails.
Thanks, you too!
Buying a mt10 will make it a sport tourer
My problem would be the foot pegs. The angle of my knees would probably hurt too much after a few hours in the saddle. Do you think it would be possible to get a custom higher saddle or a lower rear set?
really wish there were more options for locked luggage for bikes like these. Here in SF you can get anything stolen if you park it long enough
@bigrockmoto can you speak to vibrations added by the Puig windscreen? I have heard reviews that complain about this.
You can tour on a 125cc or a 1800cc on a goldwing or a sportsbike. I have gone on a 600km a day roadtrips on a dualsports, a 125cc scooter, and an mt03 and excluding a dedicated tourer like a goldwing a scooter is the best tourer in my opinion
Handguards aka barkbuster storms, seat net cover cooldrycovers can make
I had one for 3 months and found the fuel range really poor when you gave it some and far from comfortable with is narrow bars and slightly raised pegs.
The suspension was not good for the state of British roads even when set up for my weight etc. I swapped it for a 23 KTM890 Adventure which is as much fun but a damn sight more comfortable. It’s almost as good as my 950 Adventure in the garage.😃
Bikes like this are doing a lot of miles in Europe without the need of a flagship bike like the GSA/ RT/FJR1300 and so on… It’s the commercial hype/hack the dealers make for us here in the US. For example you can get a Premium package on a GSA and if you add the touring package on top of that for the extra $1000 you get all three aluminum panniers from BMW… Here you have to spend at least $2500+ !! Whyyy?? Good video Ian
Everyone talks about adventure, but there was a guy riding around the world for several years on a 90cc Honda Super Cub.
Adventure is something you do, not something you own.