Hot on the heals of the announcement of the 2021 Yamaha MT-09 updates, we’ve been treated to a look at the 2021 Yamaha MT-09 SP version, offering a host of premium features to Yamaha’s great value triple-cylinder, while obviously also benefiting from all the updates on the standard version.
As you’ll see the MT-09 SP features a special paint scheme, which is R1M inspired, and follows a mainly blacked out theme, with detail work on the tank and air intake panels in Gray and Blue, plus gold forks and blue wheels. The swingarm is given a raw look with the anodised brushed aluminium finish and hasn’t been painted, while the dual exit exhaust is retained.
Going past pure looks, there’s also the addition of a cruise control system, which once you’re in fourth gear or higher and moving faster than 50 km per hour, will let you set a speed for cruising, in a nice quality of life feature.
Probably most noticeably for riders is the up-spec suspension, offering a step up from the standard MT-09. In contrast you get an Ohlins rear shock, with full adjustability, meaning compression and rebound damping adjustment, plus an external preload adjuster for easy tinkering if you’re adding a pillion or luggage, or just dialing it in. Naturally the Ohlins rear shock unit stands out in gold, and that’s been matched to the front forks.
Those forks are KYB 41 mm units, with a diamond like coating and offer full preload, rebound and compression adjustment, including both high and low speed compression damping adjustment.
There’s also a special SP version seat fitted, with double stitching as a further premium touch, plus the handlebars are black anodised units, and you get clear smoke front and rear brake fluid reservoirs, not to mention a black drive sprocket.
That’s basically the same upgrade we saw in the previous MT-09 SP version over the regular bike, and the premium currently sits at about $1750 here in Australia between the two. With the standard at $14,250 and the SP at $16k, both on road prices. We don’t know pricing for the new 2021 MT-09 however, so we will have to wait for news on that one.
For a more in depth look at the standard and the general MT-09 updates, check out this video or my standard 2021 Yamaha MT-09 video. It’s cool to see the SP version continue, for those after a higher spec machine, and it’s going to be great to see how the new MT-09s stack up in the new year when they arrive in Australia.