Yamaha R9 (2025 - ) review

While it’s quite a long way on from an MT-09 the R9 at least demonstrates the versatility of a platform supporting everything from sporty nakeds to sports-tourers and retro racers. The fabulous 890cc CP3 triple at the heart of all of them is present and correct, the Deltabox aluminium frame stiffened, lightened and with specific geometry for this application. The sharp looks meanwhile reinforce the emotional link to the legendary R6 and R1, which survive as track-only models. For all that the R9 is perhaps more road-minded than the aero and attitude suggest, the riding position (relatively) mellower for folk not ready to go full race rep. An intriguing premise, the more so for the fact Ducati has landed on pretty much exactly the same combination for its reborn Panigale V2, which the R9 matches in numbers as well as spirit. See also KTM’s new 990 RC R. It’s potentially the new-school sports bike rivalry for our age … if the R9 can deliver!

Depends on your frame of reference. If you grew up riding R6s, R1s and the like it’s possible you’ll find the R9’s combination of relatively high bars and low pegs lacking. Or, possibly, accommodating of creakier joints that now wouldn’t stretch to the track-focused bikes you ran back in the day. Coming the other way, younger riders taking their first steps into sports bikes and upgrading from an MT-series naked or even an R7 will find the R9 genuinely exotic. If you want it more hardcore the pegs have a higher, more rear-set alternative position while ride height and more can be tweaked. If not all-day comfortable we managed a couple of longer runs without coming away totally crippled, the riding position closely matching that of the similarly pitched Panigale V2.

Nobody buys a bike like this for practical reasons, the only possible point in its favour being that it’s thin enough to thread through the tiniest of gaps when filtering. Though you’ll curse the up-and-over neck-twist required for basic shoulder checks in such situations. Nor is there even a cubby under the seat for wallet, keys and phone as you get on the Panigale – you can remove the pillion pad but the gap in the frame into the space beneath is too narrow to be of any use. Which is a pain for those ‘full leathers’ days when you don’t even have the luxury of a pocket for the basics.

This will again depend on your frame of reference, but bear in mind a true supersports machine like the Honda CBR600RR costs less, is lighter, has similar peak power and revs to over 14,000rpm. Against that even Yamaha’s fantastic CP3 triple looks – on paper – to be a little underwhelming, its 119 horsepower coming before you even get five figures on the rev counter. Even the Ducati looks revvier. But numbers don’t tell the full story, and anyone with previous with the CP3 from an MT-09 or similar will know this engine is an absolute firecracker, its creamy smoothness combined with a wicked howl as the revs rise. The Panigale V2 motor might be a fraction more exotic. But the R9 is arguably more exciting in the way it delivers its power, and the horizon comes at you very quickly indeed. Not as quickly as a proper litre bike, obviously. But the performance is more appropriate for the road and most tracks, as well as more exploitable than something like the Honda, given there’s half as much torque again. Like all Yamahas the R9 feels very light and flickable, too. With that in mind the Brembo Stylemas are well up to the job, with lovely modulation through the slim brake lever.

In the unlikely event you don’t like the way the R9 handles fear not, there being a huge range of adjustment available in the KYB suspension. Indeed, first time out our test bike felt somewhat nervous on the choppy local roads, the tyres skipping over the bumps rather than tracking them. After comparing the settings on the forks and shock against the defaults listed in the manual it looked like the previous rider had dialled everything up for the track, so we wound it all back a tad from the baseline settings and had another go, this made easier with the addition of a remote preload adjustor and easily accessible dials for compression and rebound front and back. In this configuration the R9 was transformed, the suspension working with the road rather than fighting it, the contact pressure between tyres more consistent and readable. It’s still a spiky old thing, with razor sharp steering and a chunk less rear suspension travel than most rivals, to the extent you instinctively raise your backside off the seat in anticipation of really big bumps. But from rookie to expert, and road rider to wannabe racer and track day fan, there’s enough bandwidth within the bike to dial it into your particular tastes before you even get started on the electronics or circuit-focused accessorising.

While a little more expensive to buy than pure supersports machines like the CBR600RR or Kawasaki ZX6R the R9 arguably offers a wider operating window and capability. It’s also three grand less than the entry-level version of the Panigale V2, which may give any Ducati owners you encounter on track days some food for thought! Ridden as intended you can expect a reasonable appetite for tyres, brakes, chains and the rest but the R9 should be a little easier on the wallet than a full-on litre bike in that regard. Overall, it looks great value for the kit, performance and engineering, all things relative.

While thrilling and powerful the CP3 motor is no highly-strung supersports engine, and well proven in the many and various bikes Yamaha has used it in. That might also help swing it over the still-new Panigale V2, whose engine is still fresh to the market and an unknown quantity on that score, as well as considerably more expensive. Electronics, suspension and all the rest of the R9’s bits are also known quantities and from respected suppliers, so no worries there, either.

A three-year manufacturer warranty is a cut above the average, and underlines Yamaha’s faith in its own engineering. You’ll need fresh oil and a ‘break-in’ service after the first 600 miles, and the manual advises against high revs and full throttle until you’ve got at least 1,000 on the clock. After that servicing comes round every 6,000 miles or annually, valve clearance checks every 24,000 miles.

As we’ve said, there’s a lot of mechanical adjustability built into the R9, whether it be suspension, peg position or even the option to switch the gearing to a race shift pattern. And then you get to the electronics, which enable you to tune all the many and various rider support systems to exactly the combination you want, with various levels of traction control, throttle response, side-slip, anti-wheelie, quickshifter response, engine braking, ‘back-slip regulation’, braking, launch control or switchable rear ABS. It’s a lot to take in but relatively easy to navigate via the push and select joystick on the left switch cube and clear menu system. Connect your phone via the app and you can even get Garmin-powered navigation, traffic alerts, calls, music, on-track data-logging and more. At a more basic level we appreciated the standard cruise control and speed limiter, the latter especially handy for villages and towns along the way and easily switchable for when the NSL sign signals playtime. Ducati has something similar with its ‘Pit Limiter’ on the Panigale V2 but makes you pay extra to enable it, even though the switch is already there on the bars. STILL not enough for you? Fear not, because Yamaha has an Akrapovič exhaust system and various billet goodies as option packs as well as an incredible array of GTYR branded accessories to turn your R9 into a convincing race rep.

Worried talk of more relaxed riding positions and torquey power delivery dumbs things down over the R6 and R1? Don’t be. While it is a relatively more accessible option for sports bikes noobs the R9 can be set up to be just as hardcore, be that through suspension tweaks, electronics or even riding position and gearshift configuration. Or you can leave it as stock and enjoy its increased flexibility as a road bike. In this sense it’s not a replacement for its esteemed predecessors, rather it brings a flavour of their character to a wider audience. Without alienating the existing fanbase. In that sense it could be the most convincing all-round sports bike of the modern era.