Just saw the above line quoted in an advert for the MT-09 which was taken from an article on the Yamaha in Bike magazine - I haven’t read the article in question but was surprised that Bike are giving it that level of praise - don’t get me wrong - the MT-09 is obviously a nice bike but it doesn’t look particularly revolutionary, cutting edge or ground breaking like the first Blade was back in the early 90’s - compared to the first Blade it looks like a respectable focus group lash up - but nothing earth shattering.
Anyone read the article and can say whether the quote is just a product of glossy magazine hype or that it actually has some substance?
I’ve read the article in bike magazine. It really does sound like a great bike. Nothing like the previous model. Whole new engine built specifically for it. Wet weight was 188kg. 115BHP off the top of my head. Apparently it’s a fantastic bike…
I’ll scan in the article if you wish have a quick read?
If they are right then it must be really special - definitely worth a test ride
Thanks mate - don’t worry about the scan - my mate has Bike on subscription so I’ll get it off him - decent of you to offer - appreciated
I went to look at one of these today, might get to ride it if I have time on Saturday, and I don’t like the orange one. they only offered me £4400 for my R1 though
Fireblade broke new ground and showed all the makers the way, that said…the K5 Gixxa1000 was again another huge stepping stone i think, this MT 09 is new and is interesting but i wouldnt say best bike since the fireblade.
The Bike review is wholly positive about it and even goes to the lengths of challenging the comment about a ‘vague front end’ that has been repeated in a couple of other reviews, saying that it was in fact only one race-ready journalist who thought that. They did complain about a snatchy throttle though when not in the soft setting…
Interesting to note though that this MT is supposed to be followed by a number of other variants… so I’m looking forward to those.
As an aside does anyone else think Bike has gone downhill since the new editor took over? His penchant for classics, Americana and café racers seems to have taken over a bit and somehow the mag seems to have adopted a slightly preachy tone…and dare I say it seems to have leaned even more towards the mature ‘rider’ and is maybe even starting to be a bit too similar to Ride magazine… or is that just me?
Exactly - I was kind of non-plussed that they would put this bike in the same category as the first Fireblade - I’m sure the bike is good - but it doesn’t seem to mark a step change like the first blade did.
Yeah - you can’t help but think in these cash strapped times of falling revenues that Bike magazine might be schmoozing those ad execs for a healthy dollop of Yamaha’s advertising budget :Whistling:
Haven’t read it for a while - If the style has changed it might reflect the economic era we are living in - it’s a different atmosphere now from the pre-crunch days when credit was easy and a lot of people were buying flash expensive bikes as leisure items/toys to sit in the garage next to the jet ski and the Japanese were updating flagship sportsbikes every couple of years - perhaps that market has contracted and we are increasingly left with a readership composed of full time motorcyclists and hardcore enthusiasts and they are reflecting that.
