Surprise! Yamaha reveals 2021 MT-09 SP, available in U.S.

Other markets have had the MT-09 SP for some time, while riders in the United States have relied on the aftermarket to build better MTs. Yamaha decided to further invest in their “Hyper Naked” for 2021 with this updated SP as total worldwide sales of the MT line crest 250,000 units, and although the upgrades are solid, the best news of all is confirmed U.S. availability for 2021.

If you haven’t met the new MT-09 platform yet, check out my colleague Zack’s article on what’s new for 2021. Here’s a quick recap: new frame, more displacement, earlier torque hit, improved emissions, radical styling, and a host of incremental updates from headlight to tail light, all without much of a price bump over the last gen. Yamaha recognizes the base MT-09’s value as a budget blaster and they did not risk that position with significant, and expensive, improvements.

That’s where the SP comes in. Yamaha calls the latest SP “sharper, smarter and even more exclusive” than the last. (I'm not sure that it's more exclusive, since the U.S. market finally has access to it!) Let’s take a look at the new model.

Most of the MT-09 SP is the same as the regular model. Same engine, same frame. Same wheels, brakes, bodywork, and power, too. Yamaha's SP models traditionally consist of bolt-on upgrades that were simply overkill for the average rider. That's exactly the case here. Now Yamaha can reach two different kinds of riders with the same platform in markets around the world. Who knows why Yamaha USA was denied previous versions of this machine? Sure got us wanting something we couldn't have.

The fork, like the standard MT-09, is a 41 mm KYB, but upgraded for additional performance. The fork gets DLC (that’s Diamond-Like Coating, glossy black in the photos) for a lower coefficient of friction than hard chrome, along with better wear resistance and (to some) a more premium appearance. The SP fork is adjustable for rebound damping and both high-speed and low-speed compression damping. Out back is an Öhlins shock, fully adjustable with a remote preload adjuster for easy changes. 

In other news, the MT-09 SP features cruise control, like the Tracer and Niken. When combined with the standard six-axis IMU and autoblipper, that makes for a fully modern package. There’s a fancier seat cover, a polished swingarm, and other small touches in the looks department to set the SP apart. The various changes add a slight weight penalty of two pounds over the standard -09, if that matters to you.

Yamaha is taking the fight to bikes like the Street Triple R and the 890 Duke R with this release, and appeasing customers who’ve asked for a better MT in the U.S. market for some time. Will they be willing to pay for the upgrades, though? The SP is $10,999, $1,600 more than the plain MT-09. Is that a good value? It’ll all come down to how well that suspension performs. The other changes, especially cruise control, should be surefire successes for this promising model.

The MT-09 SP comes in Raven / Liquid Metal color and will be available in March, 2021.

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