2025 Yamaha YZF-R9 First Ride

Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way: Yamaha’s R6 was one of the most iconic trackday and racebikes that has ever existed. Outside of the GSX-R line, there isn’t likely a sportbike that has a more storied history and reputation as a supersport winner. But for a lot of reasons (emissions, sales, etc.) Yamaha dropped the R6 after the 2020 model year, and that left a gaping hole in the company’s middleweight lineup.

The good news is that as the sportbike market reinvents itself with friendlier and more practical models, Yamaha already has one of the best engines that has ever been made in its corral, the CP3 that powers the MT-09, XSR900, and Tracer 9. For years, we, like you, have been asking: Why don’t you stuff this wonderful triple into a supersport machine and give us what we’ve all been dreaming about? For 2025 Yamaha finally delivered on that request with the introduction of the $12,499 YZF-R9. But what is this bike? Is it an R6 replacement? A softer next-gen middleweight? Or something else entirely?

We got part of that answer prior to the bike’s official press introduction, when in its first competitive outing it won and took a second in its World Supersport debut. That tipped its hat and set some expectations. Our first exposure would be at a ridiculously wet Sonoma Raceway in Northern California. But over the course of the day, we’d get enough of an impression to determine what the R9 is and who it’s for.

The CP3 that powers the R9 shouldn’t need much of an introduction, as this engine has been powering Yamaha’s upsized middleweights for years. Our crew at Cycle World, in fact, likes this engine so much that bikes that use it won two out of 10 of our Ten Best awards in 2024: the Tracer 9 GT+ and MT-09 SP.

The 890cc triple has 78 x 62mm bore and stroke measurements. The crankpins are set 120 degrees apart, while a 240-degree firing order is used. With the crossplane design, torque is the name of the game. Yamaha claims that the R9′s triple makes 40% more torque than the last generation R6 that was sold back in 2020. The last R6 we dyno tested made 101 hp at 13,750 rpm and 42.8 lb.-ft. of torque at 11,800, and our 2024 MT-09 SP made 107.2 hp at 9930 and 66.3 lb.-ft. at 7030 rpm. Both of these measurements are at the rear wheel on our Dynojet dyno. Looking at the torque figure, the MT-09 SP makes a whopping 23.5 lb.-ft. more torque than the R6, and we’re told the R9 will be almost identical in output.

Differences of the R9′s and MT’s engines are few, but the R9 gets slightly revised ECU settings, a larger curved radiator borrowed from the YZF-R1, slightly taller final gearing (16/43 versus 16/45), and a quicker rotating throttle that now reaches wide-open 18 degrees quicker. Inside the CP3 are lightweight forged-aluminum pistons and connecting rods, the cylinders are direct-plated with a ceramic-composite coating. Fueling is handled by the same 41mm Mikuni throttle bodies that are controlled by the Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle (YCC-T). The bike uses an assist and slipper clutch, while Yamaha’s third-gen Quick Shift System allows clutchless up- and downshifts.

Our first ride on the R9 wasn’t in ideal conditions, as we were greeted with a soaking wet Sonoma Raceway in Northern California. Huge puddles of standing water and little rivers of mud and water made being aggressive only for the brave. Our bike was fitted with racing rain tires that provide an amazing level of grip—once you decide to trust them.

You can learn a lot about the performance of an engine in tricky conditions, as it forces you to be very precise and smooth. The CP3 is a great fit in these situations, as its broad spread of torque and linear delivery allow the power to be summoned in a manner that helps keep the bike from getting out of shape. The electronics play a big part, but the nature of the engine provides the rider with a lot of confidence.

In the very wet first session, we used a custom Track mode that Yamaha recommended with the power on setting 2 of 4 and the TC almost on max (8 of 9), rear ABS and Back Slip Regulation (BSR) off. Once in our comfort zone with the available grip, it was surprising how much performance the electronics allow to be delivered. Clicking through the gears exiting Sonoma’s carousel onto the backstraight the power delivery is strong. It takes a bit of brain reprogramming with the lower rev ceiling—compared to a four-cylinder bike—to avoid repeatedly slamming into the rev limiter, but once you learn to shift and ride the meat of the torque, it drives off corners very efficiently.

As the track improved we played with settings and dialed the power up to Mode 1, reduced the TC, and got into a good flow. At the very end of the day when the track dried up for a little while, we finally got to unleash the bike. And while we still had the rain tires on—which started to wiggle all over the place with the power up and TC down—we got an impression of how the R9 will be as a trackday bike.

The CP3 in the R9 is a blast. It delivers a fun dose of power that isn’t intimidating, and when ridden as a torquey triple wants to be ridden, provides excellent performance that will put a smile on any trackday rider’s face. As a matter of fact Yamaha ambassador and all-time AMA/MotoAmerica wins leader Josh Hayes is going to campaign a Bryce Prince Racing R9 in MotoAmerica’s Supersport class for the entire season. If it’s good enough for Hayes as a racebike, it’s likely more than enough for the rest of us to enjoy at trackdays or club racing.

A bike’s electronics package can save your day. Riding a sportbike on a racetrack in the rain can be very intimidating, but Yamaha’s excellent rider-aid package reduces the stress to almost nil. Yamaha Ride Control settings include nine possible modes with Sport, Street, Rain, and then two Custom modes, and four Track modes. Within those are presets for power, traction control (TCS), slide control (SCS), wheelie control (LIF), Engine Brake Management (EBM), Back Slip Regulator (BSR), and Brake Control (BC).

As the track transformed from lakes to ponds, then partially wet with patches of dry, to almost dry, we were able to adjust the modes to make the bike more aggressive. We concentrated on the TC settings and had the power in its highest output. The YRC functionality is very good; It’s really difficult to detect the traction control intervening in most circumstances. In almost all situations the bike simply drove forward with no audible fuel/ignition cuts, and in such a smooth manner as to be almost imperceptible. On only one occasion, when going through a really deep puddle, did the electronics have a tiny hiccup where the rear tire momentarily spun up before the TC intervened. But otherwise the rider aids provide an excellent backstop, allowing the bike to be ridden much harder than you would ever imagine possible on a wet track.

Like the MT-09 that preceded it, the R9 gets Yamaha’s latest left-bar control pod with a joystick and much more intuitive buttons and controls for navigating the menus and features. The TFT display is bright and easy to read and offers five view options with varying amounts of information depending on how and where you’re riding. Like the system on the MT-09 and Tracer 9, your smartphone can communicate with the system via Bluetooth, while the Yamaha Motorcycle Connect and Garmin StreetCross apps enable navigation, manage music, calls, and texts, and allow the owner to personalize rider aids and features through the phone.

A couple of other electronic features include cruise control, Yamaha Variable Speed Limiter that allows the owner to set a maximum speed to police themselves, a USB-C charger, and self-canceling signals.

The chassis on the R9 is a big departure from the other CP3-powered machines with a unique frame and swingarm, while the subframe is borrowed from MT-09. The swingarm allows 16mm more range of axle adjustment than the MT and features two spool-mounting bosses for a paddock stand. The frame has been designed with increased rigidity in every plane, but the standout longitudinal numbers have been increased by 37% to cope with the loads of racetrack-level braking.

Where the chassis really stands apart is in the geometry numbers and chassis measurements. The R9 has pretty radical front-end geometry with a 22.6-degree rake (2 degrees steeper than the R6 or MT-09), and 3.7 inches of trail (compared to the R6′s 3.8 or MT’s 4.2 inches). The wheelbase measures 55.9 inches, which is an inch longer than an R7 and 1.8 inches longer than the 54.1-inch 2020 R6. Yamaha claims that the chassis achieves a perfect 50/50 weight balance front to rear.

While some of the competition’s next-gen middleweights have saved money with budget-friendly suspension components, the R9 goes all in with top-shelf KYB components front and rear. The fork is a 43mm Separate Damping Force (SDF) unit with high- and low-speed compression adjustment in the left leg and rebound in the right. All adjusters, including spring preload, are atop the fork caps where they are easy to access, while Kashima coating is used on the stanchions for reduced friction. At the rear is fully adjustable shock with high- and low-speed compression damping, rebound, and spring preload with an easy-to-reach remote adjuster. The shock features KYB’s swing valve which improves ultra-low-speed compression for superior performance with small movements; this is the first application on a production motorcycle.

Yamaha didn’t skimp on the braking package either. Upfront is a pair of Brembo radial-mount four-piston Stylema calipers biting down on 320mm rotors. The calipers are matched to a Brembo radial master cylinder and stainless steel lines. Pushing the limitations of the Brembo braking package on a wet Sonoma track wasn’t really in the cards. But having had the opportunity to ride quite a few motorcycles with excellent braking packages recently, we can guarantee that this setup isn’t going to disappoint. One- and two-finger braking provides really strong power, and the feedback through the lever is excellent.

Five-spoke cast-aluminum wheels were chosen over the MT-09′s SpinForged units by Yamaha’s test riders as they felt they provided better feedback from the tire and road. The stock rubber is Bridgestone’s Battlax Hypersport S22 in 120/70-17 front and 180/55-17 rear sizes. The wet-weather tires we rode on were the Bridgestone Battlax Racing W01 in 120/60-17 and 190/65-17 sizes.

We’d be lying if we told you that we left Sonoma with an ultra-clear understanding of the R9′s capabilities on a track, but wet-weather communicates some intricacies that you don’t normally get to experience on a dry track. Did we miss out answering some of our questions about the chassis’ at-the-limit capabilities? For sure, but we got a nice sample of the possibilities.

One obvious attribute is that the front end of this motorcycle communicates what the tire is doing very well. The fact that we were riding a rain tire that the R9 was not developed around further exhibits how well the front end works. Even in the wet it was very clear where the edge of traction was, and once the rain tires were up to temp, you could brake incredibly hard. The same could be said for communication of grip on turn-in; not only is the steering light and agility high, but the R9 always provided excellent feedback of its limitations. Although we didn’t get to push to a level that gave the suspension a good workout, everything is well damped and provides controlled action at a pace that is higher than you’d find on the street. We can’t wait to get a taste of its capabilities in the dry.

In terms of ergonomics, the R9 splits the difference between the R1 and the R7. The adjustable footpegs are a bit lower (when in the low setting of two) than the R1, while the seat height is a full inch lower than that bike at 32.7 inches. The reach to the clip-on bars, which mount under the triple clamp, is sporty but not torturous, and the bars are splayed out a bit for really good leverage. Overall, the riding position is much more aggressive than Suzuki’s GSX-8R, but more comfortable than the R6, or the other remaining inline-fours like the ZX-6R or GSX-R600. The focus still remains track-ready.

We hoped to walk away from our first ride on the R9 with a clear understanding of where the bike fits in: We wanted to understand if it’s a replacement for the R6, or if Yamaha followed the competition by building a slightly softer and friendlier middleweight sportbike. As challenging as the conditions were, we did answer most of our questions.

The R9 is everything we wanted it to be when we first got wind that Yamaha was building it. The PR team will tell you that the R9 isn’t a replacement for the R6, but we’re not entirely sure we agree with that. Although those two machines have completely different engines, displacements, and electronics, and are built for a slightly different purpose, there is no reason that this bike won’t appeal to the customers who bought that iconic inline-four.

So while Yamaha definitely didn’t go as soft as Suzuki did with the GSX-8R or Triumph with the Daytona 660, in making a more relaxed and comfortable street-first sportbike, the R9 will be a substantially better roadbike than the R6 ever was. But while it will give away some of those on-road manners, the R9 is a totally legitimate track bike with top-shelf components, an excellent chassis, and one of the most entertaining engines of this generation. Take everything we love about the MT-09 and throw on a full fairing and the wind protection it provides along with a dose of high-performance suspension, and you end up with exactly the bike we’ve been begging Yamaha to build for years.

So that’s the good news, the bad news is now that we’ve been teased with its performance, the R9 won’t be available in dealerships until the third quarter of 2025. Three colors will be available including our test unit’s Intensity White/Redline, Matte Raven Black, or Team Yamaha Blue for $12,499. At least that gives you time to sell your R6.