Mt09 ..as first bike
Discussion
I passed my test a few weeks ago and have since been looking at bikes. The mt09 seems to have hit all the right chords. I was tempted just to buy a sports bike bike I love riding and want to be out for hours and hours every sunny day.
I tested the tracer and I loved it seemed easy to turn and was quite comfortable for the hour I was out.
Any advice on picking one up second hand?
I've heard it's to powerful as a first bike but I control the power with my right hand no?
Any other general advice as a new rider ?
I tested the tracer and I loved it seemed easy to turn and was quite comfortable for the hour I was out.
Any advice on picking one up second hand?
I've heard it's to powerful as a first bike but I control the power with my right hand no?
Any other general advice as a new rider ?
As someone who passed in Dec I considered the MT07, then MT09 (I'm 6'2" and the MT07 seemed tiny), and ended up on a cheap speed triple (2002, gen 2). This was because ultimately noone will give you a test ride until you've had the licence a year, and if you want an expensive bike you'll probably want comprehensive insurance, which will be pricey for now. That said, I'm now chopping in the speed triple for a tiger...
Long time ago but I passed my bike test after 4 ears of car driving and went on to the superbike of the day the kawasaki GPz900, had an absolute hoot, the capability of the bike exceeded mine and kept me alive. That still reflects on my reticence but a fast bike or car is not as dangerous as a fool in a corsa or on a 250. If you are careful, a more powerful bike is likely to be a better steed. Just look ahead. Same advice I give to my daughter on her suzuki bandit.
First bike, would be a good bike full stop.
Was out on my cbr6 only today and to a lot is seen as a small bike .
However was riding along thinking should I change to something with less flat out performance and more midrange / better riding position.
How often am I going to go anywhere over the ton on our roads. The risk on my licence is just to big.
So I'd say yes.
On another note what's your budget ?
Aprillia shivers seem good value for money, also aprillia dorsadota, Speed tripple , Suzuki gsr, Honda hornet just some ideas for you
Was out on my cbr6 only today and to a lot is seen as a small bike .
However was riding along thinking should I change to something with less flat out performance and more midrange / better riding position.
How often am I going to go anywhere over the ton on our roads. The risk on my licence is just to big.
So I'd say yes.
On another note what's your budget ?
Aprillia shivers seem good value for money, also aprillia dorsadota, Speed tripple , Suzuki gsr, Honda hornet just some ideas for you
If the MT-09 feels like the right bike then go for it,
I passed my test just over a year ago and thought that a Street Triple might be too much for me, given it's reputation for being a bit lairy, but a good friend who'd be riding a lot longer than I pointed out you'll only go as fast as your right hand will let you. Glad I listened to him.
Right now I'm looking at chopping in the Street for a new Speed or the MT-10
I passed my test just over a year ago and thought that a Street Triple might be too much for me, given it's reputation for being a bit lairy, but a good friend who'd be riding a lot longer than I pointed out you'll only go as fast as your right hand will let you. Glad I listened to him.
Right now I'm looking at chopping in the Street for a new Speed or the MT-10
I passed my test last year after being born again, bought an old 350LC but decided I also needed something a bit more modern and more suitable for day to day so bought an MT09 Tracer after lots of research, I love it and it ticks all the boxes, you could do an awful lot worse than go for it, it is a hoot to ride,
Gary
Gary
I'm about the same size as you OP and also considered the MT-09 as a first bike.
Size-wise, it is absolutely fine. I wouldn't worry about the power too much, as you say, you control how much it puts down. The bigger engine helps move us fatties around easier as well
Plenty of decent second-hand ones available now; prices sit at around £5k for a sub-5000 miler and less if you get something that is broken in up to 10,000 miles. Try to get one with the Akropovic exhaust that came as a free upgrade during launch; they sound incredible.
If you hold on a few months (impossible I know), but the MT-10 is due for imminent release. I can see this driving the MT-09 prices down as they are both in a similar market; so you could get an even better deal if you hold fire for a bit.
Size-wise, it is absolutely fine. I wouldn't worry about the power too much, as you say, you control how much it puts down. The bigger engine helps move us fatties around easier as well
Plenty of decent second-hand ones available now; prices sit at around £5k for a sub-5000 miler and less if you get something that is broken in up to 10,000 miles. Try to get one with the Akropovic exhaust that came as a free upgrade during launch; they sound incredible.
If you hold on a few months (impossible I know), but the MT-10 is due for imminent release. I can see this driving the MT-09 prices down as they are both in a similar market; so you could get an even better deal if you hold fire for a bit.
Certainly my local Yam dealer would give just about anyone a test ride. I'd get out on both an MT09 and an MT07. Coming from a CBR600F, I just found the MT07 a much nicer bike with rather more character. The MT09 is still nice (although not as slick as a Street Triple and with a notably snatchy throttle 
) but the twin in the MT07 is a peach and the handling is awesome - certainly up to legal speeds.
I agree that there is no reason not to get a more powerful bike but that you will still run out of talent before you run out of performance on an MT07. All of these uprights are in many ways easier to ride than a sports bike, especially at low speeds.
) but the twin in the MT07 is a peach and the handling is awesome - certainly up to legal speeds. I agree that there is no reason not to get a more powerful bike but that you will still run out of talent before you run out of performance on an MT07. All of these uprights are in many ways easier to ride than a sports bike, especially at low speeds.
Gunk said:
I tried one when they were first launched and although it fitted me like a glove, I felt the fueling wasn't right it felt very snatchy in traffic, it is a great bike but I wonder if it's just a bit of a handful for a novice. It's a frisky little thing!
Bear in mind that the OP was referring to the tracer version which is a very different bike to the standard MT09, it has different mapping and riding modes which went a long way to addressing the twitchy throttle mentioned above, plus a little tweak in the "engineering menu" to the Co2 settings smooth it out even further, go for it...Gary
I have a tracer myself and its a great bike. On ride outs everyone in the group I go with is always chumping at the bit to have a go between the stops for example.
Comfy for long distances I did a iron butt challange on it the 2nd week i owned it and was the only person in the group without complant.
Powerfull enough to shift along when you want to but the bars get very light up in the ahem speeds and can be unnerving the 1st few times it happens
The standard tyres (dunlops) are something to look to change if your thinking about harder riding.
The screen is also something you may look to change as your over 5'5, Im 5'10 and the wind on the highest setting hits me right center of my visor.
the suspension is decent enough but can feel a little lacking again on higher speed bends.
the tank range is good, and even with semi hard use the bike will average over 50mpg.
With the tc off it will lift the front wheel for fun in 1st and 2nd gear and into 3rd if you provoke it.
the engine is amazing, this is a bike you buy for that engine, the torque from low down is additive but it still likes to be reved and gives all the way through the rev band.
Mine is going on a 4 day trip to scotland next month and the only bad thing about touring on it is you have to put it away each night tbh.
I got mine for 7.2k when it was 2 weeks old with 45 miles on the clock, a pre reg one so deals are there to be had.
Comfy for long distances I did a iron butt challange on it the 2nd week i owned it and was the only person in the group without complant.
Powerfull enough to shift along when you want to but the bars get very light up in the ahem speeds and can be unnerving the 1st few times it happens
The standard tyres (dunlops) are something to look to change if your thinking about harder riding.
The screen is also something you may look to change as your over 5'5, Im 5'10 and the wind on the highest setting hits me right center of my visor.
the suspension is decent enough but can feel a little lacking again on higher speed bends.
the tank range is good, and even with semi hard use the bike will average over 50mpg.
With the tc off it will lift the front wheel for fun in 1st and 2nd gear and into 3rd if you provoke it.
the engine is amazing, this is a bike you buy for that engine, the torque from low down is additive but it still likes to be reved and gives all the way through the rev band.
Mine is going on a 4 day trip to scotland next month and the only bad thing about touring on it is you have to put it away each night tbh.
I got mine for 7.2k when it was 2 weeks old with 45 miles on the clock, a pre reg one so deals are there to be had.
stupidbutkeen said:
I have a tracer myself and its a great bike. On ride outs everyone in the group I go with is always chumping at the bit to have a go between the stops for example.
Comfy for long distances I did a iron butt challange on it the 2nd week i owned it and was the only person in the group without complant.
Powerfull enough to shift along when you want to but the bars get very light up in the ahem speeds and can be unnerving the 1st few times it happens
The standard tyres (dunlops) are something to look to change if your thinking about harder riding.
The screen is also something you may look to change as your over 5'5, Im 5'10 and the wind on the highest setting hits me right center of my visor.
the suspension is decent enough but can feel a little lacking again on higher speed bends.
the tank range is good, and even with semi hard use the bike will average over 50mpg.
With the tc off it will lift the front wheel for fun in 1st and 2nd gear and into 3rd if you provoke it.
the engine is amazing, this is a bike you buy for that engine, the torque from low down is additive but it still likes to be reved and gives all the way through the rev band.
Mine is going on a 4 day trip to scotland next month and the only bad thing about touring on it is you have to put it away each night tbh.
I got mine for 7.2k when it was 2 weeks old with 45 miles on the clock, a pre reg one so deals are there to be had.
How do you find filtering with it? I am really keen on one but it needs to be happy going through row of cars, vans and trucks parked on the M25.Comfy for long distances I did a iron butt challange on it the 2nd week i owned it and was the only person in the group without complant.
Powerfull enough to shift along when you want to but the bars get very light up in the ahem speeds and can be unnerving the 1st few times it happens
The standard tyres (dunlops) are something to look to change if your thinking about harder riding.
The screen is also something you may look to change as your over 5'5, Im 5'10 and the wind on the highest setting hits me right center of my visor.
the suspension is decent enough but can feel a little lacking again on higher speed bends.
the tank range is good, and even with semi hard use the bike will average over 50mpg.
With the tc off it will lift the front wheel for fun in 1st and 2nd gear and into 3rd if you provoke it.
the engine is amazing, this is a bike you buy for that engine, the torque from low down is additive but it still likes to be reved and gives all the way through the rev band.
Mine is going on a 4 day trip to scotland next month and the only bad thing about touring on it is you have to put it away each night tbh.
I got mine for 7.2k when it was 2 weeks old with 45 miles on the clock, a pre reg one so deals are there to be had.
I tried one a while back but not in commute conditions and whilst an overall excellent bike, I couldn't help but thinking that these bars were very wide indeed.
J B L said:
How do you find filtering with it? I am really keen on one but it needs to be happy going through row of cars, vans and trucks parked on the M25.
I tried one a while back but not in commute conditions and whilst an overall excellent bike, I couldn't help but thinking that these bars were very wide indeed.
Takes a little time to get used to the wide bars and at the start i was a bit emmm will i fit, But now I filter with the best of them. Its not as wide as it seems. I tried one a while back but not in commute conditions and whilst an overall excellent bike, I couldn't help but thinking that these bars were very wide indeed.
I've a ktm smt 990, (pretty much same as tracer). Filtering is a doddle. The bars are wide, but not too wide. I've no issue getting through nearly all gaps.
It's about spacial awareness and balance.
Sports bike with tucked in mirrors is only thing better, but not much narrower.
Oh and I got it as a first proper bike. It's not silly fast and keeps you at honest speeds. Far different from a litre sports bike.
Just get one (tracer) if you like it. Who cares. Just don't ride like an idiot.
It's about spacial awareness and balance.
Sports bike with tucked in mirrors is only thing better, but not much narrower.
Oh and I got it as a first proper bike. It's not silly fast and keeps you at honest speeds. Far different from a litre sports bike.
Just get one (tracer) if you like it. Who cares. Just don't ride like an idiot.
Edited by 2wheelsjimmy on Tuesday 29th March 13:10
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