Need advice on mt07 or mt09

[Bulltaco]

I’m a new rider on street. 6’-2” 250lb I like the looks of the mt07 but want to be comfortable. Mainly riding weekends.  Unfortunately California dealers dont allow test rides. Any suggestions, power, size, suspension. 

[minkster]

The mt-07 is a small bike, maybe 7/8ths of a motorcycle, a big dude like you is probably going to be cramped.

[intensity_white]

The MT07 is already a handful for a newbie.  And the 09 doesn't seem that much more spacious to me.

[stickshift]

The riding positions are quite different, I much prefer the 07. The 09 will be better suited to your height.

[kylerhsm]

You'll find the 09 a much better fit. I'm 5'8 and I'd say the MT07 was built for a guy like me. It also depends on what you're going to use the bike for though. I commute daily and need to lane filter quite a lot, so again, the MT07 for me is the better choice. I previously owned an XSR900 (not an MT09) and it was a brilliant bike, and definitely had it's advantages when out on the open road.

If you're mostly going to be taking it out on the weekends, I'd say you'd be better off with the 09. The 09 will also fit you better as it's bigger. But, if you commute every day then there may be a case for getting an 07. Both great bikes, good luck.

[TheAbhartach]

I'm closer to your size than others replying (not quite as big but a lot closer) and I find the MT-07 to be a comfortable size, even for hours of riding. Caveat is that I've only ever ridden the MT and BMW G310R (small), so it may be a case of not knowing what I'm missing.

[dd24skater]

I'm similar in size and just bought the MT-07.......no complaints.  I like the lighter feel of the 07.....the 09 just felt too heavy.  Good luck and let us know how you decide.  

[Jeremy11226]

I am 6 foot 3, 270 pounds. Pretty much any bike looks small with me on it! Overall, the MT-07 is comfortable for me. These things vary from person to person, but it is a thousand times more comfortable than my old Triumph Bonneville, for instance. The rider triangle just works better for me. No more sore back on long rides. 

I've done light touring weekends of about 200 miles a day, 6-8 hours of time on the bike, with no mods except the Yamaha comfort seat and been pretty OK. Is it as comfy as a touring bike? No, but the light weight, fantastic motor, and ease of riding in the city traffic where I spend 80% of my riding time make the trade-offs worth it. YMMV.

I am interested in the 09 but I hate the styling of the new ones. I rode my friend's older FZ-09 and thought the engine was brilliant and the suspension was beyond awful. Any sort of bump felt like you were going to die.  I was sorely tempted by a leftover FJ09, but it was going to cost over 3K more, without the bags, and I just couldn't justify that. 

[Cruizin]

I got a fZ-09 when they first came out. Loved the low end power, that triple almost made too much of it under 4000 RPM. IT was a wheelie machine, sometimes even by mistake.  But the suspension sucked, for all the low end power it made.  When I came back down from a wheelie it about broke my arms BAM!  I also got 2 speeding tickets in one year on that bike. Found it almost impossible to stay within speed limits in town. 

IF you like to wheelie and want to go 0-80 MPH really phucking fast, get the MT-09. You'll get around 32 MPG.  

If you want to commute, look good, sound good and get awesome 50 + MPG, get the MT-07. 

 

If you are a new rider, you shouldn't get the Mt-09. You'll loop it out. You could wait a year and ge the Tenere700. Then you can have two bikes in one, go offroad too. Its also a much taller bike. 

 

 

[Jonnyaust]

I’m 6 ft 280. I wouldn’t say I daily ride mine but put 3000 miles in 10 months. Bike is very comfy I don’t feel cramped. The seat sucks and the suspension isn’t mad for guys like us but a great bike  I got it over the 9 cause I heard the 9 was a little twitchy and hard to control  and the 7 sounds badass with an exhaust 

[yamahazaki]

Even with a pillion, making weight close to 300lbs, I don't notice a speed/accel difference on mt07.  Obviously slow speed maneuvers are much harder with pillion.  What I'm saying is even with your weight, the mt07 will be plenty strong for a newbie.  Some might say too strong.

I don't much like the mt09 for some reason.  The power to weight ratio isn't balanced.  It feels TOO light for the power.  Suspension feels worse than the mt07 (even for a lightweight like myself).  Maybe because it is has more power so it is more apparent (suspension).  For something that torquey and powerful, I'd much prefer something closer to 500 lbs tbh.  Plus the ergos is much more upright on the mt09 which I don't like as well.  I prefer a lean.  The mt07's lean is slight, but at least it has some lean.

I'm afraid the mt09 might be way too strong for a newbie.  Especially with its super wheelie potential.  Everyone is different.  I knew a female rider who started on an mt09.  But then I knew newbie males who crashed 300ccs.  I cannot tell you how dangerous the mt09 will be for you as a new rider.  But its better to be safe than sorry.

My advice is to start on mt07 and if you really think it isn't enough for you, then mt09 after you get several thousands of miles under your belt.

Edited May 31, 2019 by yamahazaki

[DewMan]

Any bike can be considered a beginner bike as long as you have discipline of your throttle use. A bike won't go any faster or accelerate any faster than you want it to with proper throttle discipline.

But having that discipline is harder than you think and that's when you get into trouble. It's way too easy to let the excitement of the ride make you lose control of that discipline.

Good luck choosing your ride.

[Wintersdark]

For context, me: 6'4", 300lbs.  Owned a 2018 MT07 for a year now, put 13k on it so far.  It's far from my first bike; been riding for 25 years.

The MT07 has absolutely no problem hauling my ass around, and doing so very quickly.  I've done multiple 2k+ road trips, and been fine with it.  Yes, I'm big on the bike, but I'm big on *every* bike.  I haven't ridden an MT09, but I've sat on them, and I don't feel they're any more spacious.  I do find the MT07 a bike more comfortable, though - but again, I've only sat on the MT09, and maybe the slightly different positioning grows on you.

I don't know you, obviously.  But I will say this: I ride the crap out of my MT07.  I go WOT all the time, stop light to stop light, I tear down highways at 200kph.  If I were a new rider, I'm not responsible enough.  For me, the MT09 would have been a very poor choice as a first bike.

With that said, I had the same dilemma you have right now when I went shopping; trying to decide between the MT07 and MT09.  My reasoning was as follows:

Why I chose the MT07: 

• Better fuel economy, cheaper bike, cheaper gas, cheaper insurance (<700cc vs. 900cc) cheaper maintenance (twin vs. triple).  The MT07 overall is a substantially cheaper bike.  There's the lower up front cost, but that's easy to brush aside (particularly if you're financing) but long term the total cost of ownership is significantly lower with the MT07 and this shouldn't be understated.
• I'm stupid.  I'm really stupid.  I know I'd push the 09 to it's limits, just like I do the 07.  It'd get me in trouble.  Oh, I can handle the performance of the machine - I've been riding daily for a very long time - but the speeding tickets, the hooliganism, it would end badly.  It has in the past, when I last owned a 900cc bike.   $3000 in speeding tickets in a single year.  Do I really need to be going over 200kph?  Do I really need to accelerate *faster* than the MT07 does?  
• The MT07, while not a unicycle like the MT09, is very easy to wheelie on, but you generally won't accidentally wheelie.  The MT09 in A mode can really get you in trouble fast.

What I regret about not choosing the MT09:

• I'm stupid.  I like power and acceleration, and while the MT07 is DEFINITELY not a slow bike, the MT09 is faster.  Who doesn't want zoomzoom?  
• It sounds better.  That CP3 triple sounds amazing. 

If I could go back and choose again, the MT07 would be the smart choice, hands down.  Realistically, I'd get a Tracer 900 GT, because I'm doing more and more long distance trips and it comes pre-equipped with all the assorted upgrades I've already tacked onto my MT07 (heated stuff, windshield, luggage, etc).  But the wisest choice would be another MT07.

A caveat:  As a big guy, choose a 2018+ MT07.  If you're looking at older bikes, the prior MT07 years have a weaker suspension.  This is fine if you plan to upgrade it, but the 2018/2019 models suspension is a fair bit better.  It's not amazing, but it doesn't need immediate replacement which the older model version does at our size.  If I was going used, I'd probably get an MT09.