Character Over Displacement: Why the MT-09 Triple Has Divided Opinion for a Decade

There are engines you can describe objectively. And then there is the Yamaha MT-09’s CP3 triple. Anyone who has ridden one knows that the numbers – 890 cc, 119 hp, 93 Nm – tell only half the story. The other half begins at just under 5,500 rpm, when the three-cylinder engine rises out of its cultured growl and suddenly makes the road feel too narrow. It is difficult not to be captivated.

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