Yamaha Releases a New Beastie
Tucked inside an old, concrete smog-test garage in Los Angeles, Yamaha hid its newest edition of it’s R-series lineup. It didn’t seem much of a mystery to the seasoned sportbike journalists gathered around. Rumors spread, teasers released, sporty minds connected the dots, which led to the 2025 YZF-R9.
The beast revealed. Photo by Yamaha.
Reporters gawked, shot video of a sitting still machine, and mumbled among themselves. The bike didn’t move an inch. There was no test ride, likely to come at some later date. The bike features Yamaha’s widely respected CP3 power plant, a 890cc liquid-cooled inline triple running through a six-gear tranny and riding on an all-aluminum Deltabox frame, the lightest in the factory’s supersport inventory. ABS with Brembo brakes brings the 430-lb. R9 to a stop. Cool looking winglets up front are designed to add downforce for a more planted ride. A 3.7 gallon tank carries your fuel. No claimed horsepower or gas mileage numbers were released. Rob, Ted and Ryan have all ridden the other iterations of the CP3, Ted and Rob the Tracer 9 GT+ and MT-09, Ryan the up-spec MT-09 SP, so check those out for more performance digits. Road Dirt has a fair amount of experience with this triple mill.
A sharp-looking prima facie.
According to a spokesman, “The 2025 YZF-R9 was conceived to redefine the Supersport class by combining track-capable performance with street bike accessibility through a broad, smooth power delivery, light handling, street-friendly ergonomics and a complete package of advanced rider aids- a machine as equally at home on a race circuit in the hands of a seasoned track rider as it is exploring canyon roads or urban streets in the hands of a dedicated street rider.” Performance is designed, according to Yamaha, to enhance capabilities and confidence. Huh.
Stripped for the track. Photo by Yamaha.
I wasn’t sure how Yamaha defined “seasoned” and “dedicated,” but the promo had very serious looking young riders, one heading to the track and another into the woods, oddly played to the soundtrack of Blue Oyster Cult’s “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper,” which seemed a little like tugging at fate. Not sure what was meant by “street-friendly” ergonomics, but the riding position didn’t look too friendly to me and my creaky bones.
I could see Ted, Rob or Ryan out there with an R9. Me, not so much. Photo by Yamaha.
Other R9 features include:
• Ride-by-wire Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle (YCC-T®) System
• Assist & Slipper clutch
• Yamaha third-generation quickshifter
• Fully adjustable high-spec KYB® front fork
• Fully adjustable high-spec KYB® rear shock
• Brembo® Stylema calipers
• Brembo® radial master cylinder
• Full color 5-inch TFT display
• Smartphone connectivity
• Advanced six-axis IMU
• Four-level Power Delivery Mode (PWR)
• Nine level lean-sensitive Traction Control System (TCS)
• MotoGP®-developed three-level Slide Control System (SCS)
• Three-level Lift Control System (LIF)
• Lean-sensitive Brake Control System (BC) with ABS
• Rear ABS off function
• Two-level Engine Brake Management (EBM)
• Back Slip Regulator (BSR)
• Launch Control (LC)
• Yamaha Ride Control (YRC) with preset and customizable settings
• Yamaha Variable Speed Limiter (YVSL)
• Full LED lighting
• Intuitive new switchgear
• Cruise control
Three nice color schemes. Photos by Yamaha.
The 2025 Yamaha YZF-R9 will be available in Team Yamaha Blue, Matte Raven Black or Intensity White/Redline, and will begin arriving to dealers in March for $12,499. More to come if one of our guys gets a review ride.
Joshua Placa
For more details and digits on the 2025 YZF-R9, click here:
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