Yamaha MT-09
Yamaha's hooligan triple. CP3 890cc inline-three with cross-plane crank for character, 119 PS, aggressive ride-by-wire, and IMU-based electronics from 2021. Lighter and more focused than the Tracer 9 stablemate. Theft-prone — on UK police top-stolen lists — and insurance is correspondingly steep. The MT-09 is what you graduate to after outgrowing the MT-07.
- Engine
- 890 cc
- Power
- 119 PS
- Weight
- 189 kg
- Seat height
- 825 mm
- A2 licence
- —
CP3 inline-three 120° crank
wet
The short version
Forecourt score
Value 55 · Insurance 13 · Theft 10
The Yamaha MT-09 holds its value about as well as most bikes (around 28% lost over three years, against the 25-32% bike norm) and is expensive to insure (group 15). Theft risk is very high. The main thing to check on a used one is the cp3 rocker arm wear.
A bike-specific blend of value retention, insurance and theft risk (weighted 40/35/25). Bikes carry no MOT reliability data, so reliability isn't scored. Higher is better.
Variant: MT-09
Engine
Petrol · 890cc
Power
119 ps
Torque
93 Nm
Weight
189 kg
Seat
825 mm
Transmission
6-speed manual
Economy
48 mpg
Volume MT-09. CP3 890cc triple, 119 PS, 93 Nm. 6-speed manual, chain. 189 kg wet. 825mm seat. IMU-based electronics standard from 2021.
Tell us about the one you're looking at
Tidy and well looked-after for its age — the typical clean bike.
Estimated market value
£6,947
Range £6,252 – £7,642
HIGH CONFIDENCE
Holding value
Bikes hold value far better than cars — typical motorcycle 3-year depreciation is 25–32%, against cars' 40–50%. Some bikes (Hayabusa, Gold Wing, classic Z1000) actually appreciate in the 7–15 year zone as cult demand outstrips supply.
New
£10,099
At 5 years
£6,261
At 10 years
£4,302
Value loss by phase
Each band shows the share of original value lost during that window — not cumulative. Appreciation (green, marked +X% gained) is real for bikes that develop cult status.
UK new price by year
How we estimate this
Phase depreciation derived from observed UK used-bike pricing — classified ads, dealer asking prices, and end-of-auction figures. Bike residuals depend heavily on theft history, service-stamp count, and crash-damage signatures. The figures here are indicative for clean, fully-stamped examples.
What it costs to own
Indicative running costs at 8,000 miles a year — the UK rider average. Chain-drive bikes carry a chain/sprocket consumable line; tax (typically £25–£100/yr) and depreciation are excluded — see the section above for value retention.
3-year total
£7,193
Per year
£2,398
Per mile
£0.30
Service costs assume independent specialist labour and OE parts. Tyre intervals reflect typical UK road riding — track-day usage burns through rear tyres in <2,000 miles. Fuel uses the variant MPG at £1.45/L. Lower-mileage riders see proportionally lower totals; higher-mileage commuters pay roughly linearly more.
Estimated insurance
Group 15 of 17 (very high — superbike/cult) · Comprehensive · 5 yr NCB
Indicative annual comprehensive premiums for this bike. Bike insurance is far more sensitive to licence tier and rider age than cars — pick the combination closest to your circumstances.
Licence
Age
No-claims bonus
5 yearsRisk profile
Estimated annual premium · typical, age 30-39
£1,600/ year
Roughly £133 per month
Typical
Suburban postcode, 3+ years NCB, standard security (Thatcham chain + disc lock), no recent claims.| Age band | Lower risk | Typical | Higher risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age 17-21 | £2,640 | £3,520 | £4,928 |
| Age 22-29 | £1,620 | £2,160 | £3,024 |
| Age 30-39Selected | £1,200 | £1,600 | £2,240 |
| Age 40-49 | £1,056 | £1,408 | £1,971 |
| Age 50+ | £960 | £1,280 | £1,792 |
How we estimate this
Premiums combine licence tier, rider age, no-claims bonus and a risk-profile multiplier on top of a bike-specific baseline. Bike insurance is materially more sensitive to licence tier (CBT / A1 / A2 / A) than car insurance, and young riders pay considerably more than older riders even on the same machine. Always get individual quotes before buying.
Theft risk
Bike-specific · Met Police + insurance reporting
UK bike theft rates are an order of magnitude higher than car theft. Nakeds and supersports lose more to professional gangs; large adventure bikes and tourers are statistically much safer.
Theft risk score · 1 to 4
4/4Very high risk
Very high risk
On police top-stolen lists across multiple UK cities. Insurance will demand the full security package (Thatcham chain + ground anchor + disc lock + tracker + secure overnight storage). Without these, premiums can exceed £2,000.Theft hotspot postcodes
Postcode prefixes only; full London hot zone runs across E, N, NW, SE, SW, W boroughs depending on the model.
What this means for you
MT-09 is on police's top-stolen list across multiple UK cities. London and Manchester especially. Expect insurance to demand Thatcham chain + ground anchor + disc lock + tracker; without these, premium goes north of £2,000.
How we set this band
Bands derived from Met Police bike-theft reporting (most-stolen lists) cross-referenced with insurance industry underwriting data. Model + postcode are the two biggest factors in motorcycle theft risk in the UK, materially more than vehicle value.
What goes wrong
7 known issues · sorted by severity
Documented failure modes from UK owner forums, dealer service bulletins, and aggregated mechanic feedback. Mileages are approximate — different riders see different intervals depending on use and maintenance. Always address "high"-severity items before resale.
High severity
1
Medium
4
Low / cosmetic
2
| Severity | Part / issue | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| high | CP3 rocker arm wear Listen for top-end rattle 60k+ mi | £500 |
| medium | Rear shock (pre-2021) Ohlins/Nitron common any | £800 upgrade |
| medium | Cam chain tensioner (pre-2021) 30k+ mi | £300 |
| medium | Rear shock seal leak 30-40k mi | £300 rebuild |
| medium | Stator/rectifier (older bikes) 2021+ revised parts more reliable 40k+ mi | £300 |
| low | Quickshifter sensor any | £150 |
| low | Fork seals 30k+ mi | £200 |
How we score severity
High — strands the bike or causes consequential damage if left. Medium — service item that affects ride quality or risks failure. Low — cosmetic or minor inconvenience. Costs are independent-specialist UK rates for parts and labour together; main dealer prices typically run 30–50% higher.
Safety recalls
Manufacturers occasionally issue safety recalls to fix a fault free of charge. You can check whether the Yamaha MT-09, or your exact vehicle, has any outstanding recalls on the official DVSA service.
Check on GOV.UKOpens the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency recall checker. Choose the make, model and year of manufacture — no registration needed.
Variant comparison
Yamaha's hooligan benchmark. Cross-shop Triumph Street Triple 765 (sharper, smaller bike feel), KTM Duke 890 (sharper still, more focused), Kawasaki Z900 (cheaper, less refined). MT-09 wins on engine character and electronic suite.
Known issues
- Stock suspension under-damped pre-2021 — upgrade ~£800
- CP3 rocker arm wear at 60k+ mi (£500 fix)
- Cam chain tensioner — early models (improved 2021+)
- Stator/rectifier on older bikes — checked at high mileage
- Rear shock seal leak at 30-40k mi (£300)
- Quickshifter sensor occasional failures
Strengths
- +CP3 triple engine — class-leading character at this price
- +IMU-based electronics package from 2021 (lean-sensitive ABS/TCS)
- +Light at 189 kg — flickable for a 890cc
- +Quickshifter standard from 2021
- +Strong residuals among Yamaha big naked range
Watch-outs
- −Top of UK theft target list — insurance reflects this
- −Pre-2021 suspension under-damped (vague stock damping)
- −CP3 engine rocker arm wear at high mileage (60k+ mi)
- −Aggressive throttle map in early models (smoothed in 2021)
- −Stator/rectifier issues on older bikes (improved 2021+)