Model line
Every Yamaha MT-09 generation since 2014: what changed each time, the specs side by side, the variants and a buyer's guide for each one.
Four generations in, Yamaha still hasn’t touched the core recipe: a liquid-cooled inline-three driving the rear wheel through a chain. What changed from one code to the next is everything around that engine. The equipment list kept growing, the wet weight went up, down and up again, and the engine gained displacement once along the way.
It started with the RN29 for model years 2014–2016, an upside-down fork and two variants sold alongside it: the Sport Tracker and the Street Rally. The current RN87, sold from 2024, also comes as the SP and the Y-AMT, and it makes navigation standard after it had been an option on the RN69.
RN29 · 2014–2016
The RN29 set the template for model years 2014–2016: a liquid-cooled inline-three, chain final drive and an upside-down fork. Yamaha didn't stop at one version either. You could also pick the Sport Tracker or the Street Rally, both sold alongside the base bike.
RN43 · 2017–2020
The RN43 covers model years 2017–2020 and keeps the liquid-cooled triple and the chain drive. The real news is in the equipment: an upshift quickshifter became standard, and heated grips joined the options list. Measured wet, it also weighs more than the RN29.
RN69 · 2021–2023
The RN69, model years 2021–2023, is where the triple grew: more displacement, more peak power and more peak torque than the RN43. Wet weight went the other way and dropped. Navigation also showed up on the options list.
RN87 · 2024–
The RN87 arrived for 2024 with an upside-down fork, sold alongside the SP and the Y-AMT. Standard kit now covers cruise control, a two-way quickshifter, USB charging and navigation, which used to be optional. A luggage system joined the options, and wet weight went up versus the RN69.
US-market figures from each buyer's guide.
| RN29 2014–2016 | RN43 2017–2020 | RN69 2021–2023 | RN87 2024– | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power | 115 hp | 115 hp | 119 hp | 119 hp |
| Torque | 65 lb-ft | 65 lb-ft | 69 lb-ft | 69 lb-ft |
| Displacement | 847 cc | 847 cc | 890 cc | 890 cc |
| Engine | Inline-three | Inline-three | Inline-three | Inline-three |
| Gearbox | 6-speed | 6-speed | 6-speed | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain | Chain | Chain | Chain |
| Fork | Upside-down | — | — | Upside-down |
| Front brake | 298 mm | — | — | 298 mm |
| Wheelbase | 56.7 in | 56.7 in | 56.3 in | 56.3 in |
| Seat height | 32.1 in | 32.3 in | 32.5 in | 32.5 in |
| Wet weight | 414 lb | 425 lb | 417 lb | 425 lb |
| Fuel capacity | 3.7 gal | 3.7 gal | 3.7 gal | 3.7 gal |
