By NastyNils·
Motorcycle comparison · Naked Bike
Yamaha MT-09 (RN69) vs Triumph Street Triple 765 R (H801)
Yamaha MT-09 vs Triumph Street Triple 765 R: no fairing, no excuses. Here's how to pick.
Tip the Yamaha MT-09 into a bend and it's turning almost before you've asked. The Triumph Street Triple 765 R takes a late tip-in without fuss and snaps onto its line. Once it's leaned over at pace, it stays planted.
So which one do you buy?
The Street Triple 765 R has the edge if…
Daily commuting & city riding
Nose ahead: Street Triple 765 R
Through rush hour, the Street Triple 765 R is a little easier to live with. Only a little.
Sporty riding on twisty roads
A touch ahead: Street Triple 765 R
On a winding road, the Street Triple 765 R comes out a touch ahead. Put it down to more feel through the bars and harder acceleration. You wouldn't bet much on a gap like that.
What makes each one tick
MT-09
The MT-09's triple pulls low like a parallel twin, then it's rushing up top like an inline-four. The intake howls the whole way. On the Angeles Crest Highway, there's so little weight to haul that the bike flicks between switchbacks. In city traffic, the bars swing it around at a crawl.
Nils rode the MT-09 in 2021 (NastyNils Testride).
Street Triple 765 R
Broken tarmac at speed doesn't rattle the Street Triple's chassis or put chatter into the bars. On a corner exit, the throttle sends it lunging on short gearing, and you'll spin the engine through its whole range on a country road. The front tire stays down. The airbox growls while the exhaust stays hushed.
The Voice of Experience
What actually separates them
- The MT-09 makes more peak torque: 69 lb-ft (93 Nm) vs 59 lb-ft (80 Nm).
- The MT-09 has the larger engine: 890 cc vs 765 cc.
- The Street Triple 765 R has the larger fuel tank: 4.0 US gal (15 L) vs 3.7 US gal (14 L).
Which one for the way you ride
Comfortable long-distance riding
Neither one fits
Neither of these is a mile-muncher. If big days are the plan, keep looking.
A confidence-building first motorcycle
Look elsewhere
Both of these ask too much of a rookie. Spend your first year on something lighter.
They come out level on running costs. The better-kept used example is the smarter money.
Who each one is built for
What's good, and what you'll live with
MT-09
What owners say
Strengths
- CP3 engine character
- Class-leading electronics package
- Light wet weight
- Reliability rating from owners
Trade-offs
- ABS abrupt under hard braking
- Cosmetic build niggles
- Mirror vibration above 6,000 rpm
- Mode 4 power cap effectively unusable
- Standard seat is firm and "slippery"
Street Triple 765 R
Strengths
- Featherweight for the class
- Short gearing launches corner exits
- A real intake howl
- Composed on rough tarmac
- Incredible triple-cylinder engine
Trade-offs
- Clutch reach cramps small hands
- Small tank, real thirst
- No color TFT screen
- Early gasket weeping reported
Known problems to check before you buy
MT-09
- Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) wear causing unstable idle/stalling (recall 25V-248) Recall 25V248000 Worn TPS due to excessive brush sliding from improper ECU programming leads to unstable idling, throttle hesitation, and stalling. Yamaha recall (NHTSA 25V-248) requires TPS replacement and ECU reflash for affected units.
- Engine stalling due to ECU programming (recall 22V-130) Recall 22V130000 Improper ECU programming can cause engine to stall unexpectedly, particularly when clutch lever not pulled fully or at small throttle openings from idle. Affects all 2021-2022 MT-09 models; Yamaha recall issued March 2022 for ECU reflash.
Street Triple 765 R
No confirmed faults on file yet. That's not the same as fault-free.
What they share
- Wet weight
- 417 lb (189 kg)
- Engine
- Inline-three
- Cooling
- Liquid-cooled
- Gearbox
- 6-speed
- Final drive
- Chain
- Front tire
- 120/70-17
- Rear tire
- 180/55-17
Where the spec sheets split
| MT-09 | Street Triple 765 R | |
|---|---|---|
| Seat height | 32.5 in (825 mm) | 32.5 in (826 mm) |
| MT-09 | Street Triple 765 R | |
|---|---|---|
| Displacement | 890 cc | 765 cc |
| Power | 119 hp (88 kW) | 118 hp (88 kW) |
| Peak power at | 10,000 rpm | 11,500 rpm |
| Torque | 69 lb-ft (93 Nm) | 59 lb-ft (80 Nm) |
| Peak torque at | 7,000 rpm | 9,500 rpm |
| MT-09 | Street Triple 765 R | |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy | 47 mpg (US) / 5 L/100 km | 46 mpg (US) / 5.1 L/100 km |
| Fuel capacity | 3.7 US gal (14 L) | 4.0 US gal (15 L) |
| MT-09 | Street Triple 765 R | |
|---|---|---|
| Wheelbase | 56.3 in (1430 mm) | 55.2 in (1402 mm) |
What comes fitted, what costs extra
| MT-09 | Street Triple 765 R | |
|---|---|---|
| Smartphone Connectivity | Not offered | Option |
Head to head, area by area
Both bikes on the same scale, one area at a time.
