By NastyNils·
Motorcycle comparison · Naked Bike
Yamaha MT-09 (RN69) vs Triumph Street Triple 765 RX (MY2026)
Yamaha MT-09 vs Triumph Street Triple 765 RX: no fairing, no excuses. Here's how to pick.
Tip the Yamaha MT-09 into a tight bend and it's over on its side with barely a nudge from the bars. On the Triumph Street Triple 765 RX, the front tire doesn't hide anything: you're reading the pavement as you add lean. Its shock stays settled over the bumps mid-corner.
So which one do you buy?
The Street Triple 765 RX has the edge if…
Daily commuting & city riding
Edges it: Street Triple 765 RX
On the way to work, the Street Triple 765 RX asks a little less of you. Most of that is lighter steering. Close enough that the test ride should settle it.
Sporty riding on twisty roads
Slight edge: Street Triple 765 RX
The Street Triple 765 RX nudges ahead once the pavement starts to wiggle. Credit more feel through the bars and harder acceleration. Don't expect a night-and-day difference.
What makes each one tick
MT-09
Under the MT-09's tank, a three-cylinder howls through its intake and hauls hard off low revs. Down low its crossplane crank thumps like a twin, and up top there's a rush like a four's. On the Angeles Crest Highway, the bike doesn't argue at turn-in: the bars drop it into each switchback with little effort. It flicks from apex to apex.
Nils rode the MT-09 in 2021 (NastyNils Testride).
Street Triple 765 RX
Low clip-ons fold you forward over the Street Triple 765 RX's tank, into a crouch that's built for a racetrack. Its Öhlins fork streams grip news up through those bars, and the chassis answers every small input. Hard on the gas out of a turn, a broken seam doesn't kick the tail off its line. The Öhlins rear soaks it up.
The Voice of Experience
What actually separates them
- The Street Triple 765 RX makes more peak power: 128 hp (96 kW) vs 119 hp (88 kW).
- 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.
Which one for the way you ride
Comfortable long-distance riding
Both fall short
Both of these get tiring on a long day. A proper tourer will treat you better on big miles.
A confidence-building first motorcycle
Both miss here
Both of these ask too much of a rookie. Spend your first year on something lighter.
Look at running costs and you'll find two bikes doing the same job equally well. Fit is what breaks the tie.
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 RX
What owners say
Strengths
- Öhlins suspension transforms handling into a track weapon
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 RX
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 RX | |
|---|---|---|
| Seat height | 32.5 in (825 mm) | 32.9 in (836 mm) |
| MT-09 | Street Triple 765 RX | |
|---|---|---|
| Displacement | 890 cc | 765 cc |
| Power | 119 hp (88 kW) | 128 hp (96 kW) |
| Peak power at | 10,000 rpm | 12,000 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 RX | |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel capacity | 3.7 US gal (14 L) | 4.0 US gal (15 L) |
Head to head, area by area
Both bikes on the same scale, one area at a time.
