Not at home on track the MT-09 is still good fun on sticky rubber
Mods: R&G tail tidy and crash protection. Termignoni full system. Avon 3D Supersport tyres
Miles: 1618
Top of the list of changes for the MT was to sort out the pretty soft standard suspension both front and back. The forks in particular seem to take an age to settle and it’s noticeable when getting a move on.
So the first change I made was to bolt on a Termignoni full system, change the tyres and take it on a trackday, obviously.
My lack of patience in getting the Termi’ system on almost came back to haunt me when the noise meters read 105.7db at Castle Combe earlier this month, and that was with the baffle in place. With the baffle out the police biker had time to finish his fag before I even came past..
I’ve been quick to dismiss riding modes as a gimmick in the past but this month it’s come in handy and a wet start to the day at Castle Combe with a brand new pair of Avon 3D Supersport tyres to scrub in was one of these occasions. ‘A’ mode was fine for the rest of the day but having a softer throttle response with cold, shiny tyres on a damp surface was a nice buffer to lean on. Once warmed up the 3D supersports were top notch and were plenty to get the MT’s pegs scraping away, I’ll be keeping them on for the summer to get a proper opinion but in the brief time I’ve had them fitted it’s clear they’re a big improvement over the OE Dunlop D214’s that were on the bike when it came out of the factory. The low price of the MT-09 means money has to be saved somewhere along the line and the OE tyres are the result of that.
Bouncing around the track was great fun I’ll admit, but the forks still need fixing so I’ll try doing it on the cheap first by replacing the standard fork oil for more viscous 10w fluid to see if that will cure some of the bounciness. The ‘B’ mode isn’t just for scrubbing in tyres either, it also comes in handy when the lady pillion isn’t too fond of wheelies!
There have also been some essential aesthetic changes this month that I think most MT owners will consider making. The R&G tail tidy makes a huge difference to the back end and saves a fair chunk of weight to boot. There are already loads of screens available for the MT-09 in every colour and shape but I decided on the Rizoma aluminium screen because it’s solid and does a good job of covering the cables and wires in front of the clocks while giving a noticeable amount of wind protection.
Next month I’ll get the MT on the dyno to see if all of the noise and flames from the Termignoni system translates into more power.
Chris at Black Round and Sticky doing his thing