The Yamaha MT-09 SP is the perfect bike for track days and canyon rides, but it’ll turn heads in town too.(Photos by Aaron Crane)
In January of this year, EIC Greg Drevenstedt asked me what was on my list of “riding resolutions” for 2023. I had heard about the Yamaha Champions Riding School from content we had published, and even though I have no false pretenses about my future as a professional racer, I told him I would love to attend one of the YCRS classes – even better on a bike like the Yamaha MT-09 SP.
The reason for the latter is that I knew my normal cruiser was clearly not going to be the optimal bike for the two-day ChampSchool class I would attend at the end of January at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Since the program has “Yamaha” in the name, we opted for one of their bikes.
The Yamaha MT-09 naked bike was introduced in 2014 and was a crowd pleaser from the jump. In 2021, the bike received a major overhaul, and the up-spec MT-09 SP was introduced. Displacement on the MT-09’s CP3 inline-Triple was bumped from 847cc to 890cc, and claimed output increased to 117 hp and 69 lb-ft of torque. Yamaha also updated the throttle-by-wire and slip/assist clutch and added a quickshifter.
A 6-axis IMU derived from the YZF-R1 manages the bike’s traction control, slide control, and front-wheel lift control systems. The IMU was designed to be smaller and lighter, and along with other weight-shaving measures, including spin-forged aluminum wheels and an aluminum swingarm, the MT-09 comes in at a trim 417 lb, with the up-spec SP at 419 lb. Both bikes also have two levels of ABS intervention and four D-Mode engine maps that regulate engine response and output.
Weighing in at just 419 lb, it’s easy to get the MT-09 SP from Point A around the corners to Point B.
To create the MT-09 SP, which retails for $11,499 (a $1,700 premium over the standard MT-09), Yamaha added high- and low-speed compression adjustability and sportier damping to the KYB 41mm inverted fork and swapped the KYB rear shock for a premium Öhlins unit that is fully adjustable and includes a remote preload adjuster. The SP also has standard cruise control and styling inspired by the YZF-R1M.
Southern California to Southern Utah
I picked up the MT-09 SP from Cypress, California, the weekend before ChampSchool. The first thing I noticed when I fired up the bike was the sound. It’s not the low rumble I’m used to from my V-Twin, but it emits a nice throaty bellow from the symmetrical muffler with dual outlets mounted under the bike. The pleasing tones continue into the mid- and upper-range thanks to the three variable-length intake ducts that also came along with the 2021 upgrade.
The MT-09 SP has the same engine as the MT-09 but boasts an Öhlins rear shock with a remote preload adjuster.
With the suspension and other settings dialed in, I set off for the 450-mile ride back to my home in southern Utah. On the unfamiliar California highway system, I was glad to be on the MT-09 SP. Its throttle-by-wire provides smooth, crisp response. Even in D-Mode 2 (moderate engine response), overtaking was a breeze when I needed to, and when a quick stop was required, the radial-mounted Nissin master cylinder, 4-piston calipers, and dual 298mm floating discs up front worked in concert nicely.
My mid-January ride started in beautiful weather, but right around San Bernadino, I hit a 20-mph headwind that stuck around for almost the entire 200 miles to Las Vegas. Enter cruise control.
I’ve never ridden a bike with cruise control – and I was okay with that fact. It seemed like there was something inherently unnatural about cruise control on a motorcycle, and on a bike like the MT-09 SP, it felt akin to taking your hands off the steering wheel of a rocket (and yes, I’m aware it’s actually called a “reaction wheel,” but you get the idea). However, with those kinds of winds on the naked bike, I felt more like I was just fighting to hold on as opposed to controlling the motorcycle, and cruise control became my new best friend.
An upright seating position makes long miles easier.
However, I think the cruise control could use some improvement. Once it’s turned on and engaged, cruise control can be disengaged by applying the brakes, throttle, or clutch, but the on/off, set, and resume buttons are a stretch from the left grip, and they’re small. With my winter gloves on, when I had disengaged the cruise control and then attempted to reach my thumb across to hit resume, several times I inadvertently ended up hitting the on/off button by mistake, which resulted in deceleration when I didn’t want to slow down. Then I had to start the process over, turning it back on and re-setting my speed. The placement and size (or style) of the cruise control buttons could be made more user-friendly.
One place I certainly wasn’t using the cruise control was at the Las Vegas Speedway, and this is where the MT-09 SP really shined.
Taking a breather between track sessions at ChampSchool with the Yamaha MT-09 SP. Is it obvious that I’m not used to track leathers?
The quickshifter was a thing of beauty for getting up to speed (at the behest of my instructor to practice blipping the engine on downshifts, I didn’t use the quickshifter there, but it was smooth when I tried it elsewhere). The quickshifter has up/down arrows that light up on the 3.5-inch color TFT display when it’s possible to use the feature in each gear, which is handy. However, despite the manual’s recommended speeds for shifting, I found the transition from 1st to 2nd kind of clunky at the recommended 12 mph. It was definitely smoother if I accelerated a little more before using the quickshifter.
The 3.5-inch color TFT display shows everything you’d expect, as well as quickshifter up/down indicators.
The MT-09 SP combines traction control, slide control, and wheelie control into four TCS settings: 1 (minimal intervention), 2 (moderate intervention), Manual (settings can be customized), and Off. At the track, at my instructor’s recommendation, I had TCS mode set at level 2, which is moderate intervention across the board. There was one particular turn where I felt the rear end slip out a little on multiple passes, but the traction control did its job with subtle intervention.
For someone who had never been on a track, I felt surprisingly comfortable on the MT-09 SP – several instructors said, “Oh yeah, that’s a good one.” I was able to trust in its abilities while practicing the finer details of track riding. And when it came to riding the MT-09 SP in a favorite canyon closer to my home, all the thought-out details that went into the 2021 upgrade – from the lighter curb weight, stiffer chassis, and throttle-by-wire to the up-spec suspension of the SP – worked together for some nice carving, as well as quick evasive maneuvering around a couple corners where heavy precipitation had loosened some rocks from the roadside cliffs and dropped them in my unsuspecting path.
The 2021 upgrades to the MT-09, combined with the up-spec features of the MT-09 SP, add up to a tidy package full of good times.
As I mentioned in my report on the YCRS ChampSchool, I’ve always been more of a cruiser guy than a sportbike guy, but after more than 1,300 miles on the 2023 Yamaha MT-09 SP, including track, interstate, around town, and canyon riding, I’d gladly take more rides on the dark side.
As part of Yamaha Motor’s goal of reaching zero motorcycle fatalities by 2050, using a three-pillared approach of technology, skills, and connectivity, the company is working on a prototype of the Advanced Motorcycle Stabilization Assist System – or AMSAS. The Yamaha stability assist system, which is specifically designed to address instability when starting or at low speeds, is being tested on a Yamaha YZF-R25 equipped with a 6-axis IMU and drive and steering actuators. The dynamics of the process at the drive actuator has been compared with holding a broom upside down on your palm, combined with the idea of the minute steering adjustments required to keep a bicycle upright when standing still without pedaling. For more information, read the press release from Yamaha Motor below.
Last year, Yamaha Motor announced its Jin-Ki Kanno x Jin-Ki Anzen Safety Vision, which aims to create a world free of accidents together with our customers. The three pillars of the approach are: 1) “Technology” that assists with rider recognition, judgment, operation, and damage mitigation, 2) “Skills,” in which we encourage improvement of users’ riding skills, and 3) “Connectivity,” where the Cloud is used to provide feedback for safety initiatives. To highlight the Technology pillar, we spoke with the developers of the Advanced Motorcycle Stabilization Assist System (AMSAS). As it is naturally linked to Jin-Ki Anzen, we asked about its aims and the value it offers.
A Rider Aid to Enhance Stability with Starts and at Low Speeds
Jun Sakamoto (left) handles safety strategy at the Yamaha Motor technical development section, and Akitoshi Suzuki (right) serves as the project leader for AMSAS.
Accidents involving motorcycles have been attributed primarily to recognition errors (10%), decision errors (17%), and operation errors (5%) on the part of the rider. Data also indicates that approximately 70% of motorcycle accidents occur within two seconds of the trigger leading to the accident. Based on these analyses of accident causes, Yamaha Motor’s development of rider aids is underway according to four vectors: assisted danger prediction, damage prevention and assisted defensive riding, assisted evasive riding maneuvers, and damage mitigation.
Unveiled last year, AMSAS stabilizes a vehicle’s attitude at low speeds by controlling drive forces and steering forces.
“[Its most distinctive feature is] its approach to use an arrangement highly applicable to existing vehicles since it does not require any modifications to the frame,” says Project Leader Akitoshi Suzuki. The prototype system under development uses a production YZF-R25 for its platform and is equipped with a 6-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) along with drive and steering actuators.
AMSAS is a rider aid that focuses on the instability a motorcycle experiences when starting off or when riding at low speeds, and it works to enhance the stability of the vehicle during these moments. “When starting or stopping, the drive actuator fitted to the front wheel aids with stability, and from there up to about 5 km/h (3 mph), the steering actuator attached to the handlebars takes over,” explains Suzuki. Through the coordination of the two, the mid-development AMSAS prototype vehicle can move at walking speeds without falling over, regardless of the skill level of the rider aboard.
Yamaha Stability Assist System is Adaptable to Various Applications
Yamaha Motor once made headlines when it unveiled the MOTOBOT—an autonomous motorcycle-riding humanoid robot—and MOTOROiD, a proof-of-concept experimental motorcycle equipped with AI and self-balancing technology. “The R&D for AMSAS began with the idea of bringing the technologies and know-how acquired through developing these two models to customers around the world,” says Suzuki.
Jun Sakamoto, who handles safety strategy at Yamaha, explains the value AMSAS aims to offer: “It’s to create conditions where the rider can focus more on operating their bike, so that everyone can enjoy that sense of being one with your machine. By providing an assist when the bike is more unstable and requires skill to operate, we want to deliver fun rooted in peace of mind to a wide range of riders.”
Yamaha has set a target of reducing the number of fatal motorcycle accidents to zero by 2050 and is ramping up efforts according to the three aforementioned pillars of Technology, Skills, and Connectivity. AMSAS is one technology with the potential to become a pivotal rider aid if used in conjunction with other technologies, like the radar-linked Unified Brake System – the first of its kind in the world – already deployed on the TRACER 9 GT+.
“With the base technologies in place now, we’re halfway to our goal of bringing AMSAS’ value to customers,” asserts Suzuki. He and the team have high aspirations for the technology. “From here on, we’ll be working to downscale the sizes of the various components and so on, as we want to develop it into a platform not just for motorcycles, but one also adaptable to a wide range of other personal mobility applications, like bicycles.”
The MT-10 accessorized for sport-touring. (Photos by Kevin Wing and the author.)
Some rides are more challenging than others. Sometimes we seek out the challenge, and sometimes the challenge finds us. It was a little of both when I found myself stopped on the side of the road, trying to stay upright on a Yamaha MT-10 while being battered by 60-mph winds and sandblasted by a dust storm.
It was Valentine’s Day, and I was headed for Las Vegas to attend the AIMExpo dealer show while a winter storm was sending a freight train of frigid air down from the Sierra Nevada mountains. South of me on Interstate 15 in the Mojave Desert, tractor-trailers were being overturned by the wind. I had avoided that route because I’ve ridden it a million times and find it boring, so I was taking a longer, more scenic ride along part of the Eastern Sierra Scenic Byway (U.S. Route 395) and through Death Valley.
While I expected it to be a cold, windy day – and was warmly cocooned in my Zerofit HeatRub baselayers, Gerbing’s 12V heated jacket liner and gloves, and traffic-cone-orange Aerostich R-3 suit – I didn’t anticipate it would be quite this bad. My arms and neck were sore from leaning into the wind for the past couple of hours, and things went from bad to worse after I filled up in Olancha and turned east on California Route 190 across the Owens Valley. The snowcapped Sierras were partly obscured by dusty haze, and soon I became engulfed in a beige cloud and got blitzed by stinging sand.
This photo doesn’t do the dust storm justice, but the video does. Check it out here or below.
After a few gusts nearly knocked me off the road, I slowed way down and turned on my hazard flashers. At one point, I stopped on the side of the road to get my bearings near the Olancha Dunes OHV area, with my legs splayed like outriggers and my feet planted firmly on the ground. I didn’t dare get off the bike or it would have toppled over, but I managed to dig my phone out of my pocket to capture a video of the blasting sand starting to cover the road and slamming into me and the bike like millions of miniature BBs.
Once you’re in it, you’re in it. You can either wait it out or proceed with caution.
Sport-Touring on the 2023 Yamaha MT-10
In calmer days last fall, I traveled to North Carolina to attend the press launch for the Yamaha MT-10, a naked sportbike based on the YZF-R1 that was updated with engine refinements, R1-sourced electronics, new styling, and revised ergonomics.
Yamaha’s accessory top case comes in three sizes: 30L, 39L (shown), and 50L. It not only provides lockable storage, it also provides a backrest for a passenger. Soft side cases (20L each) are also available.
The MT-10’s suck-squeeze-bang-blow comes courtesy of a 998cc inline-Four with a crossplane crankshaft that produces sound and feel like a V-Four, and its aural symphony is amplified by acoustic sound grilles atop the air intakes on either side of the tank.
At the launch, we rode stock MT-10s in the Cyan Storm colorway, which has a mix of gloss black and gray bodywork with bright blue wheels. One of the Yamaha guys rode a Matte Raven MT-10 fitted with factory accessories: Windscreen ($249.99), GYTR Frame Sliders ($209.99), Comfort Seat ($299.99), Rear Rack/Top Case Mount ($250.99), 39L Top Case ($241.99), and Universal Mount ($24.99). After the launch, Yamaha agreed to let us borrow the accessorized bike for an extended test.
Compact, light, and agile, the MT-10 is like a cat with catnip in the corners.
The first thing we did was take the MT-10 down to Jett Tuning for a dyno run. Measured where the rubber meets the road, the MT-10’s quartet of 249.5cc cylinders chuffed out 138.5 hp at 10,200 rpm and 76.5 lb-ft of torque at 9,000 rpm. Yes, that’ll do nicely.
Then we flogged it around town and up and down the canyon roads that make Southern California such a land of milk and honey for motorcyclists. The balance and smoothness of an inline-Four is always a delight, but the MT-10’s particular blend of herbs and spices is truly mouth-watering. Twist the throttle hard, and the bike leaps forward, emits a joyful noise, and flashes an amber light as the wheelie control keeps the front wheel close to the ground.
Flash forward to my trip in February. The temperatures had been in the 40s all morning, and after making it through the dust storm and climbing out of the Owens Valley, it dropped into the 30s by the time I stopped for a photo in front of the Death Valley National Park sign. It was a Tuesday, and there were few cars on the road – just the way I like it.
A gritted-teeth smile and a powdered MT-10 after the first dust storm.
No matter how many times I visit Death Valley, I never get tired of it. Covering nearly 5,271 square miles, you could fit Rhode Island and Delaware within its borders and still have 1,237 square miles left over. It’s a place of extremes, contrasts, and wonders. And with nearly 1,000 miles of paved and unpaved roads ranging from tame to intense, it’s a two-wheeled playground.
I savored the long, winding descent into Panamint Valley, enjoyed the sweeping curves up to 4,956-foot Towne Pass, and cruised the 17 miles back down to sea level at Stovepipe Wells in Death Valley. After passing Mesquite Dunes, I was engulfed in another dust storm near the Devil’s Cornfield, where clumps of arrowweed resemble corn stalks. Even though wind was battering me, dust was obscuring the wide-open views that make Death Valley such a unique place, and hours of being cold were beginning to take their toll, it felt good to be hundreds of miles away from my desk.
Deep in Death Valley. Nelson-Rigg’s Commuter Tank Bag and Hurricane 2.0 Waterproof Backpack/Tail Pack came in handy.
The windscreen provided more protection than the MT-10’s stock flyscreen but not by much. The comfort seat, however, was a huge improvement over the stock seat. It has a flatter shape, more supportive foam, and a suede-like finish. The top case provides 39 liters of lockable storage, and I used it as a solid anchor point for my Nelson-Rigg Hurricane 2.0 Waterproof Backpack/Tail Pack that sat on the passenger seat. For those who want more storage, Yamaha sells a 50L Top Case ($298.99), Side Case Brackets ($249.99), and MT Soft ABS Side Cases ($484.99).
The MT-10’s stock tinted flyscreen’s height is just above the black mesh screen seen above, so the accessory clear windscreen adds 4-5 inches of height. It send airflow into the top of the chest/shoulder area.
By the time I made it to Las Vegas, the MT-10 no longer looked Matte Raven but a light gray because it was so powdered with dust and grit. In my hotel room, I poured handfuls of sand out of the pockets of my Aerostich suit.
Rolling on the throttle through a smooth corner on the MT-10 delivers a visceral sound and feel.
As I wrote about in First Gear last month, it wasn’t just me at AIMExpo. Our dispersed editorial team also came together in Las Vegas, and we enjoyed a group ride to Hoover Dam and Valley of Fire State Park. In the hotel parking garage after the ride, my colleague Kevin Duke pointed out the center of the MT-10’s rear tire was getting thin on tread. Admittedly, of the 2,000 miles on the bike’s odometer, most of them had been ridden with little to no lean angle, but I figured the tire had enough life left to get me home.
From Vegas, I rode north on I-15 to St. George, Utah, where I spent the weekend with my father and stepmother. Wanting to avoid the interstate for the long ride home, Dad helped me plot out a route west through the sparsely inhabited interior of Nevada.
Sunrise at Snow Canyon just north of St. George, Utah. It stayed below freezing for the next two hours.
On Presidents Day, I suited up, plugged in my heated apparel, and set off north from St. George on State Route 18, which passes by Snow Canyon on its way to Enterprise. Dawn was just breaking, and it was below freezing – and it stayed that way for the next two hours, mostly down in the 20s. My heated gear did its best to keep up; my core was warm, but my hands, even with the heated, insulated gloves turned to the highest setting, were still cold. The accessory I most wished the MT-10 had was heated grips (Yamaha doesn’t offer them).
Cathedral Gorge State Park.
After crossing into Nevada, my teeth chattered as I rode over 6,718-foot Panaca Summit, and then I made a brief stop at Cathedral Gorge State Park, which has walls of eroded bentonite clay that look like intricate sandcastles. Continuing southwest on U.S. Route 93, I went from cold to colder over 6,243-foot Oak Springs Summit. At Crystal Springs, I turned onto Nevada Route 375, known as the Extraterrestrial Highway because it passes near Area 51, the infamous secret government facility where there have been reports of UFO sightings.
Nevada Route 375 is known as the Extraterrestrial Highway. With its beady headlights, the MT-10 looks a bit extraterrestrial itself.
Nevada is known for its “basin and range” topography, with abrupt changes in elevation as you travel over steep mountains and across wide, flat valleys. I passed over two more of Nevada’s summits – Hancock and Coyote, both around 5,500 feet – before reaching the rundown town of Rachel, home to the Little A’le’inn bar/restaurant/motel, the Alien Cowpoke gas station, and scattered mobile homes.
This is the only UFO I saw in the vicinity of Area 51.
Other than a few overpriced souvenirs, Rachel didn’t have much to offer. Route 375 passes through vast emptiness, but there was no evidence of Area 51 or anything otherworldly.
These guys kept a bug eye on me while I gassed up at Alien Cowpoke in Rachel.
My dogleg westward route eventually brought me to the old mining town of Tonopah for gas. I entered California by way of Nevada Route 266, which took me over 7,420-foot Lida Summit, the highest pass of the day.
It was cold and windy for 1,600 miles.
After crossing the state line, I stopped at a ranch that straddles both sides of California Route 168. Nearly 15 years ago, on a moonless night at that very spot, I crashed a Ducati GT1000. I had no business riding through an open range area after dark, but I had left home late and was on my way to meet my father at the Bonneville Salt Flats. I suddenly came upon a herd of black cows on the road, grabbed a handful of brake lever, locked up the front wheel, and went down.
All things considered, I was lucky. It could have been much worse that night. My apparel was thrashed, but I wasn’t hurt and the bike was rideable. The Swiss Army knife that I carry in my pocket to this day still bears scratch marks from sliding along the pavement during that crash. Had I not stopped this time around to preserve the memory with a photo, I wouldn’t have noticed that the MT-10’s rear tire, with just 2,600 miles on it, was worn down to the cords. Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S22 tires are marvelously grippy, but they’re not much for longevity.
Luckily these are the only scars from my crash 15 years ago.
I rode slowly and gingerly for the next 50 miles, which, regrettably, also happened to be the curviest section of my entire trip. I made it over 6,373-foot Gilbert Pass and 7,271-foot Westgard Pass on my way to Big Pine, a small town that sits in the shadow of the Sierras on U.S. 395. I was safe and sound, but I was 250 miles from home.
Cords showing after just 2,600 miles. No burnouts, I promise!
Unwilling to risk a catastrophic blowout, I got a motel room and hunkered down. The next day, my dear wife drove up to Big Pine in our 4Runner with a motorcycle trailer and rescued me. It’s not how I wanted the trip to end, but once again, it could have been much worse. Maybe my guardian angel lives at that ranch out on Route 168.
A stunning view of the Sierras during what turned out to be the last few miles of my ride.
How about a Tracer 10 GT?
The MT-10’s performance, handling, and ergonomics make it a great streetbike, and with some accessories, it makes for a very sporty sport-tourer. In fact, we’d love to see a Tracer 10 GT version with an even taller windscreen, a lower fairing, heated grips, wind-blocking handguards, hard saddlebags, and higher-mileage sport-touring tires. Hey Yamaha, whaddaya think?
Walking into a dealership as a shorter rider, or as someone who just wants a smaller ride, can feel a little limiting. You stroll by impressive and imposing machines that you might admire but don’t want to fight with as your main bike. You might find one or two models off in the back that are a comfortable fit, but you’re disappointed that there aren’t any more options to choose from. Luckily, options for smaller motorcycles are growing, and we’ve compiled those options into two Best Motorcycles for Smaller Riders list.
In our first Best Motorcycles for Smaller Riders post, we focused on bikes with seat heights under 30 inches. That seat height limit meant almost all the models on that list were cruisers, and while we certainly enjoy cruisin’, we like a little variety too. With this second Best Motorcycles for Smaller Riders post, we’re excited to include some sportbikes, minimotos, and an ADV. And while the seat heights may be taller than on the first list, many of the models on this list weigh and cost less than the shorter-seated cruisers.
This list consists of motorcycles with a seat height between 30.0 and 30.9 inches. When possible, we’ve included a link to our test ride review, so you can get a sense of how each bike performs in action. We’ve also included the 2022/23 model year’s U.S. base MSRP (as of publication), claimed wet weight, and seat height. On models with options to lower the seat height or suspension, we’ve listed the standard and lowered seat heights. You can also click on a model’s name to go to the manufacturer’s webpage for a full list of specifications and details.
The models in this list are arranged by seat height, with the first model having the shortest seat height and the last model having the tallest seat height in the list.
The item at the top of associate editor Paul Dail’s resolutions list for 2023 was to get some track experience by attending the two-day ChampSchool offered by Yamaha Champions Riding School. Yamaha was kind enough to loan us an MT-09 SP, and YCRS Chief Instructor and CEO Nick Ienatsch was kind enough to extend Paul an invitation for the Jan. 27-28 ChampSchool at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which featured “Fast” Freddie Spencer as a guest instructor. –Ed.
ChampSchool Lead Instructor and President Chris Peris works with a student at the ChampSchool in Las Vegas.
Not much about me screams either “sportbike” or “trackday.” With a shaved head and beard nearly as long as my face is tall, to look at me, you’d probably guess I ride a Harley. And you wouldn’t be wrong. My main bike currently is a 2004 Heritage Softail Classic. I’m a cruiser guy. But the length of my beard might belie the length of time I’ve been riding – at least this most recent stint. According to a website I found with a glossary of both common and obscure motorcycling terms, I’m a “BAB,” or Born Again Biker, which is “someone who has recently returned to riding after a period of absence…and really ought to get some advanced training.”
Taking a breather between track sessions. Is it obvious that I’m not used to track leathers?
I’ve taken a couple MSF parking-lot classes that were informative, but when the opportunity arose to pick up a Yamaha MT-09 SP test bike in Southern California and take it to the Yamaha Champions Riding School’s two-day ChampSchool in Las Vegas, I jumped at it. I may be a cruiser guy about to turn 50, but I still have a pulse, and the idea of learning from some of the best racers in the country got that pulse, well, racing.
Prior to the school, I was sent the online Champ U “Champion’s Habits: Core Curriculum.” I talk more about this in the sidebar below, but in the immediate, it was very helpful to watch the courses before attending the class. Much of the information was repeated within the first couple hours at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but this method of instruction made perfect sense to me. It’s the same reason I usually have my 10-year-old son read through all the instructions before jumping into a project. That way, once you actually get down to business, you understand the big picture – where you’re going and how you’re going to get there. I was pleased that most things the instructors at ChampSchool said in those first hours were lessons I remembered from Champ U.
Nick Ienatsch demonstrates how lean angle affects the 100 points of grip concept, which is one of the ChampSchool Four Core Habits.
That’s not to say that I wasn’t still nervous. After all, even if you’ve read the instructions, sometimes you break the little pieces when you’re building a model. I wasn’t particularly interested in breaking the $12,000 motorcycle that didn’t belong to me…or the little pieces that make up my body.
But my mind was put to ease by one of the first things ChampSchool Chief Instructor and CEO Nick Ienatsch instructed us to do: Turn to the person standing next to us and say, “I don’t care what you think about my riding.” I’m guessing that even after that, most attendees at the class probably actually did care, myself included, but that was just me dealing with my own insecurities, and starting the two days with that directive was a good reminder. More importantly, even though I was one of the slower riders, I was never made to feel that way by the instructors.
Freddie Spencer (left) and Nick Ienatsch (right) instruct students between track sessions.
It also helped that the approximately 25 students were divided into two groups depending on track and general riding experience (and then further divided into an approximate 4:1 student-instructor ratio). The two groups would alternate sessions on the track and sessions in the classroom reviewing the time they had just spent on the track and reinforcing other concepts. The only time all of us were on the track together was toward the end of the second day – at which point it wasn’t so nerve wracking being passed by the more advanced students, and I was able to keep my focus on my riding.
Strength Through Struggles
In between each track session, students were asked to rank themselves from 1-10 on a scorecard of “CHAMPS” categories (Comfort/fun, Have brakes past tip-in/efficiency, Apexes/direction, My plan/eyes, Position/timing of body, Smooth initial/final 5%). My three lowest scores were consistently related to braking, scanning forward, and my body position.
ChampSchool instructor uses hand signals to guide a student behind him.
While “eyes” was obviously tied to “My plan” (scan ahead on the track and make a plan), the benefit of the CHAMPS scorecard during the classroom sessions was that it gave riders another kind of plan: the things they needed to work on when they went back on the track.
Another great feature of the school is the filming and reviewing of student riding, which happened twice, once toward the end of the first day and then again before lunch on the second day, with the review of the footage happening at the meal after the filming.
In order to move the process along, students were either taken out two at a time to watch their riding with an instructor on a laptop or their riding was reviewed on a larger projector screen with the whole group. For the review of my first ride, I was one of the smaller two-at-a-time groups. I’m not sure if this was by design, but I was glad I didn’t have to watch my puttering along in front of the whole group. And after getting almost a blow-by-blow analysis of the entire ride by my instructor, I was pleased to see improvement in the second-day video (thankfully, since this one was viewed in front of the main group). And like with the CHAMPS scorecard, watching the videos gave me a plan for when I returned to the track.
The classroom where student video sessions were reviewed.
ChampSchool ‘Roller Coaster Moments’ and Other Surprises
The cost of attending the two-day school at the Las Vegas Speedway was $2,495 (prices vary depending on the track), not counting travel or rental costs for a bike if you don’t bring your own or the required “standard track gear” – in my case, track leathers and boots. This is a little higher than some fees I’ve seen, but considering the bona fides of the instructors, the quality of instruction, the amount of track time, and the online curriculum sent in advance of the class, I think it’s a solid value.
However, there were a couple experiences where it felt like the organizers and instructors thought, Let’s give them an even bigger bang for their buck. I called these the “Roller Coaster Moments.” There were lessons to be gleaned from each one, but mostly I just walked away glad to be alive.
Clearly not a photo of me.
The first one was shown in the online curriculum…kind of. At several points in the videos, instructors hop in a minivan to illustrate how riding can be similar to driving. Makes sense. And so it also made sense when, after some introductory instruction at the speedway, they said, “Okay, let’s get in the minivans, and we’ll illustrate some of these things we’ve been talking about.” Sure, I thought. I remember seeing them doing this in the videos.
What they didn’t show in the videos is the extreme version of illustrating the points.
Did you know a minivan can take corners at 80-plus mph? I didn’t. Nor did I necessarily think it should. My instructor for the two days (and minivan driver that first day) was Cody Wyman. In addition to all of Cody’s racing accolades, he is also a professional driving instructor. Again, did you know a minivan can take corners at 80-plus mph? Apparently it can, although my death grip on the underside of my seat (you can probably still see my claw marks) was because I was convinced we were going to go ass-over-teakettle.
Cody was sure to check in on all his passengers as we careened around the track, and I think I mumbled something like “I’m good,” and I think he said some other things we were supposed to be learning, but it wasn’t until they repeated the exercise the next day that I was able to breathe and pick up some of the finer nuances of braking and finding the straightest lines to the next apex.
Cody Wyman prepares a student for the braking drill.
The second “Roller Coaster Moment” was riding two-up with an instructor. I’m not sure what else to say besides it was like being on the back of a rocket. I don’t remember much beyond trying not to collapse Cody’s lungs or fracture his ribs with my arms as I clutched the grab bar that had been affixed to the Yamaha MT-10 tank in front of him while he took corners at speeds that I’m pretty sure were faster than the minivan. At least the van had seatbelts.
While I joke about this being a “Roller Coaster Moment,” the lesson was indeed solid, and it segues into my biggest surprise – or perhaps realization – of exactly how amazing motorcycles are when it comes to moving through space and time, especially sportbikes – even with my 200-lb butt on the pillion.
Several times over the course of the two days, we were told to trust the bike. We all hear about “lean angle” and “rider triangle” and “geometry,” but it was fascinating (and reassuring) to hear from professionals exactly how much these machines have been designed to take your physical inputs and convert them using math and science into results that allow the bike to cling to the earth in seeming defiance of natural laws. But I learned that they’re actually pushing those very laws.
ChampSchool instructor demonstrates the 100 points of grip.
Common ChampSchool expressions like “Load the tire before you work the tire” revolve around math and science. Adding 5% of brakes starts to compress the fork, which changes the geometry of the bike and widens the tire’s contact patch, and suddenly (well, similar to his dislike of words like “flick” or “grab,” Nick would probably scold me for such an “abrupt” word choice as “suddenly”) you can add more brakes or lean angle to make a tight corner. It’s more than “man and machine”; it’s an amazing symbiosis. We are riding the motorcycles, and they are listening to what our bodies are saying.
It’s also worth noting I was a little surprised about the caliber of the instructors, not only in their accomplishments but also – and maybe more importantly – their behavior. Nick may have started the class by saying that they would be hard on us, but what I found from all the instructors was positive correction and consistent support and encouragement. And Cody was about the nicest guy you could imagine. Someone could say, “Well, sure, because you were paying them,” but a few weeks after ChampSchool at the AIMExpo show, with hundreds of attendees, I was wandering around trying to take it all in when I heard, “Hey Paul!” It was Cody. I hadn’t even noticed him, and he could’ve just let me pass, but instead he stopped me and took a minute to talk. He didn’t have to do that, but the fact that he did spoke volumes to me.
Cody Wyman offered consistent support and encouragement, even to this old cruiser guy.
ChampSchool Final Takeaways
I attended ChampSchool for two reasons: to become a better at my job with Rider, especially when I need to attend a bike launch at a track, and to become a better rider. I’m sure you want to feel like I’m a competent associate editor, but you’re probably reading this to know whether you will become a better rider if you attend ChampSchool. For me, it was mission(s) accomplished.
Students are instructed on an upcoming drill called “Pointy End of the Cone,” which helps riders learn how to deal with obstacles in corners. This was my favorite drill.
Between Las Vegas and my hometown in southern Utah, there’s a great 12-mile stretch of interstate (yes, interstate) through the Virgin River Gorge, with tall canyon walls and lots of curves. Riding home after ChampSchool, I trusted my bike and I trusted myself. I centered myself and repeated my mantra as I rode toward the slice in the mountains where the interstate cut into the towering walls, and I opened it up a little more through the gorge, as traffic was relatively thin that day.
Still cautious but more confident, I pushed myself. The catchphrases that were repeated in both the online curriculum and at the class echoed in my head – load the tire before you work the tire, brake until you’re happy with speed and direction, and a host of others – and a stretch of road that had been a little more intimidating than enjoyable just a few days earlier was now more fun and exciting.
So thank you to Nick, Cody, and everyone else involved with ChampSchool for taking this cruiser guy and making me a better rider…and making the ride more enjoyable.
With the sun setting on day 2, ChampSchool Chief Instructor and CEO Nick Ienatsch was kind enough to stand for a picture.
For more information, including upcoming ChampSchool classes, as well as other course offerings, such as the one-day ChampStreet program, which is geared more toward street riding, visit the Yamaha Champions Riding School website.
SIDERBAR: Champ U
While the Champ U online Core Curriculum is available for free as part of ChampSchool, for those who are unable to attend one of the ChampSchool events, purchasing the Core Curriculum independently is an excellent alternative, especially considering it’s on sale for only $49.95 as of publication.
For that cost, you get 12 modules comprising a total of 43 video lessons (most ranging from 3-7 minutes long) and corresponding quizzes. The 12 subjects run the gamut – from front and rear braking, downshifting, and body position to mental approach, the 100 points of grip, and a concept they call “radius=mph” – and there are more than 30 drills to reinforce these lessons.
If it seems like there is some overlap, you’re right, and as a former teacher, I can tell you that learning comes from repetition, a tactic Champ U employs very effectively when topics intersect one another. In fact, a decent amount of the information was familiar to me already, but much like I still regularly ride the test course at my local DMV, I also think it’s valuable to hear the same information from a different perspective. And along those lines, the Champ U content creators know how to turn a phrase. Nearly two months after the class, many of the pithy catchphrases from the Core Curriculum still roll around my head as I roll around on my bike.
They also effectively use humor, which keeps the content from feeling like you’re back to studying up for your motorcycle endorsement. Video production value is good, and most of the instructors look very comfortable on the other side of the camera.
The information is largely geared toward track riding and sport bikes, but they drew several parallels to street riding. Even where they didn’t, as primarily a street rider, I made several connections between the lessons and my own experiences. And once you buy it, it’s yours to revisit as often as you’d like.
And if you know someone who is considering taking up riding or if you are new or recently returning to riding, Champ U is now offering a “New Rider” class with 35 lessons, 28 quizzes, and drills designed to prepare students for life as a motorcyclist at an introductory price of $19.95.
No, this isn’t an early St. Patrick’s Day post about Yamaha using green-anodized aluminum. Last month, Yamaha Motor began manufacturing motorcycles at its plants in Japan using aluminum that’s refined using 60% less carbon dioxide than traditional aluminum. Read the more about green aluminum in Yamaha’s official press release below.
Yamaha Motor announced today that it has reached an agreement with an aluminum ingot supplier for the procurement of green aluminum, and began using it as a raw material for parts in Yamaha motorcycles in February 2023. This is the first time for green aluminum to be used in Japanese motorcycles and Yamaha Motor plans to gradually expand its usage in models going forward.
“Green aluminum” is aluminum that is refined using renewable energy sources to emit around 60% less CO2 in its manufacture compared to traditionally refined aluminum. Of course, the percentage of less emission by renewable energy depends per manufacturer. Aluminum parts account for 12% to 31% of the total vehicle weight of a motorcycle, so adopting green aluminum is one effective approach for reducing CO2 emissions from the raw material manufacturing part of a product’s life cycle (falls under Scope 3 Category 1 emissions for supply chains).
Through the development of its engineering and production technologies and expertise, Yamaha Motor has actively pushed the use of recycled aluminum, which now comprises some 80% of Yamaha Motor’s aluminum usage. This introduction of green aluminum is meant to complement this and will be employed for parts that still cannot be manufactured with recycled materials. As a first step, Yamaha Motor will utilize green aluminum for certain parts in its large-displacement and off-road competition motorcycles, and Yamaha Motor plans to expand the number of models using the material in the future as available supply volumes allow.
In line with the Yamaha Motor Group Environmental Plan 2050, the company is aiming to achieve carbon neutrality throughout all of its business activities—including its entire supply chain—by 2050. To realize this, Yamaha Motor has set a goal of switching to 100% sustainable materials by 2050, such as adopting more plant-derived resin materials, developing recyclable polypropylene, and adopting green materials and other recycled materials for its motorcycles manufactured in Japan and overseas.
The impeller on the Kawasaki Ninja H2 spins up to 130,000 rpm, forcing air into the engine to produce more power. (Photo courtesy Kawasaki)
Contributor Erik Slaven takes us on a ride through a century’s worth of history on supercharged and turbocharged motorcycles, the Wonder Twins of forced induction. –Ed.
As a Kawasaki Z H2 owner, I can assure you that integrated superchargers are no gimmick. My Kawi is by far the fastest bike I’ve owned, and the sportier Ninja H2 is among the fastest street bikes ever produced. The BMW S 1000 RR, Ducati Panigale, and Suzuki Hayabusa show that naturally aspirated motorcycles are still ridiculously fast, but acceleration from the Z H2 feels faster because the engine doesn’t need to be revved out as much.
Kawasaki’s supercharger, which debuted on the H2 R at the 2014 Intermot show, is like an afterburner for the 998cc inline-Four. It helps the engine push out almost 200 hp and over 100 lb-ft of torque on the Z H2, while the Ninja H2 churns out as much as 228 hp and the experts-and-track-ready Ninja H2 R makes upwards of 300 hp.
Kawasaki reignited interest in superchargers, but the technology has been used on motorcycles for nearly a century. BMW was an early pioneer in the late 1920s, and other manufacturers followed suit prior to World War II. When motorcycle racing resumed in Europe in 1946, the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) banned superchargers to reduce injuries and deaths, putting forced induction on the backburner until the late 1970s. Imagine going over 150mph with a supercharged engine on a prewar chassis and tires. Yikes.
The Golden Age of Supercharged Motorcycles
BMW WR 750 (photo by Lothar Spurzem, CC BY-SA 2.0 DE, via Wikimedia Commons)
Born from racing, supercharged European motorcycles were the genesis for the evolution of high-performance bikes. American brands like Harley-Davidson and Indian were winning races at home with naturally aspirated engines. BMW started producing motorcycles in 1923, and by the end of the decade, it had developed the WR 750. Powered by a supercharged 4-stroke OHV 750cc boxer Twin, the WR 750 earned BMW a land-speed record at over 134 mph with German racing champion Ernst Henne at the controls.
BMW Type 255 racing at the Isle of Man (photo by Lothar Spurzem, CC BY-SA 2.0 DE, via Wikimedia Commons)
The WR 750 was impressive but couldn’t overcome English dominance at the time, so the BMW Type 255 Kompressor was the next step. In 1939, Georg Meier won the Senior Tourist Trophy race at the Isle of Man on the Type 255, marking the first time a non-English rider had won since 1907. Using a Swiss-made Zoller supercharger, BMW’s 500cc Boxer produced around 60 hp and averaged 89 mph at the race. Meier won the Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix in 1939 as well, becoming the first rider to exceed 100 mph on a lap. The Type 255 was a bona fide superbike for BMW and demonstrated the significant performance advantages of forced induction.
BMW Type 255 (photo courtesy Agljones, via Wikimedia Commons)
Pre-War Grand Prix
Motorcycle racing was all the rage in the 1930s, and superchargers were common for most European teams. The notable holdout was Norton, which held steady with tried-and-true naturally aspirated Singles. British manufacturer AJS developed a supercharged V-4 monster with a high top speed, but it proved unreliable and either overheated or simply broke down during races. It finally won a race in Belgium in 1946, just before the supercharger ban went into effect.
AJS V4 (photo courtesy Oldnoccer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Luxury French manufacturer Brough Superior developed some of the fastest supercharged bikes of the era. In 1937, Eric Fernihough set a record of 169.79 mph with a supercharged 1,000cc J.A.P. engine in his Brough Superior. Pure insanity at the time, and he was killed the following year chasing another record.
Eric Fernihough on Brough Superior JAP100 (photo courtesy Brough Superior)
Today, naturally aspirated bikes can exceed 200 hp and still meet Euro 5 emissions standards, which is an incredible testament to how far design and technology have come. Forced induction might seem like overkill, but nothing exceeds like excess. So, what’s the difference between a supercharger and turbo, anyway?
Supercharger
A supercharger is mechanical device that forces more air into the engine to produce more power for a given displacement. In a car, a supercharger is often driven by a belt that wraps around a pulley between the drive and compressor gears. In a modern motorcycle like the Kawasaki H2s, a system of gears connected to the flywheel drives the impeller, which is a metal fan used to compress the intake gas. The impeller must spin much faster than the engine to effectively compress the air. Kawasaki’s supercharger uses planetary gears to spin the impeller up to 130,000 rpm and develops up to 20.5 psi boost pressure.
Turbocharger
Whereas a supercharger is driven by the engine, a turbocharger is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. Wind powered, if you will. The exhaust spins an impeller in the turbo housing, which is connected to a second impeller in the compressor housing that forces additional air into the engine. It can take a moment for the exhaust to get the impeller spinning fast, which creates turbo lag. Superchargers, on the other hand, are always “there,” as the engine is continuously powering them. Turbochargers are relatively lag-free today, but it does persist to varying degrees.
The Golden Age of Turbocharged Motorcycles
1978 Kawasaki Z1R-TC
1978 Kawasaki Z1R-TC (photo by Clement Salvadori)
Unlike the pre-war era fixation on superchargers, the next wave of two-wheeled forced induction was all about turbos, starting in the late 1970s. The Kawasaki Z1R-TC was the first production turbo motorcycle, kicking off what turned out to be a short-lived craze. It had a 1,000cc inline-Four that was a factory authorized conversion of the standard Z1R bikes. A Rajay turbocharger pushed the Z1R-TC to 130 hp (from 94 hp), which was quite a powerhouse in the late ’70s and extreme enough that buyers had to relinquish the factory warranty. It was a bold decision by Kawasaki at the time. Only 250 were built, as they were expensive and complex, but it got the Japanese industry scrambling.
Unlike the Z1R-TC, Honda’s first turbocharged bike was born in the factory, and many consider it the first proper factory turbo. I personally give that accomplishment to Kawasaki, but that’s a battle for another day. The water cooled CX500T had an angled, horizontal V-twin inspired by Moto Guzzi and an early fuel injection system, boosted to 80hp by the turbo. Unfortunately, the bike was plagued with turbo lag, so Honda upgraded to a 650cc variant the following year with the CX650. The increased displacement and modified (and lowered) boost brought the new bike to 100 hp, but turbo lag persisted and the price was just too high. These were short lived and disappeared at the end of 1983.
1982 Yamaha XJ650 Turbo
1984 Yamaha XJ650 Turbo (photo courtesy Yamaha)
Yamaha released its own turbo soon after Honda, the 90-hp XJ650 Turbo. It was a heavier touring bike in lieu of something more performance oriented. It also wasn’t a ground-up design but rather based on the older XJ650 Seca with a mediocre chassis, drum brakes, and shaft drive, along with outdated Mikuni carburetors. A choppy throttle, bad turbo lag, and lackluster acceleration killed production after two years. Maintenance issues were also bad, as ambition seemed to exceed what was feasible at the time.
Suzuki’s first turbocharged motorcycle, the XN85 of 1983, was an impressive effort. Like Honda, it was fuel injected, but only oil cooled and pushed out 85 hp. Turbo lag was less than the others, and the chassis was built specifically for the increased power. Like all early turbos, it was complex and expensive to produce, leading to limited production numbers. It did, however, survive for five years, making it the most successful model.
Six year after the Z1R-TC, Kawasaki introduced the GPz750 Turbo, aka the ZX750-E Turbo. Unlike earlier Japanese efforts that were abandoned at this point, the GPz750 was the real deal. A proper sportbike design held the 738cc inline-Four, which produced 112 hp and was good for 10.71 seconds in the quarter mile. The existing GPz750 engine was heavily modified, and the turbocharged result was the first middleweight that outperformed early ’80s liter bikes. Kawasaki’s GPz1100 sportbike trailed behind the much smaller GPz750 by 3 hp, proving that turbos were serious contenders and not mere novelties. Style, performance, and reliability made this the first truly marketable turbocharged motorcycle and overshadowed all prior efforts. Alas, it was produced for only two years.
In less than 10 years, the turbo craze spread like wildfire among the Big Four Japanese manufacturers and burned itself out. The idea was simple and appealing – use forced induction to extract more power out of middleweight engines. But the reality overpromised and underdelivered. Turbochargers proved to be too complex and expensive, and the payoff wasn’t big enough to make them a viable alternative to larger naturally aspirated engines – at least not at the time.
Let’s Get Boosted!
Trask Performance turbocharger installed on a Harley-Davidson Road Glide (photo courtesy Trask Performance)
After Japanese manufacturers abandoned turbos, adrenaline junkies continued bolting aftermarket ones to their natural breathers. One of the big names in the business is Trask Performance, which produces turbocharged kits for Harleys that can squeeze 300 hp out of big V-Twins. In my mind, such turbo kits make the most sense on 1,200cc Evo Sportsters that are relatively light and nimble, and the result can more than double the stock power and deliver 120 hp at the rear wheel.
Trask Performance turbocharger installed on a Harley-Davidson Evo Sportster (photo courtesy Trask Performance)
Trask isn’t the only company with turbo kits, and versions are available that can be installed on a wide range of motorcycle types and models. Extreme Creations, RCC, Cobalt, and others offer turbochargers that deliver aircraft carrier catapult-caliber launches. You can also buy supercharger kits from companies like Rotrex, ProCharger, and TTS Performance. And if you’re curious, the answer is yes – installing any of them will void your factory warranty.
Turbocharged Suzuki Hayabusa
We can’t review the history of forced induction on motorcycles and overlook a bona fide legend. In 1999, Suzuki introduced the GSX1300R Hayabusa, which won the short-lived top-speed wars of the late ’90s. In stock form, the first-gen 173-hp Hayabusa nearly broke the elusive 200 mph barrier. The second-gen ’Busa got bumped up to 1,340cc and 194 hp, but by then, the OEMs had agreed to impose an electronically limited top speed of 186 mph (300 kph) on its production motorcycles.
Bill Warner riding his record-setting turbocharged Suzuki Hayabusa
But with some electronic sleight of hand – and a big ol’ turbo – the Hayabusa’s true potential could be unleashed. In 2011, Bill Warner set a motorcycle land-speed record of 311 mph on a streamlined and turbocharged ‘Busa. Add nitrous to the mix, and things just get insane. In 2018, a 1,000-hp ’Busa hit 258.54 mph within 1 mile from a standing start at a Straightliners top-speed event in Yorkshire, U.K.
Kawasaki Ninja H2
In 2014, we came full circle when Kawasaki introduced the Ninja H2, a factory supercharged sportbike. Over 75 years after superchargers disappeared from European racebikes, Kawasaki resurrected the concept with the most successful lineup of forced-induction motorcycles in modern history. The name comes from Kawasaki’s ’70s-era H2 models powered by 750cc 2-stroke Triples. The 1972 Kawasaki H2 Mach IV, the fastest bike of its day, was known as “the widow maker,” as the chassis and overall design weren’t suited for so much power.
1972 Kawasaki H2 Mach IV (photo courtesy Kawasaki)
The 2014 Ninja H2 has a 998cc inline-Four with a centrifugal supercharger developed entirely in-house at Kawasaki. The manufacturer had intended to outsource the supercharger, but those plans ultimately called for a bulky intercooler, so Kawasaki brought it under its own roof. The result was an independent and compact unit that boosts a growing H2 portfolio with four bikes in the current lineup: Ninja H2, Ninja H2 R, Ninja H2 SX, and Z H2.
2015 Kawasaki Ninja H2 (photo courtesy Kawasaki)
The Ninja H2 and up-spec Ninja H2 Carbon produce a claimed 228 hp and 105 lb-ft of torque, while the track-only H2 R raises the bar considerably with 326 hp and 122 lb-ft of torque. The H2 R is currently the fastest production motorcycle of all time, but it is not street legal. The standard Ninja H2 is heavier than many sportbikes (around 525 lb wet) and won’t handle a track as well as purpose-built machines, but the intensity of acceleration and still competent performance make it one the craziest rides you can buy. With a starting price of $31,500, it’s definitely spendy, but it’s a relative bargain compared to the $56,000 H2 R.
Erik Slaven’s Kawasaki Z H2 (photo by the author)
The Ninja H2 SX and Z H2 represent the second-generation of H2 engines, tuned for more real-world conditions with 197 hp and 101 lb-ft of torque. The H2 SX is a sport-touring sportbike with a wet weight over 600 lb, but it still accelerates like a rabid cheetah without having to rev it out.
Introduced for 2020, the Z H2 naked bike is the newest model in the H2 lineup, and it’s also the most affordable at $18,500, providing the magic of Kawasaki’s supercharger at a more reasonable price undercutting. It’s not a serious track performer, but it’s not meant to be. It’s a streetbike though and through, and it’s about as fun as it gets with an upright position offering all-day comfort. The up-spec Z H2 SE ($21,700) is equipped with Kawasaki’s Electronic Control Suspension (KECS) and upgraded Brembo calipers, but the core experience is there with the standard model.
Practical Insanity
It’s a bit strange calling a supercharged motorcycle practical, but the Z H2 proves that forced induction can be both affordable and reliable. It certainly qualifies as an everyday bike and is genuinely easy to live with, unlike some high-strung competitors. I don’t know what sorcery went into the supercharger’s design, but Kawasaki nailed it, and a distinctive chirp at deceleration reminds you that you’re riding something special. Supposedly it’s caused by the impeller breaking the sound barrier. We’d like to see a return to the ’80s-era concept of adding forced induction to a middleweight. How cool would it be to see a supercharged version of the Z650, Ninja ZX-6R, or the new Ninja ZX-4RR? Sometimes it’s good when history repeats itself.
Choices for smaller, affordable motorcycles are growing, and that’s good news for riders looking for a fun bike that won’t break the bank. Whether you’re new to riding and want something easy to handle or an experienced rider looking for a lighter or shorter bike, you have more options now than ever when it comes to finding the best small motorcycles!
Below is Rider’s 2022-2023 list of Best Small Motorcycles, an update of the popular post from 2019. Our new list includes motorcycles with seat heights up to 30 inches with an MSRP of $17,000 or less.
We’ve also curated lists of the best bikes with seat heights between 30.0 and 30.9 inches, as well as a list of bikes with seat heights between 31.0 and 31.9 inches. We’ll include links to those lists soon.
When possible, we’ve included a link to our test ride reviewsso you can get a sense of how each bike performs in action. We’ve also included the 2022-2023 model year’s U.S. base MSRP (as of publication), seat height, and claimed wet or dry weight. On models with options to lower the seat height or suspension, we’ve listed the standard and lowered seat heights. You can also click on a model’s name to go to the manufacturer’s webpage for a full list of specifications and details.
The models in this list are arranged by seat height, with the first model having the shortest seat height and the last model having the tallest seat height in the list.
The MT-10 SP is a compact, powerful, sophisticated machine that sits at the top of Yamaha’s Hyper Naked range. (Photos by Joseph Agustin)
Gracing the cover of Rider’s October 2022 issue was the Yamaha MT-10, a thrilling naked sportbike based on the YZF-R1. I had the privilege of riding the MT-10 at the press launch in North Carolina, and afterward, Yamaha loaned us an accessorized version for further testing (we’ll have a report in a future issue).
Yamaha also offers an up-spec version called the MT-10 SP. Priced at $17,199 – a $3,000 premium over the standard model – the SP features Öhlins semi-active suspension, steel-braided front brake lines, a polished aluminum swingarm, a YZF-R1M-inspired Liquid Metal/Raven colorway with blue wheels, and a color-matched lower fairing.
The Yamaha MT-10 SP Goes for the Gold
The Öhlins NIX30-SV fork has the company’s signature gold fork tubes and titanium-nitride low-friction coating on the stanchions. Damping is controlled electronically in automatic and manual modes.
The MT-10 SP is the first production motorcycle to be equipped with the Öhlins NIX30-SV fork and TTX36-SV rear shock. The “SV” stands for “spool valve,” a new damping technology that Öhlins claims improves rider comfort – not typically something high-performance sportbikes are known for.
According to the Swedish makers of those coveted yellow and gold suspension components, “unlike a traditional needle valve, Öhlins’ spool valve features a pressure compensation chamber that balances the force applied to the damper’s actuator, enabling quicker adjustment. The spool valve also provides increased sensitivity and responsiveness at the low and high ends of the adjustment range.”
The MT-10 SP’s electronic suspension and rider aids allow the bike to be tailored to specific conditions or a rider’s preferences. The entire package is nicely refined.
Öhlins’ NIX30 fork and TTX36 shock are primo suspenders that were developed in the heat of World Superbike and Supersport competition. The semi-active versions on the MT-10 SP use inputs from sensors and a 6-axis IMU to electronically manage rebound and compression damping. Through the Yamaha Ride Control menu, riders can choose between three semi-active damping modes (A-1, A-2, and A-3) and three manual setting modes (M-1, M-2, and M-3).
The MT-10 SP’s tall handlebar and reasonably placed footpegs create a comfortable upright seating position.
Damping in the semi-active modes progresses from sporty/firm in A-1 (ideal for track riding) to mildly sporty in A-2 (good for public roads) to comfortable in A-3 (for when you’re loaded up with soft luggage and need to burn miles on a weekend tour). Should a rider feel so inclined, the “automatic” modes can be fine-tuned to suit one’s preferences. Though labeled in ascending order as well, the manual modes are customizable, allowing riders to electronically tune rebound and compression damping independently and save those settings. Preload front and rear must be adjusted manually.
Whereas many electronic rider aids like ABS, traction control, and wheelie control are essentially safety nets that work in the background to increase a rider’s margin of error, electronically controlled suspension truly enhances the overall riding experience. As good as the manually adjustable “analog” KYB suspension is on the standard MT-10, there is no ideal set of preload, rebound, and compression settings that adequately cover the range of riding and road conditions a rider is likely to encounter. The SP’s network of sensors and actuators adjust damping almost instantly – firming up the fork under hard braking to prevent excessive dive, stiffening the rear shock under hard acceleration to prevent squat, and compensating for changes in speed, lean angle, and so on.
At the test ride on the MT-10 SP was the usual gaggle of fast guys on curvy roads, with me doing my best to keep up while also trying to coax my ever-expanding beard up inside my helmet’s chinbar so I didn’t look like a billygoat. We started off at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles and made our way along beat-up, traffic-clogged surface streets and poured-concrete freeways to the Pacific Coast Highway and then up into the Malibu hills on roads of varying quality and camber.
The “middle ground” A-2 semi-active mode is the SP’s default suspension setting, and as one might expect, it was firm without being too stiff. It absorbed the concrete seams on the freeway and the unavoidable recessed manhole covers on the PCH without undue harshness. The bike must be stopped before suspension settings can be changed, so at a stoplight, I switched to the sportier A-1 mode before the long, mostly smooth climb up Kanan Dume Road. All was well until I hit a big dip in the pavement at speed, which was a little too jarring for my taste.
After turning onto the notoriously tight, twisty, and – especially after a recent rainstorm – dirty Latigo Canyon Road, our group pulled over after our ride leader’s walkie-talkie fell out of his pocket. I switched back to A-2 mode and attacked the familiar corners with gusto while enjoying an upswell of confidence. Part of what makes semi-active suspension such a game changer in terms of both speed and safety is its ability to keep a motorcycle chassis stable and he tires’ contact patches in contact with the pavement.
After lunch, tumescent with too many tortilla chips and shrimp tacos, I switched over to A-3 mode and enjoyed a softer ride for our return to the Petersen. Burp.
Recipe for special sauce: Take one high-performance naked sportbike, add fresh Öhlins semi-active suspension and other tasty bits, hit the road or track, and enjoy!
Except for the Öhlins semi-active suspension and steel-braided front brake lines, the latter providing better feel at the lever since the hoses can’t expand under pressure like rubber lines, the MT-10 SP is mechanically the same as the standard model. Which is to say, it’s one helluva motorcycle. The upgraded suspension pairs nicely with the MT-10 SP’s rock-solid chassis, strong brakes, and grippy tires, making for a potent, satisfying combination.
Our First Ride Review goes into more detail about updates to the MT-10 platform for 2022. In a nutshell, its 998cc inline-Four’s fuel injection, intake, and exhaust systems were revised to enhance the engine’s torque character, and new Acoustic Amplifier Grilles atop the fuel tank transmit tuned induction sound to the rider. Yamaha’s Accelerator Position Sensor Grip gives the throttle-by-wire system a more natural feel, and a new 6-axis IMU informs a full suite of YZF-R1-derived electronic aids, including lean-sensitive traction control, slide control, wheelie control, engine brake management, and cornering ABS. Other changes include a one-tooth-smaller rear sprocket, an up/down quickshifter, Brembo brake master cylinders, Bridgestone S22 tires, a 4.2-inch color TFT display, revised ergonomics, and stripped-down styling with full LED lighting.
All lighting is LED, including a pair of mono-focus headlights.
Without a doubt, the star of the MT-10 show is its CP4 crossplane-crank engine. Rather than the high-pitched whine of a typical inline-Four, the CP4’s uneven firing interval results in a deep growl more like a V-4. Fueling and throttle response are spot-on. The engine feels a tad dull below 4,000 rpm, but it builds up a good head of steam in the midrange and goes gangbusters above 8,000 rpm. This is one of those engines that not only produces impressive power (138 hp at the rear wheel on an MT-10 we dyno’d a few years ago), but also delivers an engaging, visceral experience, encouraging one to roll on and off the throttle repeatedly to savor the full range of its sound and fury.
Yamaha’s cast-aluminum Deltabox frame wraps around the 998cc CP4 crossplane inline-Four.
Through the menus on the TFT display, the Yamaha Ride Control system allows riders to select among four different ride modes (A, B, C, and D) to adjust throttle response and all the other electronic rider aids. Each mode has presets, but everything is customizable. Sifting through the various options and combinations of settings can be a little overwhelming, and Yamaha’s switchgear and menu system isn’t as user-friendly as what’s available on some other bikes we’ve tested, but most owners will find their preferred settings and stick to them. For me, that was suspension mode A-2, power mode 2 (standard), engine braking mode 2 (reduced), brake control mode 2 (lean-sensitive), and middle of the road settings for traction control, slide control, and wheelie control.
Behind the small flyscreen is a 4.2-inch color TFT display, which is used to navigate the Yamaha Ride Control system, and a 12V outlet.
With the customization that the Yamaha Ride Control allows, riders can specify different personalities for the SP: hard-charging track weapon, surgical canyon carver, weekend sport-tourer, or daily commuter. Yamaha’s factory accessories for the MT-10 also fit the SP, so riders can further personalize their bike with frame and axle sliders, a Yoshimura slip-on exhaust, a windscreen, a comfort seat, 30L or 50L top cases, soft side cases, and more.
Most of the bodywork is painted Raven black – only the tank is Liquid Silver. Acoustic Amplifier Grilles sit atop the air intakes.
Special Sauce
If you’ve got your eye on the MT-10 and the SP model is within reach, the Öhlins semi-active suspension is worth the upcharge alone. The only downside is that it adds 5 lb to the bike’s curb weight compared to the standard model. The steel-braided front brake lines, polished swingarm, lower cowl, and exclusive paint job are nice bonuses, leveling up the MT-10 SP into a truly special machine. Or, in the words of G. Love & Special Sauce, a Philadelphia band I listened to in my college days: My baby got sauce, Your baby ain’t sweet like mine.
Yamaha’s working on a new resin for their engines that will ramp up the sustainability initiative that was pledged back in 2019; it’s a plant-based, reinforced bit of blobby stuff that shows huge promise – and yes, we might see the stuff inside our own Team Blue engines after 2024.
Yamaha’s Tenere 700. Media sourced from Yamaha’s website.
According to a recent press release published by Yamaha on Businesswire, Yamaha’s teamed up with Nippon Paper Industries, a company focused on plant-based materials. Recent success in a multi-puropse waterproof cardboard has also resulted in the creation of a plant-derived cellulose nanofiber (CNF) reinforced resin for marine products – something that could also have great use in the two-wheeled sector.
The reinforced plant-based resin Yamaha plans on using for her Powersports engines. Media sourced from Yamaha’s press release.
“Yamaha Motor is examining the utilization of this material not only in marine products but also in motorcycles and a wide range of other products in the future,” says the Japanese brand in a press release off BusinessWire.
“[We] will adopt plant-derived cellulose nanofiber (CNF) reinforced resin for marine products as an initiative toward reducing CO2 emissions and the Company’s environmental footprint.”
The creation of CNF for the Powersports industry will be “the first practical use of the material for vehicle parts” – a pioneering first that Yammie is more than happy to splurge on, it seems.
Yamaha’s headquarters. Media sourced from VisorDown.
All the best in the continued efforts of this partnership from MBW; be sure to stay tuned as we continue forward toward 2023, drop a comment below letting us know what you think, and as always – stay safe on the twisties.
