There's no getting around one very simple fact of life, and it's this: There is absolutely no substitute for a triple.
The way it feels, the way it sounds, the way it responds; it's like absolutely nothing else. That's not to say that other bikes with other engine configurations can't be excellent; just that there's a definite distinction. If we're getting even more granular with it, there's a reason that all of us at RideApart had to hear about how great the MT-09 SP was for weeks after Robbie spent time with one.
If you're someone who loves the Yamaha Ténéré 700, but who really wishes they'd bump it up and use a CP3 powerplant instead, then you absolutely need to see what Australia's Purpose Built Moto did with its latest custom build. They're calling it the Yamaha MT-09 Rally Raid, and that name will probably get your mental picture in the ballpark, but diving into the details is truly the kind of refreshing dip you're going to want to take.
Those really look like plastics, don't they? That's the point for sure, with an ace paint job channeling Dakar glory days to really put it over the top.
Except that bodywork? It's all hand-formed aluminum, not plastic. The tailpiece, the front mudguard; all of it. There's a whole lot of work that went into crafting this beautiful beast; but it's not only about looks.
The very first part of this video explains all the work that went into giving it a much more ADV-appropriate suspension. Since PBM isn't a suspension tuning specialist, they sent it out to a trusted partner to handle dialing in both the front and the rear. There's a KTM 1190 front end swap involved, too.
With the stressed member engine design, adding appropriate engine protection for any self-respecting ADV bike was also both urgent and key. There are a ton of other little details on this bike to appreciate, which you'll see in this video. However, even more importantly than that, you also get to hear it go out for a test ride at the end.
The end result has a little more power than the T7, has that great triple sound and character, and weighs less than the stock T7. I know it's a lot to ask for Yamaha to build its own version of a T9, but if this build doesn't at least get someone over at Team Tuning Fork thinking about it, I'm not even sure if time is real.
What do you think, does the world need Yamaha to build a T9? Sound off in the comments.
