2021 MT09 SP - SUSPENSION GUIDE

This is how I set the suspension on our 2021 MT09 SP. Please note that I am not a suspension expert! This is just my understanding of how each adjustment works and the effect each adjustment can have whilst riding. Hopefully this is helpful and will encourage a few people to play with their settings😊

[@Noodlehustle]

just got myself an MT09 SP and this video is everything i need to understand how to adjust the suspension ! Kudos for making this vid, gonna play around with the settings and see what works for me !

[@stephenburgess9436]

Just found this video. Great explanation. It's given me a much better idea of what's going on. Offnow to try them out.

[@MOTORSPORT401]

A Great video , very helpful , I've just bought a Mt09 sp and you have explained everything I needed to know 👍

[@adamcook577]

Awesome video, helped me out majorly as i had very little knowledge of suspension setup and the meanings of what each adjuster does, big thumbs up, absolute champ!

[@tankslapmoto9999]

Cheers 👍 glad it was helpful

[@martinwalker2771]

Now I understand how it all works I still don't know what settings would be best for me 😂

[@BlaineyBiker]

Been looking for such a video thank u mate

[@niklasbengtsson5721]

Good way of explaining the suspension 👏🏻

[@benmorgan2683]

Thank you for this brilliant explanation

[@raffaelloariu324]

I just tried this setup on my 2018 sp, and i really like it!!! I did not try turn on high speed, but it drives very comfortable and stable. Even wheelies seem to go better with this setup 🙈... THANK YOU!!

[@tankslapmoto9999]

Glad it was helpful👍

[@MultiReadify]

Fantastic video. I really appreciate this. I’ll try your settings on my 2023 and adjust from there. Cheers!

[@tankslapmoto9999]

Cheers🍻

[@36thlatitude60]

I found 25 clicks out on shock rebound a bit soft especially when hitting some twisties and throwing it around so settled around 20 clicks for a good balance. Also set shock compression to medium factory. Its a nicer all around ride now. Ghana's for your video..

[@Legend428XD]

Great video. It’s taking me 30 years of racing moto to learn how to setup suspension. Great example to share with friends. Also, if you have a 09sp the suspension is awesome. Just play with it and see what feels best for your style. Just remember soft compression and fast rebound is great for cruising around town. But will suck on a back road at Mach3 when you hit a dip in a corner and the suspension unloads and starts wallowing and moving around. Just trade offs, I would change settings for different tracks and adjust for different conditions.

[@tankslapmoto9999]

Totally agree with the soft compression and fast rebound trade off, thanks for the great comments 👍

[@dougiequick1]

BTW I notice the Penske shock has a sperate ride hight adjustment totally seperate from preload! THAT is awesome!

[@copperswirl4320]

I recently purchased a 2021 MT-09 SP. I want to thank you for putting out this suspension content. No one else has put out any recommendations. I tried all of your settings but I find it doesn’t really make a big difference. Kind of feels the same as the stock settings. O well the stock settings weren’t that bad anyway. It’s a hell of a great bike. I love it. I put on 1300 miles in one month.

[@tankslapmoto9999]

You are very welcome, glad it was useful (even if it hasn't made a noticable difference). It might be worth going fully soft (if you haven't done so already) I forgot to mention in the video that the last few clicks fully open (compression & rebound) will make the most noticable difference in terms of feel. You would think that each click would be the same, in terms of incremental adjustment, but for some reason, the clicks always seem to have more effect at either extreme of the adjustment range.

[@copperswirl4320]

Thanks for the update. I’ll try fully soft settings.

[@pauls3696]

Very very good you explained that very well going to keep this video I will probably watch it a fue times to get to grips with it brilliant explanation 😁 thankyou very much really appreciated that 👍👍👍👍👍👍😁

[@tankslapmoto9999]

Cheers👍

[@Jesusprayerwarriorbw]

Excellent video sir. Subbed!

[@tankslapmoto9999]

Thanks 👍

[@rich5818]

Insightful video and I’ll be definitely be studying the transcript to become fluent. Just waiting on delivery of my MT-09 SP 2023 (200 miles) and as a result was thinking that having the correct tools onboard for making the correct adjustments to accommodate expected changes in riding conditions might be a good idea. I see the slotted driver is pretty standard but wondered what size(s) Allen Key and whether that’s part of the tool kit provided? Thanks for the video 👌

[@zgjfinance2796]

Would be nice if you could edit in ALL the settings for your weight.

[@vitvrbik4346]

Great video thanks, do you know what is the recommended sag front & bag when sitting on the bike?

[@astrostrotch]

For a complex subject that was a brilliant explanation, especially the progressive nature of the damping as it moves down the stroke. I will try some of your suggestions to see if I can improve the only slight shortcoming this bike has. What is your weight with kit on?

[@tankslapmoto9999]

Thanks 👍 I'm probably about 13.5/14 stone with gear on.

[@dougiequick1]

Would be so awesome I think if Yamaha put semi active Ohlins on this model like they do for the MT-10sp. I have Tracer 9gt that also has semi active front and rear (sadly not as good probably as the MT10sp Ohlins) But it is so awesome never having to play with "clicks" lol it is self adjusting damping settings however many times a second automatically depending on where and how you are riding! I only have preload to worry about other than that I simply choose A1 or A2 which I think of as sport or touring

[@tankslapmoto9999]

I agree, the technology is out there and I'm sure it will trickle down. My tuono v4 factory has the semi active Ohlins and its great, but to be honest once the suspension settings are good it's usually a case of set it and forget it, I like the semi active stuff but I think it is overhyped.

[@benpryor578]

Hi mate. Great video. Picked up my SP on Thursday last week and found it really firm. Plugged in your settings, and when testing the front forks now do a bounce, then settle. Are you still on this setting or have you gone a bit harder?

[@tankslapmoto9999]

Hi, thanks! I think I am still running more or less the same settings, maybe a click or two more damping. I appreciate that people talk about the "bounce test" in terms of rebound, but I'd personally take this with a pinch of salt, especially for riding on the road. To be honest, it all depends upon how the bike feels to you, I think there is always a tradeoff between comfort and composure. For me, I try to find that sweet spot where it feels stable yet compliant but factors such as your weight, speed and the roads you ride will have an affect👍

[@Ste1985zz]

I had kept standard settings on mine but found there to be a bit too much fork dive on braking (dirt marks on fork seemed to agree as looked like I was using the full travel) so only change I made was to add low speed comp (set to 6 clicks out). Rider sag (without measuring) seemed sensible so didn't touch preload - 75kg rider with no gear. I'm surprised you've gone so soft, I think the consensus seems to be that the shock comes a bit too hard but the forks come too soft. Might try your settings once I have time to experiment, but I do prefer it on the firmer side

[@tankslapmoto9999]

My fork settings are a fair bit stiffer now with added compression and a few notches of preload to stop fork dive/keep it higher up in the stroke. I think backing it all off when it was new helped with the initial break in, as the fork felt harsh to me out of the box. I still run the rebound damping fairly fast as I think it helps with the small chop on our roads👍

[@Ste1985zz]

@@tankslapmoto9999 yea that’s probably sensible when new as too soft is always gonna be safer than too hard, especially with rebound.

[@Tsuchiyaaa]

@@tankslapmoto9999 hi. Sorry to bother but, could you please clarify or explain me what you mean with "I think backing it all off when it was new helped with the initial break in". Really appreciate. Cheers.

[@Swisha90s]

I think the nuts are high on one side and low compression on the other. And preload on the hex? Or am i off?

[@nigeldavies5703]

Hi mate watched your videos it’s nice to hear good solid basic advice for once. I’m 108kg and love the bike but what settings would you advise for me ?? Cheers 👍

[@tankslapmoto9999]

Hi, cheers👍 To be honest it all depends how it feels to you on the roads that you ride and how hard you push etc. A friend of mine is 17 stone and he said that the MT feels super plush and bang on for him with my settings, although if I were 17 stone I'd probably dial in a bit more preload for my riding style (maybe something like 10mm on the forks, 148mm on the shock). It's a difficult one, the obvious answer is more preload but if it feels good with stock preload settings then I wouldn't touch it. A zip tie on the fork leg can also be a handy tool to see how much travel you are actually using.

[@nigeldavies5703]

@@tankslapmoto9999 hey thanks for replying mate I’ll try your settings , I ride pretty hard most of the time on a lot of twisties in the UK. I’ll try a little more preload, loving the wheelies !!!

[@vancuy]

@@tankslapmoto9999 How do you do "148mm on the shock", Also can you tell me your setting on rear shocks rebound damping ? many thanks

[@mikehailwood4151]

Thanks for that explanation, i'm going to have a fiddle with it, can i ask if the small screen made a difference?

[@tankslapmoto9999]

👍 On the screen, I think it's more for looks than anything else to be honest. I do find that it takes a little bit of wind pressure off at motorway speeds but the trade off is a bit of wind buffeting, it's not too loud but I can notice it.

[@sitthinb2218]

@@tankslapmoto9999 Can I ask where you bought your windscreen? I placed an order back in may but still waiting for it here in Norway. Haven´t found a site online i Europe that have the screen in stock either.

[@tankslapmoto9999]

@@sitthinb2218 the dealership sourced it for me, Crescent say 2-4 weeks... crescent-moto.co.uk/products/yamaha-fly-screen-mt-09-2021

[@OHaraRidingBikes]

Nice video dude, still rocking the fork reflectors ? lol

[@tankslapmoto9999]

👍 Cheers, gotta keep them reflectors! safety first 😂

[@Different-Level]

i softened mine up to the max

[@tayloredelectricalsolution3146]

Hey mate, where did you get your tank grips/ protector from ?

[@timparish172]

They look like the standard Yamaha accessories to me.

[@stephaniechristoffersen8965]

hi mate mark here just got my sp and its very hard on nz roads im about 78kg on bike what do you think same as your set up ?? . thanks

[@tankslapmoto9999]

I'd wind off the compression damping and open up the rebound damping all the way, they feel quite stiff from new so putting the compression and rebound in the softest settings will help it break in quicker. You can always make it stiffer again a bit further down the line👍

[@motorcyclerider3956]

Hi. I only weigh 70 kgs with full riding kit. Do you think the rear spring rate would be too firm for my weight.

[@tankslapmoto9999]

It would probably be at the lighter end of the spectrum for the stock spring rate but I can't imagine that it would be oversprung for that weight, since they design the stock spring to work within a fairly wide range. You could probably take some or all of the preload out if it seemed stiff.

[@motorcyclerider3956]

@@tankslapmoto9999 Thanks for your reply. Very helpful, cheers.

[@plap.]

These are inverted forks the compression and rebound are reversed. The way it is being called in this demo is where the settings are located on traditional forks. Be careful folks, read your manual

[@opticdevil7913]

Great video 👍 just one question, how much you weight? So I can compare myself to you

[@tankslapmoto9999]

Cheers, I am around 13 and a half stone, so 85 ish kilos without riding gear👍

[@scottog3929]

My front end feels shakey like a tank slapper is going to happen. Any suggestions where to start? Just picked her up yesterday.

[@tankslapmoto9999]

Maybe double check the tyre pressures but the bars do wobble a little under hard acceleration, if this is what you are experiencing. I wouldn't be too concerned unless it feels like a violent shake, softening the front end up might also help.

[@fariky23]

Hi, Where you buy this wind deflector? Thank you.

[@tankslapmoto9999]

It's the official Yamaha "Fly Screen". It comes as part of the "Sport Package" but I believe it can be ordered individually.

[@paint747]

​@@tankslapmoto9999 Hello, does it work at high speed, what is your experience?

[@SirMountainpass]

Hi, what is your weight in kilograms, ready to ride?

[@tankslapmoto9999]

Hi, around 88 kg I believe.

[@SirMountainpass]

@@tankslapmoto9999 Ok. thank you.

[@BlaineyBiker]

08:40 - ‘not clicks’ my Yamaha dealer said it’s meant to click even though the user manual doesn’t mention clicks?! They’ve started a warranty claim on the Öhlins rear shock…

[@tankslapmoto9999]

My understanding is that the remote preload adjuster just winds down the spring and that the adjustment needs to be physically measured, no clicks as such (other than the initial click from fully open/no additional preload). My Multistrada has a ohlins shock with a remote preloaded adjuster and that doesn't click either.

[@BlaineyBiker]

@@tankslapmoto9999 I think my dealer is wrong so I’ll get a 2nd opinion from another Yamaha dealer. I can visually see it moving the spring preload & I count every quarter turns/full turns. No clicking & no mention of clicking in the manual…

[@MrBCRC]

RTFM. It's in the manuals for the bike. Don't talk to mechanics/dealers that don't know their stuff

[@maldridge7630]

great for dozing off and falling asleep

[@tankslapmoto9999]

🤣👍

[@tsarnevits]

I got the SP a month ago, just today put her away for the winter season. I'd love to fiddle with the settings, but I'm too afraid :/

[@xxdaveykievitxx]

How much do u weight in kg’s?

[@tankslapmoto9999]

85

[@jarednatlo2844]

Where did you get your tank grips from?

[@tankslapmoto9999]

They are the official Yamaha items👍

[@jarednatlo2844]

@@tankslapmoto9999 I can't find them anywhere. Just nock offs in 🇨🇳

[@alhampton3776]

I bought the same Yamaha ones on ebay

[@justintimeforbrownies5246]

Do you have Instagram??

[@tankslapmoto9999]

Hi, yeah it is @tankslapmoto Need to post more though 😀

[@xbassxbassow4881]

i cant understant :(((

[@lucifer2999]

Thanks for your advice. In dynamic driving the bike seems too stiff on the roads with bumps, I will try your settings. I'm just afraid of being too soft. In this video, the "right" setting for shock rebound seems to be 3 out (at 5:18) : kzbin.info/www/bejne/qWeTc56Cib2Sptk&ab_channel=DaveMossTuning

[@tankslapmoto9999]

You're welcome, I'd personally take anyone's "right settings" with a pinch of salt (mine included). Track settings will always be firmer, especially once the oil in shock heats up and you will need more damping for the same results. I wouldn't be worried about making it too soft, you can always go back the other way. I'd dial everything in fully soft, per the manual, see how it feels to you when riding and then work back from there👍

[@astrostrotch]

Lucifer, same problem for me, I regularly use a stretch of road that has been repaired from kerb to kerb at 90 degrees to my direction of travel about every 50 metres. These miniature humps cause the bike to kick up quite violently. I've tried comfort settings with no real improvement and now gone back to standard. I've got a cable tie on the front stanchion and I'm using pretty much all the travel, so I don't think it's oversprung. I'm going to try the settings in Tankslap's other video next. It's a real shame as the chassis geometry and steering is absolutely beautiful. For context, my 890R is fine on the same road, you can feel it but it doesn't upset it, at all.