The 2021 MT-09 was the biggest change in the model’s history, and the SP is the version you actually want. The 889cc CP3 triple produces 117bhp and 68lb-ft with a broader midrange and more top end than the 847cc bike it replaced, and it still has that crossplane triple character, part twin and part four, with a sound nothing else in the class matches. It will loft the front wheel on the throttle but it is far more composed than the earlier bikes when you just want to make progress.
The SP suspension is the headline. Fully adjustable KYB forks up front and a fully adjustable Öhlins rear shock, which transforms the bike over the standard model. It goes exactly where you point it, with a plushness and level of control the base bike cannot match, and it holds its line through fast transitions rather than running wide. Braking is by Brembo with a radial master cylinder, and it runs Bridgestone S22s.
The electronics are a full modern package. A six-axis IMU drives lean-sensitive traction control, slide control, wheelie control and cornering ABS, with four power modes, a bi-directional quickshifter and a 3.5 inch colour TFT dash. The SP also adds cruise control, which the standard bike does not get and which makes a real difference on a naked at motorway speeds.

This low mileage SP features a full dominator exhaust which sounds amazing, billet bar end mirrors, covered in carbon seat infills, key shroud and radiator side covers, GB engine covers, R&G paddock stand bobbins, two keys inc red key, owners manual and service book with a full history comprising of three services and lots of paperwork including invoice proof for each invoice.