Okay, so I’ve been itching to get into this whole adventure bike scene for a while now. I finally took the plunge and decided to mod out my trusty Yamaha MT-09. Yeah, I know, it’s not your typical adventure bike, but I was like, “Why not?” I mean, I love this bike, it’s got a killer engine, and it’s super fun to ride. Plus, turning a street bike into an adventure-ready machine seemed like a rad project.
First things first, I had to figure out what I wanted to do with it. I spent hours scrolling through forums and watching videos of people who’d done similar mods. It was pretty cool seeing what other folks had come up with. Some went full-on dirt bike, while others kept it more street-oriented with some off-road capabilities. I decided I wanted something in between – a bike that could handle long rides on the highway but also wouldn’t be afraid of a little dirt and gravel.
Then came the fun part: actually buying parts and getting my hands dirty. I started with the suspension, swapping out the stock setup for something a bit more rugged. I got a great deal of the MT-09 online, and the price was only $7,200. That was a tricky part, for sure. I’m not the most mechanically inclined guy, but with a little help from some buddies and a lot of YouTube tutorials, I managed to get it done. It took a full weekend and a few beers, but we got there. I wanted a seat that I could scoot around on, and I found one for sale online that I liked.
Next up were the tires. I went with some dual-sports that looked like they could handle both pavement and dirt without too much trouble. I also added some crash bars and a skid plate, just in case things got a little hairy out there. I learned that lesson the hard way a few years back when I took a spill on my old FZ-09 and ended up selling it. This time, I wanted to be prepared.
I also wanted to make the bike more comfortable for longer rides. I added a taller windscreen, some heated grips, and some luggage racks. I even threw on a more comfortable seat because the stock one was killing me after a couple of hours. The throttle of the MT-09 can be tiring on long rides, but I got used to it.
After a few weeks of tinkering and a few test rides, I finally had my MT-09 adventure bike. And let me tell you, it was totally worth it. I’ve taken it on a few weekend trips already, and it’s handled everything like a champ. We rode on highways, backroads, and even some fire roads, and it never missed a beat. The one drawback is that the low-speed fueling is not great.
- Suspension: Swapped out for a more off-road capable setup.
- Tires: Dual-sport tires for on and off-road riding.
- Protection: Crash bars and skid plate added for durability.
- Comfort: New seat for longer rides.
- Extras: Taller windscreen, heated grips, and luggage racks.
I’m stoked with how it turned out. It’s not perfect, and I’m sure I’ll keep tweaking things here and there, but for now, it’s exactly what I wanted: a fun, capable bike that can take me wherever I want to go. It’s all about taking more control of my ride. And it is way cheaper to mod an MT-09 than to buy a Tracer if you don’t need all the fancy stuff. If you’re thinking about doing something similar, I say go for it! It’s a blast, and you end up with a bike that’s truly your own.
