BACK IN zoth. YAMAHA INTRODUCED THE pinnacle of their MT empire. the MT-to, and, later, the premium MT-to SP. Transforming a crossplane RI into a torque-rich sports naked bike was an obvious move. It was an instant success: fun, muscular. easy to ride. and full of character other Japanese -hyper nakeds” seemed to lack. It was reasonably priced too. In recent years. however. the MT-to has begun to show its age. especially in terms of technology and rider aids. It was always on the thirsty side. too. and by modern standards• the brakes were lacking. It was time for an update, which is why for ion Yamaha introduced a new MT-to earlier this year. The unique-sounding engine was never a weak point but Yamaha did give the MT a little nip-and-tuck. Peak power has increased to 166 hp at 11.50o rpm, which is about six up on the old bike. Torque is up slightly too, from in Nm to 112 Nm at the same 9.003 rpm, and Yamaha claim the engine is ts per cent more efficient than before. The main frame/chassis remained unchanged. with the big step up focused on the electronic technology. The now “old” Yamaha MT-to lacked the sophisticated rider aids of the competition but that has been resoled with the implementation of a six-ads IMU. which means all the rider aids are lean-sensitive. Slide control, traction control, cornering ABS. front wheel lift connol, and changeable engine brake strategies (as found on the RO are linked to the IMU. An up-and-down quickshifter comes as standard along with anise control a speed limiter. and four riding modes. As you would expect. these can be tailored to match the rider and the conditions and yes. the anti-wheelie can be deactivated. All this is clearly shown via a new 4.z-inch full-colour dash. Now the premium $P MT takes that technology to another level with the next-generation Ohlins electronic suspension. It is the first production bike to feature the new Gen-2 system, which provides three semi-active and three manual modes. Additionally. the $P comes equipped with braided brake lines, which accompany the new Brembo radial master cylinder that was introduced on the standard bike this year. The $P is also distinguishable from the standard bike with a three-piece belly cowl and RI M-inspired colours. We took the SF for the ultimate test: a full day at Cathay!! Park followed by a trip to die Isle of Man for the Mans GP. Nearly 1.6co kilometres later we have the verdict. The $P tops die scales two kilograms heavier than the standard MT-to at 24 kg (wet), but you would never notice the difference, not on the road. The big and obvious difference is the introduction of the Gen-2 Ohlins semi-active suspension, which replaces the ICYB fully adjustable units in the standard model. This is the first time the Gen-2 suspension has been seen on a production bike It is semi-active and automatically makes compression and rebound damping adjustments as you ride. There are three “active” modes to choose from—A-1, A-2, and A-3—and three manual modes: M-t„ M-2, and M-3. A-1 is the sportyArack setting. A-2 is more suited to the road, and A-3 is the touring and comfort setting. The “M” settings let you electronically change the suspension and then store your own preference. There are many advantages to this system. not least that you can change the suspension settings on the fly. Nor do you have to be a suspension expert to get the best performance from the bike and you do not have to use tools or get your hands dirty to make an adjustment