Yamaha is bringing its auto-shifting Y-AMT gearbox to overseas markets in an upgraded version of its three-cylinder naked bike.
This week, Yamaha took the wraps off its new MT-09 Y-AMT naked bike, which looks a lot like the old MT-09; it has the same basic engine, frame, electronics package and suspension. But there’s one big difference. This machine has the auto-shifting Y-AMT gearbox that Yamaha just announced back in June.
Here’s how it works: There are twin actuator motors jammed in behind the engine’s cylinders. The actuator on the right-hand side controls the bike’s clutch; the one on the left actuates the transmission, switching gears. Both of these actuator motors are operated by the transmission control unit (TCU). To determine when to shift gears, the TCU looks at which ride mode the bike is in, the engine’s RPM, the lean angle and other factors.
The Y-AMT has no shift lever and no standard clutch lever, but if you want to control the gearshifting yourself, you can do so, with shifter buttons underneath the left hand-grip.
Yamaha described its usage this way:
MT: MANUAL TRANSMISSION
With MT, fast and precise gear shifts are just at your fingertips, without having to manually operate a clutch lever. Shifts are controlled with the index finger and thumb, via two see-saw shifting levers – a plus lever for upshifts and a minus lever for downshifts. For greater control in sportier riding, the plus lever can also be pulled to shift up and pushed to shift down with the index finger alone, offering greater freedom, as there is no need to remove the thumb from the handlebars.
AT: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Using AT, you can choose between two programmes to suit different riding scenarios – easily switchable at any time via the dedicated MODE button. D+ MODE offers a sporty gear change by shifting later in the rev range to maintain the thrill of the ride while still offering the benefits of a fully automatic transmission. D MODE delivers a softer gear shift experience, while maintaining a low rpm, to maximise confidence during low speed, urban riding and manoeuvrability. While in AT, you can also choose to shift manually at any time by simply using the see-saw shift levers.
The end result is a sportier ride, says Yamaha, since riders can focus on body position and handling, instead of worrying about shifting.
For now, though, this is only confirmed for MT-09 bikes in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Our best bet is that it’ll be here in 2026, and probably available on a much wider range of bikes very soon. As it is with those markets, we expect it will only be an option, not standard equipment, and we also expect that pricing will be around $750 CAD for this add-on.
