MT09. But I'm biased, as I own one. I passed my test in October last year. Did the training on the MT07 and decided before Mod 2 that the MT was the bike for me. I've test rode more bikes a year or so later than I did then.
The choice of weapon for weekend hoons will mean different things to everything, but I'm not dissimilar to you in bike experience, but I commute on my '9 and in the weekends, push my limits (within reason) on fast road rides. I thought of going straight to the 7, but after a few days of training on one, new I'd crave the extra power of the 9. For me it was the right decision. 118bhp isn't scary, trust me. It's powerful but not a 1000 sports bike. It's a (850) triple, so silky smooth - unlike a twin which is lumpy, with engine braking (but sound demonic on full chat), which are designed for high speed, not low speeds. The power delivery is very linear and progressive. It has plenty of power for blasts with your mates. I took my 9 to Catalyna with Scotty and his mates (champion 4 days, and awesome company, track and weather - cheers Scotty ) and by day 3, was pushing the bike and myself hard and it's more than capable. It's no sports bike, and so isn't as pinned, poised like a sports bike and isn't designed for track purpose, so I was whipped on the straights and out of the corners by 600s and Thous (and better riders), but I was pretty much flat out at 150mph and it's nicely planted. It's well balanced and confident in the corners, brakes are brilliant (the front was well tested at Catalyna) but most overwhelming feeling is that power is delivered so linear and perfectly, for me. I appreciate that power delivery is subjective. I've since test ridden a 959 (twin) and a GSXR750 (in-line 4) and still prefer the power delivery of the 9. On track, I'd have the GSXR or the Ducati as the power is all about 8000 revs plus. For fast, fun road riding, and for working your way through traffic with ease, the 9's triple is sublime. I'm 6'1" and the riding position is perfect. Bars are wide controls are great (the horn's not well placed, but I never use it) and the 3 ECU modes are changeable on the fly. STD mode is 95% of the full power, and ideal for everyday town use. B (is boring) or rain mode and 85% of the power is available, but to be honest, unless you ride like a pensioner, you'd never use this mode. A-mode, is anarchic and all 118 ponies are available. In A, throttle response is noticeably more responsive and you can wheelie in 1st, 2nd from the lights, easily. A-mode is fast road/weekend mode and acceleration is hard and fast. STD is no slouch, believe me, but this bike isn't a 1000 sports bike, so it's more forgiving than one. The 9 is my first big bike and I don't regret it for a second.
Negatives, there are some: Stock suspension is shite - very basic, so an upgraded shock and fork springs or full on internals/cartridges will make the world of difference. I went with Nitron shock and RaceTec springs, both custom for my weight, and thicker fork oil.
The seat is pretty hard and takes some getting used to it, but 4000 miles later, I don't notice it, but after an hour or so, you're glad for a wee arse rest.
Standard exhaust is actually very good at it's job, but could do with being noisier, but that's all subjective. I went for a full SP Engineering system, and it's fooking loud with baffles in, but I like that - helps in London traffic!
Tail tidy - it needs one. All new bikes need one!
Radiator guard - it needs one. Again, most new bikes need one really.
There's other upgrades I did, but are not needed by any stretch of the imagination, which include, adjustable levers (very handy), little sports screen, ECU remap, seat cowl (turns it into a single seater) and engine protectors.
Thing is, the MT does it's job effortlessly. It's a delight and low and fast speeds. It's light (188kgs with a full tank) and nimble and combined with seat height, size and length, is a very useable bike which you can chuck about. I'd go as far as to say it flatters the rider, like a sublime high-end DH MTB will do! The 9 isn't high-end; it's a budget naked with a sublime and awesome, industry respected triple engine. Yamaha shouldn't have scrimped on the suspension, but then at £7500, it's a steal given what you get out of it. So what if it doesn't give you any protection against the elements - it's a fast, fun bike and the smile it puts on your face on a daily basis will make up for the wind buffeting you get at 80mph plus. It's not a sports bike after all, and let's face it, any bike (that's not a sports bike) with a screen, is going to be dull, boring and sluggish. The ABS model is well handy, especially in wet conditions and hard braking, avoiding lock-up. Mine 9 is a late 2015, but new bikes have TC, but I can't comment how that is. May be worth a visit to http://mt09.motorcycle-talk.com/ - there's some very knowledgeable folk on there, some with the latest 9 models.
Insurance in my first year was close to £900, but that was with 6 points (CU90 and SP30). I'm 45 and live in south west London. This year was £400 and that's with 2 years NCB. A quote for a 2015 GSXR 750 was £1200 for this year. If you do decide on the MT, seriously, don't bother with the 7. You'll out grow it in weeks. Go straight for the 9 and enjoy biking. Great first bike, but definitely change the shock and fork internals straight away.
As Scotty says, choosing which bike is a nice problem to have
