Combining environmental performance with breathtaking quality. A new approach to manufacturing, as seen in Wise Gear’s new MT-09 Vio-Mirage body kit.

As exemplified by the vivid candy green of the XS1, introduced in 1970, and the SR400 with its striking sunburst color, Yamaha Motor has created numerous color schemes and graphics that have captured the hearts of riders.At the same time, in response to the challenge of achieving carbon neutrality—a goal the entire manufacturing industry must address—Yamaha has tackled this issue head-on, starting with the painting process. In 2025, through its “CN1” initiative, the company launched the motorcycle industry’s first carbon-neutral painting line and achieved “Ultra-Miracreat,” a finish that radiates overwhelming brightness and saturation.The “Vio-Mirage Body Kit for the MT-09,” available in limited quantities from Wise Gear, is a special set of parts that enhances the MT-09’s appeal and allows riders to experience its stunning beauty firsthand.

[PR] Wise Gear

The Challenge of Carbon Neutrality in the Painting Process

"CN1," the motorcycle industry’s first carbon-neutral painting line, began operations in February 2025. The clean, open, and sophisticated space—unlike a typical painting facility—is finished in a two-tone scheme of jet black and matte gray, a combination effective for discerning subtle color nuances.

As efforts toward carbon neutrality—considered an “urgent” response to climate change in the manufacturing sector—accelerate, the painting process has become an area facing particularly significant challenges.

In the manufacturing of motorcycles and automobiles, painting is a critical process that determines a product’s aesthetics and durability; however, each stage—including pretreatment, application, and drying—consumes significant amounts of energy. In particular, curing ovens and air conditioning systems rely heavily on fossil fuels, and their share of the factory’s total CO₂ emissions is by no means insignificant.Furthermore, there is considerable room for improvement regarding paints themselves, including emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and overspray loss during application.

Against this backdrop, the painting industry has in recent years placed increasing importance not only on “applying paint beautifully” but also on the concepts of “painting with less energy” and “painting with fewer resources.”In other words, attention is focusing not only on achieving carbon neutrality and reducing CO₂ emissions in the coating process, but also on initiatives to reduce the overall environmental impact—encompassing coatings, equipment, and production methods.

However, in reality, balancing environmental performance with coating quality is no easy task. Reducing energy consumption imposes constraints on drying conditions, while reducing paint usage risks compromising coating performance and visual quality.

Yamaha Motor, which has brought epoch-making coating technologies such as “Candy Color” and “Sunburst” into mass production, was quick to recognize this challenge. Consequently, the company opted for a bold approach: fundamentally rethinking the coating process itself.

Yamaha Motor’s Innovation as Seen in the New “CN1” Coating Line

The answer is “CN1, ” the motorcycle industry’s first carbon-neutral painting line, which began operations in 2025.

The most distinctive feature of CN1 is that it is a fully electrified painting line that uses absolutely no fossil fuels throughout the entire process—from pretreatment to drying and baking. Rather than relying on fossil fuels as in the past, the company aims to reduce CO₂ emissions by advancing the electrification of the entire process.
However, the value of CN1 extends beyond improved environmental performance.

Yamaha Motor focused on achieving both reduced environmental impact and improved quality.
Generally, when people think of environmentally friendly equipment, they tend to view it as something “introduced for the sake of the environment.” However, CN1 is significantly different in that it simultaneously delivers multiple benefits, including improvements in the work environment, productivity, quality, and flexibility.Yamaha’s extraordinary commitment to and advanced approach to painting is evident in the fact that it views reducing environmental impact not as a constraint, but rather as a starting point for technological innovation.

The Overwhelming Quality Achieved by Ultra-Miracreat

Ultra-Miracreat is made possible not by sanding down a thickly applied clear coat to achieve smoothness, but through precise film thickness control technology. The improved environmental performance achieved by CN1 simultaneously delivers an unprecedented finish with high brightness and high color saturation.

Further enhancing the value of Yamaha Motor’s proprietary carbon-neutral painting line, “CN1,” is the newly developed precision coating technology, “Ultra-Miracreat.”

In the painting process, factors such as the positional relationship and distance between the spray gun and the surface being painted, as well as the gun’s angle and movement speed, are critical conditions that significantly influence the final finish. Since 1991, Yamaha Motor has employed the “Miracreat” coating for the SR400, which applies a clear coat more than twice as thick as conventional coatings to impart depth and gloss.

While the original Miracreat coating was perfected by skilled craftsmen and engineers in the painting technology department, Ultra-Miracreat is an ultra-precise coating process realized using the CN1 automated painting machine.Its most notable feature is its precise film thickness control technology, which minimizes surface irregularities on the paint film to the micrometer level, resulting in an ultra-smooth finish and achieving unprecedented levels of brightness and color saturation.

While it is true that the coating machine offers greater precision and reproducibility than human hands—for example, in controlling the distance between the spray gun and the surface or the movement speed—programming is essential to operate the machine. This is where the skills of highly skilled technicians play a crucial role.

By quantifying and programming the masterful spray gun techniques of hand-painting artisans, we achieve exquisite control over film thickness. At the same time, the stable, smooth motion unique to automated coating machines minimizes waste, resulting in a reduction in paint consumption of approximately 30% compared to conventional methods.Ultra-Miracreat isn’t just the latest painting technology. It is also a production technology that contributes to improved environmental performance as a result of the pursuit of beauty.

The “Vio-Mirage Exterior Set” for the Wise Gear MT-09, where you can experience Ultra-Miracreat for yourself

Wise Gear Vio-Mirage Body Kit—Suggested Retail Price: 148,500 yen (tax included)
Release Date: Scheduled for sequential release starting October 2026
*Orders will close once the planned quantity is reached.
Compatible Models : MT-09 ABS/SP ABS (2024–), MT-09 Y-AMT (2024–)

The front end of an MT-09 fitted with the Vio-Mirage body kit, as exhibited at the Osaka and Tokyo Motorcycle Shows 2026. You can see that the color tones of the tank’s top and sides appear completely different depending on how the light hits them.

The motorcycle industry’s first carbon-neutral paint line, “CN1,” and the precision paint finish “Ultra-Miracreat” produced by CN1 have gone beyond mere technical demonstrations or concepts to become products that riders can actually get their hands on.

This is the “Vio-Mirage” body kit for the MT-09 by Wise Gear, which was also displayed as a reference model at the Yamaha Motor booth at the Osaka and Tokyo Motorcycle Shows 2026.

The fantastical coloring of Ultra-Miracreat, which appears either navy blue or purple depending on the light source and viewing angle, is a reinterpretation and homage to the “purple-navy” finish worn by the MT-01 concept—the origin of Yamaha’s MT series—when it debuted at the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show.

A so-called mirror finish typically involves smoothly polishing a clear coat, and such specialized effects fall under the category of custom painting, belonging to the world of show bikes and one-off builds. However, Yamaha has achieved this unique visual expression while ensuring the stability and durability expected of mass-production quality.True to its name “Mirage,” this one-of-a-kind color scheme—which changes its appearance every time you look at it—can be said to give the MT-09 a new sense of individuality and presence.

The set includes:
・Headlight outer cover
・Front fender
・Fuel tank
・Side covers (L/R)
・YAMAHA emblem

In addition, it includes a fuel tank damper and caution labels. Of course, all parts are bolt-on.

MT-09/MT-09SP owners should also take note of the product price: 148,500 yen for the complete set of parts listed above. If you were to achieve Ultra-Miracreat’s level of quality through custom painting, the cost would certainly exceed this figure.Furthermore, even if you factor in the cost of a spare fuel tank, this price is undoubtedly a bargain. The reason this high-quality, custom-paint-level finish is available at such a reasonable price is the superb combination of CN1 and Ultra-Miracreat.

Since this body kit is a limited-edition item and orders will close once the planned quantity is reached, owners who want to experience the high brightness and high saturation of the fantastical Vio-Mirage, achieved through Precision Painting, should not miss this opportunity and place their orders early at a Wise Gear dealer.

The large fuel tank showcases the beauty of its mirror-like finish.

The headlight outer cover emphasizes the bike’s sharp look.

Side covers that serve as accents under the seat.

The front fender also has an outstanding gloss.

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