Retracing my GT steps
Yamaha’s Tracer 900GT inspires a year of top touring fun
It’s been a fun-filled ten months and life won’t be the same now I’ve said goodbye to the Yamaha Tracer 900GT. With my longest solo tour to date, and weekends away with family and friends, I’ve been bitten by the touring bug and clocked up nearly 10,000 miles in the process.
Getting to know you
I’ve commuted on the GT almost every day, and soon got used to the upright riding position, realised the screen was awful and learnt which of the riding modes suited my style. It didn’t take me long to realise that I only needed one riding mode, clicked to Standard the throttle response and fuelling were spot on. In mode A the throttle was snatchy, mode B, there is an annoying lag in the throttle response while Standard delivers the best of both worlds.
Pack up your troubles
Colour-matched panniers come fitted as standard, they look the part and held enough stuff for my ten-day trip to Italy. But after a couple of minor mishaps, they soon looked very tired and cost nearly £400 a piece to replace.
I also fitted the Yamaha tank bag, which clips to a fuel cap adaptor plate. At just over £200 it’s not great value but the quality is good, it’s showerproof and proved invaluable when touring.
It was only a winter’s tale
Heated grips come as standard and with three heat settings my hands were warm on even the coldest rides. But they’re niggly to control, with a dial on the dash that clicks between various functions, it’s fiddly and not the easiest to operate. I also fitted a heated seat, but it takes around 15 minutes to notice any real heat coming through, even on the hotter of the two settings. At £345 it’s a luxury that’s only useful on longer rides.
So long, farewell
It’s with a heavy heart that I’ve said goodbye to the Tracer 900GT, it’s been one of my most memorable riding years to date and all enabled by this versatile sports-tourer. If you want a bike to go the distance, whilst being nimble and agile enough for short blasts, the Tracer is well worth considering.