New Yamaha Tracer 9 tested
Yamaha inject sports-touring Tracer and Tracer GT with plenty of MT-09 goodness
One of the UK’s best-selling sports-tourers has received an energising shot courtesy of the 2021 MT-09. Yamaha’s Tracer 9 and the enticing Tracer 9 GT – just £2000 extra with a range of super-value additions – have cannibalised the 889cc, 117bhp, CP3 triple, the chassis, and the agreeable ergonomics to form another thoroughbred option in an increasingly crowded segment of the market. We swapped between both bikes for more than 130 miles in the wine country of Catalunya for what felt like a never-ending rollercoaster of corners and curves.
1 World keeps turning
A Deltabox chassis with 50% more rigidity comes straight from the MT-09, as do the lighter 10-spoke SpinForged wheels and an engine rotated almost 5° more upright in the frame. The front-end feels lower thanks to new KYB forks and the MT-09-style tank brings you nicely into a position that is both sporty and instantly controllable. Add in the willing Bridgestone Battlax tyres and the sensation through corners is the stuff of dreams: precise, light, stable and reassuring. Yamaha have given the Tracer a new 64mm longer ali swingarm that still keeps the wheelbase at 1500mm and hikes a potential extra payload to 193kg.
2 The three tenors
The CP3 triple is 2kg lighter than the previous motor and provides 6% more peak torque, 3% more peak power and 9% more efficiency. That the Japanese have dropped weight, met emissions targets and still found a small elevation in stomp is impressive. Of the four riding mode options, the sportier setting is still the most rewarding for its bigger helping of fun. New intakes and chambers mean the growl from the Tracer is eminently satisfying and Yamaha say the audio ‘boosts the emotional connection’.
3 G&T? Yes please...
The GT is a heavier but equally poised and thrilling version of the Tracer 9. Differences include semi-active KYB suspension with a new IMU and wider damping options and a pair of side cases as part of the floating carrier system. The panniers alone cost £1100 on the older Tracer. The 10 settings of the heated grips were welcome and the Yamaha’s up-and-down Quick Shift System is a joyous part of the pack, even if the gearbox – with new longer first and second – is already a sturdy and light piece of kit.
4 Curb the speed
The Tracer 9 launch played to the strengths of the bike through all manner of turns and kinks where the R1-style Nissin front brakes proved more than capable with all the power and progression you could hope for. Electronics such as the Brake Control, Slide Control and Traction Control (all funnelled through a new 6-axis IMU that is more compact than the hardware used on the R1 and runs 125 calculations per second) helped when the asphalt became a bit choppy and even muddy in parts. The whole Tracer 9 experience only dipped through a brief blast on fast A-roads when the screen proved woefully inadequate for my 5ft 11in height, even at the peak of its 50mm range of adjustment.
5 Ditch the dash
Yamaha have gone more ‘minimal’ with the design. The layered plastics and panels promote better airflow while the rest of the ergonomics add to the impression of balance. However, they might want to consider a harsh review of the dash department in Iwata. Like the disappointing unit on the MT-09, the Tracer’s principal info interface lacks thought. The split 3.5in TFT is a sound idea, with trip customisation data on the right and tacho and other figures on the left, but the display is set too far forward for taller riders, is hard to see in the sun and proves an instant dust-trap as well.