NEW YAMAHA TRACER 900GT
Brilliant Tracer gets a 2018 makeover, and there’s even a GT version.
THE A-346 SKIRTING Spain’s Rules Reservoir is a fabulous blend of tight corners and shallow curves. But it’s also got a constantly changing road surface and a sheer drop on one side. No surprise then that I’m feeling a mix of excitement and trepidation. Yamaha’s first gen Tracer was a nimble machine. It dropped into corners with ease and lifted the front on the slightest
of crests. All good fun, but it also felt vague in fast corners, running wide, and high-speed stability was upset by pressure on the handlebar, or a stout crosswind. It’s not the bike I’d choose to ride the A-346 hellish fast. But I’ve done some reading. The spec sheet reveals a significant difference between 2017’s Tracer and 2018’s – the wheelbase. A 60mm longer swingarm has increased it from 1440mm to 1500mm, which should add stability. Elsewhere, the handlebar is narrower for reduced wind resistance, the front fairing is redesigned, suspension is
firmed-up, pillion pegs are longer, and there’s a thicker seat. All this for just £353 more than last year’s price. Still good value. However, there is now a Tracer that steps over the £10k line, and that Tracer is the 900GT… For £10,792 – the standard bike comes in at £9392 – you get heated grips, cruise control and an up-only quickshifter. The TFT display from the R1 replaces the LCD unit from 2014’s Super Ténéré, a gold KYB fork is fully adjustable and the hard panniers clock in at 44 litres. In matt blue with its gold stanchions the GT looks a million dollars, and it’s the bike I’m riding now. Back on the A-346, the new bike feels slower to turn in, but cuts a precise line through the first sweeping bends. We pile on the pace and the Tracer stays composed. I can even alter the line while scraping boots at 60mph. I’m impressed. The OE tyres feel great, too, with softer and more reassuring feedback than the OE Bridgestone S21s on the
MT-09 SP. I realise my hands are clammy – I turned on the three-stage heated grips earlier. They’re good for anything other than sub-zero conditions, but the control wheel on the right-hand side switchgear would be a pig to operate in thick winter gloves. I finish the A-346 and hit motorway, wind up the Tracer’s triple, and deploy the GT’S simple cruise control. At 122mph the 2018 Tracer is unflappable: no speed weave here. The longer wheelbase, redesigned front fairing and narrower handlebar have tamed it. There’s a minor weave when changing lanes, probably because of the panniers. I waggle the screen up and down – it’s ten-level adjustable through 5cm (2cm more than the previous Tracer), and one-hand adjustable like the one on Ducati’s Multistrada 1260. At 60mph the screen is terrible – wind buffeting my
chest or visor depending on its height. But at nearer 100mph the higher setting makes a real difference. Planning on using the Tracer for lazy continent cruising? Invest in the £150 touring screen. So the GT is a Tracer matured. Compared with the 2017 bike it changes lane easier and has a classier finish. But there are niggles: the R1’s TFT display seems tiny
when attached to the Tracer, looks are let down by simple brake and gear pedals, panniers and brackets push wet weight to a hefty 227kg, the redesigned seat still gives me bum ache, and I miss the impromptu wheelies that made the old model so much fun to thrash. However, it’s still more enjoyable to ride than Suzuki’s V-strom 1000 or Kawasaki’s Versys 1000. I’d also think hard before opting for Triumph’s pricier Tiger Sport (£10,900) and Ducati’s Multistrada 950 (£11,535). The old Tracer 900 was great value – it must have been, Yamaha sold 30,000 of the things. And the people who bought them are happy – according to Yamaha’s research, 89% of owners rate their Tracer excellent or very good. But if you’re planning to cruise continents, hit Autobahns and ride Spain’s A-346 in Spain, the new GT is definitely a better tool for the job.
‘The GT cuts a precise line through sweeping bends. We pile on the pace and the Tracer stays composed. The OE tyres feel great, too’