‘I asked, it delivered’
2500-mile trip to Venice sees GT pass the touring test
After more than 3000 miles of daily duties, what better way to test the 900GT’s touring capabilities than a 2500-mile trip to Venice?
With each ample 22-litre pannier packed with clothes, shoes and girly essentials for the week, I then added a tank bag (Yamaha’s Adventure bag, which isn’t cheap at £205.70), which mounts via a quick-release easy-to-fit adaptor plate. It’s decent quality but pricey. With the extra load I add a couple of clicks of preload to the rear shock, with the easy-to-use adjuster.
The original Tracer’s rock-hard seat and tiny screen drew criticism, but the GT’s plush sofa-like perch is a massive improvement. The screen, though, is still noisy so I fitted a larger Skidmarx item (£89.95), that screws into the original mounts and is quick to swap. But after only a few miles I soon realise the sail-like screen makes little difference to the turbulence or wind noise.
My route’s a real mixed bag. Alpine passes are improved by a switch from the OE Dunlop Sportmax D222 tyres to sportier Metzeler Roadtec 01s, which prove well worth the £270 outlay. They’ve transformed how the Tracer handles, the sportier profile helping the tall GT tip into bends with ease and give me a massive confidence boost. They also deliver great stability on the motorway sections where I toy with the cruise control before realising that I prefer to maintain control rather then get sucked into lazy riding. The lefthand switchgear is cluttered, too, so it’s not easy to set without taking my eye off the road. With each day’s ride I find myself fiddling with the numerous settings on the smart TFT dash. It’s stylish, easy to read and is packed with useful information and for my continental tour is easy to switch from miles to kilometres. But it lacks one vital detail for distance rides, a fuel range indicator.
But the Tracer GT proves to be a near-perfect companion, motorway miles are covered in comfort and there were numerous fun-filled hours on twisty Alpine passes. While many bikes don’t deliver their promise, the GT really does. I t’s a true lightweight grand tourer.