All Duels – Duel Crossrunner Vs MT-09 Tracer: Goliath vs. David – The Honda doesn’t break three legs a la Yam

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Crossrunner Vs MT-09 Tracer Duel: Goliath vs. David

All Duels - Duel Crossrunner Vs MT-09 Tracer: Goliath vs. David - The Honda doesn't break three legs a la Yam

In 2015, the two Japanese motorcycle manufacturers Honda and Yamaha competed in the segment of ” sporty road trail with a GT trend ”. Who from the Crossrunner VFR800X or the MT-09 Tracer wins this new MNC duel ? Ready, Set…

The Honda doesn’t break three legs like Yam

As mentioned in the introduction, the Yamaha is intractable towards the Honda in terms of acceleration and pick-up. The 3-cylinder Iwata responds present from 3000 rpm on the first reports, and under 4000 rpm on the upper gears (for info, the two motorcycles trot at 90 km / h in sixth at 3500 rpm).

To allow the Crossrunner to stay in the wheel of the Tracer, the Tokyo V4 must be kept above 6500 rpm, from which the V-Tec system activates – gently! – the eight additional valves (16 in all) and finally begins to let go of the horses and the Nm…

The number of decibels also increases suddenly on the Honda! The pot begins to crackle, the air box resonates, some vibrations even go through the feet and hands. The "VFR" is then more sensational than the "MT", but not more efficient.

Even by carefully preparing his attack, the Honda rider will not be able to surprise and overtake – in a word, surpass – his comrade on the Yamaha. The latter only has to rotate the right wrist to stay in front, even if its indicator indicates a higher gear..

The difference in torque is therefore more impressive than it appears on the technical sheets distributed by the manufacturers. With a maximum of 83 Nm at 8000 rev / min (against 75 Nm some 500 revs higher for the Honda), the Yamaha could just as well have been called "Tractor", as it pulls on the arms and plows the competition.

In the end, the CP3 (name of the Yamaha engine, in reference to the "Cross Plane" setting and its 3 pistons) is more suitable for use on open roads. It is useless to make it howl to maintain a – very – good pace or simply overtake the car which is satisfied with a small 80 km / h on the straight and endless N4. Explosive, mode A is appreciable in a straight line, much less in turns, full angle…

Much more hollow at low and mid-revs, the V4 (then, in two-valve per cylinder mode) requires playing the gearbox a little too often (to access 4-valve mode). We even come to wonder if 65 cc only separate these two mills … before remembering that 32 kg separate their motorcycles !

This difference is also noticeable when slowing down the cattle. Despite frankly / freshly not ideal driving conditions and a grip that is difficult to assess, MNC noticed on too few clean and dry portions that the Tracer was better braking than the Crossrunner..

Biting at will – maybe even too much for some! – Braking the Yamaha requires less lever effort than that of the Honda. The powers are then comparable but the lightness of the Yamaha makes it possible to register it in turns more easily and more precisely..

On the brakes that Site wanted as "big" as possible – but let’s face it, they were rather "average"! -, the Honda plunge forward is deeper than that of the Yamaha. Remained in their original configurations throughout our test, the suspensions of the two machines do not offer the same comfort / sport compromise….

While he could boast of better enduring the hassles of everyday life (speed bumps in particular), the Honda rider thinks twice before throwing himself at full speed in a curve, especially since he is posted more back, as if on the defensive. More directly related to its front wheel and the ground – wet fat! -, the biker at the controls of the Tracer asks much less questions and prints the rhythm.

Lighter, the Yamaha plays better with the bumps and holes that dot the old departmental areas of Seine-et-Marne. Turning flatter on his Yamaha, the "Traceur" also emerges from turns more calmly, thanks to a shock absorber less prone to crashing under acceleration..

This is a real good surprise for those who criticize the MT-09 "for short" for its a bit too (re) bouncing character and are wary of the behavior of the Tracer. In spite of the very cool temperatures which stiffen the suspensions – and the pilots -, MNC guesses that under good conditions, the revivals on the Honda are only as precise as on the Yamaha which it seems always placed on a rail..

Still out of a curve, when the tires are struggling to transmit power to the ground (Dunlop D222 on the Yam, Pirelli Scorpion Trail on the Honda) the traction controls are quick to intervene. And again, the Tracer is more efficient than the Crossrunner.

A little long "to the relaxation", the traction control of the Honda takes too long to go around. On heavily wrinkled roads, the Crossrunner sometimes remains stuck at the same speed, despite the handle screwed into the corner, for a couple of seconds..

The Tracer, which cuts for much less time, takes the opportunity to increase its lead! The Crossrunner pilot therefore has no choice: to stay in the wheel of his comrade who pretends not to attack, he will have to spit in the gloves, try to recover on the next braking (oh … ) and continue to scream the engine until then (ah!).

The outside temperature is a small degree and the wind is blowing hard. Fortunately, the ramparts of the city of Provins and the photo break are on the horizon! The verdict of Site is also approaching … Very favorable to the Tracer so far, could the duel turn in the favor of the Crossrunner? Indeed, the two MNC testers are already fighting over the Honda for the return to Paris….

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