Test Yamaha Tracer 900 and Tracer 900 GT 2018: the way of wisdom
Unclassifiable, the Yamaha Tracer 900? This sporty road bike derived from the stormy MT-09 roadster mixes genres … with success: 35,000 sales in Europe since its release at the end of 2014, including 7,000 in France ! Its first evolution tends towards more rigor in addition to introducing a new travel variant, the Tracer 900 GT. Testing.
Tracer 900 and Tracer 900 GT test – Page 1: another trace
The Swatch is to motorcycles what the Swatch is to watchmaking: a benchmark agitator, light and efficient, coated with a refreshing dose of fun. And like the Swiss watch, the bike shines with its aggressive positioning (€ 9,999 when it was released at the end of 2014), revised upwards after its launch period at € 10,499. For 2018, inflation is very moderate: € 10,599 !
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This tight price is all the more attractive as the Tracer 900 happily shakes up the niche of sport-GT motorcycles. Between its plethora of standard equipment (handguards, central stand, adjustable traction control, adjustable saddle, handlebars and screen, 12V socket, full instrumentation) and its ultra-punchy 115 hp 3-cylinder, the Yamaha player shakes up the senses. . and its rivals: the, the or the and its variation have better watch out !
French bikers are not mistaken: this distant descendant of the has risen to – ahead of the Adventure – with 1,927 sales.
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A phenomenal success that the Iwata crest would like to expand with the new version equipped as standard with suitcases, regulator, heated grips, shifter, TFT dashboard and more advanced suspensions…
Quick walks with comfort
One with a semi-fairing and wide handlebars: that is to sum up the "trace" followed by the. A super fun motorcycle, because it is very close to the stormy roadster (identical chassis and engine)! With hindsight, would Yamaha consider it too sassy in terms of its road vocation? In any case, this is what the changes made for 2018 suggest….
At first glance, this desire to “calm down” materializes on the front of the new Tracer 900 and Tracer 900 GT: the previous angular lines give way to a softer and less aggressive stroke of the pencil. This more consensual look is accompanied by a narrowing of the handlebars (-16.5 mm) and especially of the hand guards, considerably refined..
In total, from tip to tip, the overall size of the handlebars loses 10 cm: from the front, the change is spectacular! The feeling of dealing with a curious cross between a roadster and a trail fades, even if the Tracer 900 remains singularly "high on legs" with its high-travel suspensions (137 mm and 142 mm).
Logically, this transformation has an impact on ergonomics, more in line with the usual canons on a sport-GT motorcycle: straight bust and slightly folded legs, the pilot grabs the handlebars with more naturalness. As in 2017, the legs are easily placed around the 18-liter tank, whose imposing notches shelter the knees. A good point for a road bike.
Unchanged, the delicacy between the thighs is still remarkable and serves accessibility: a 1.75 m biker easily puts his feet flat with the saddle in the low position (850 mm). If necessary, the same ones maintain solid ground support when the seat is raised – without tools – to 865 mm (modification that requires a little practice, as in 2017: see the).
Comfort and practical aspects reviewed
The rider and passenger seats adopt a new multi-density texture, in this clear desire to improve overall comfort. However, the result is not convincing: narrow and firm, the driver’s seat does not have the qualities required to calmly contemplate long stages. The reception improves for tall riders, who can step back to take advantage of the enlarged saddle.
On the other hand, Le Journal moto du Net appreciates the qualitative presentation of these new saddles, underlined by topstitched seams and the elegant chrome cover placed between the two. The opportunity to greet a rewarding finish at this price level, with neat welds and surface treatments.
Another important modification: the adjustable height of the windshield, now adjustable – while driving – with one hand via a clamp system as on the Ducati Multistrada (). A success ! The protection provided by this bubble – enlarged on its lower part – covers the bust and a large part of the shoulders, as well as the helmet up to its last third.
Unsurprisingly, the "planed" handguards offer recessed protection: the tops of the fingers and the backs of the hands are exposed to the elements, making the heated grips of the Tracer 900 GT appreciate. But now, we no longer fear to bump a pedestrian as with the previous protections with excessively wide salient angles !
Long arm…
Last modification of importance on the Tracer 900 version 2018: its aluminum swingarm is extended by 60 mm (6 cm) to improve its traction and especially its stability. The front end of the old model indeed had the annoying tendency to become fickle, especially at high speed: Yamaha solves the problem in a radical way. !
Because this significant increase is not accompanied – surprisingly – by any other modification, where the geometry of the front axle or the offset are generally revised to preserve agility in this case. Here, the caster angle remains 24 ° and the caster 100 mm. Result: the wheelbase logically goes from 1440 mm to 1500 mm.
The consequence of this modification is immediately noticeable: the Tracer 900 has lost pure handling and requires a little more effort to enter curves. A slight restraint is felt especially during the second part of the bank in slow bends. Logic also counterpart of the shortening of the handlebars, which decreases the lever arm accordingly.
Rest assured, the Yamaha has not become a "truck" so far! Its direction of a confusing neutrality remains in the service of obvious movements, just like its lightness (214 kg for the standard and 227 kg with the suitcases for the GT). The Tracer 900 has however lost this diabolical liveliness which certainly made it a little "muddled", but also very sensational..
Gone are also the happy beginnings of shedding at the exit of curves on the first reports: the front wheel is now riveted to the ground, even subjected to strong accelerations. Intentionally raising it in second requires straining the clutch, then pulling firmly on the handlebars. Fans of "free figures" will be at their expense !
The objective aimed by Yamaha is perfectly achieved: the stability becomes irreproachable, which will reassure the bikers put off by its reputation of "light girl"! Vigilance remains nevertheless required at very high speed with the Tracer 900 GT: the excess weight created on the rear by the suitcases significantly lightens the steering above 150 km / h.
Perfectible ground connections
On the Tracer 900 GT also, MNC regrets a really very flexible damping compromise, too much to "unpin" with peace of mind … The fork sinks sharply under braking, causing sensitive steering locks. This feature – less pronounced on the standard version – requires you to completely release the right lever before entering a curve..
The rear brake is also not very powerful and difficult to adjust, the room left for improvisation is limited: tightening a trajectory only with the right pedal is difficult, while licking the front brake on the angle immediately straightens the bike. Clearly, a "coiled" driving is preferable to a nervous piloting in the very sinuous portions..
The Tracer 900 is fortunately much more permissive under the same conditions, even if we sometimes regret the "supermotardesque" reactions of the old version. The original tires, mediocre on cold or wet ground, also play a role: the Dunlop Sportmax D222s take a long time to heat up and lack any feedback. Trading them for a more efficient ride is recommended..
Consideration of the suspension settings is also to be expected in a perspective of driving in equal parts between "Sport" and "GT". Site took advantage of the offset wheel on the Tracer 900 GT to strengthen the shock preload: with 2.5 additional turns, the behavior has improved without too much deterioration of the damping comfort..
However, we did not have enough time to lean more into the adjustments, and in particular to slow down the hydraulics at the front and at the rear to limit mass transfers and strengthen downforce. In our opinion, the room for improvement is important in this area: to be checked during a next comparative test !
A big engine like this !
If there is one aspect in which the Tracer 900 and Tracer 900 GT have no progress to make, however, it is in terms of engine! The 847 cc "3-legged" remains a monument of performance, pleasure and efficiency: to this day, this engine is the liveliest of Japanese production, with the exception of the compressed 4-cylinder of !
Able to resume in sixth at 50 km / h at 2000 rpm, effortlessly and with sufficient vigor, this "CP3" offers delectable flexibility for a road bike. But this apparent calm hides a strong temperament, which is expressed from 5000 rpm with an angry respondent. The unit then growls dully and slaps in packs, without ever running out of steam !
Its phenomenal potato is accompanied by a raspy sound with metallic accents: it is an engine brimming with life, which stirs the trip (s) and stirs the senses! On the Tracer 900 GT, the merry-go-round starts again with a simple push on the selector thanks to the single-acting shifter. This device derived from the MT-09 is not the smoothest, especially under 4000 rpm, but its standard presence does not facilitate the upshifts..
Verdict: Yamaha changes course…
Each rider has in a corner of the helmet his own diagram of his ideal motorcycle: a fun machine but not exclusive, comfortable but rigorous, well equipped but accessible … In short, the squaring of the circle! With its 2018 Tracer 900 and Tracer 900 GT, Yamaha largely responds to its commonly shared principles !
Look no further: the Tracer 900 offers the best equipment / performance compromise on the market, all served by a three-cylinder with exceptional efficiency. At € 12,199, the Tracer 900 GT and its enticing equipment – including suitcases – may even cannibalize sales of and !
As for the "all-short" Tracer 900, in this second generation, it has reached a form of maturity a priori likely to broaden its success. This 2018 model is less excessive, both stylistically and dynamically: the bike is certainly less playful, but its reactions are more predictable..
Clearly, she redeemed herself a line to better hold her rank … at the risk, however, of falling too wisely, in line. Because what the Tracer 900 has gained in rigor, it has lost in spontaneity: it is no longer an unfiltered and semi-streamlined version of the explosive MT-09, a finding that ultimately justifies its name change (it was called "MT-09 Tracer" when it was released in 2014).
But this change of course raises a question: isn’t it risky to upset a recipe that works, insofar as "46%" of its owners consider it "excellent" and "love it" and that "43% "describe it as" very good "according to a satisfaction survey conducted by Yamaha among" 1091 "of its customers ?
Because if the Tracer 900 has attracted and continues to attract so many bikers, it is not only thanks to its complete standard equipment and its tight price: its grain of madness – now partly stifled – is also there for Something !
- Continuation of our Tracer 900 and Tracer 900 GT test: .
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