Yamaha Tracer 700 in the driving report

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Yamaha Tracer 700 in the driving report

Tourable MT-07

Yamaha expands the MT-07 platform. The ingredients for it? Engine and almost all the basic features of the chassis from the top seller, plus more touring suitability: the Yamaha Tracer 700 is ready.

The sun peers out from behind the peaks of the Sella Group in the Dolomites, drying the slightly damp spots that can still be seen on the streets in no time. This is a good thing, because in this unique maze of endless curves and bends, where the 2016 Alpine Masters took place a few days earlier, the new Yamaha Tracer 700 passed their baptism of fire. It should prove that the lively handling of the MT-07, supplemented by features suitable for touring, is at least as good for cornering as its bare, two-cylinder sister.

Yamaha Tracer 700 in the driving report

Tourable MT-07

Tracer 700 seat and handlebar higher. Since the position of the footrests remained the same, the overall package results in a more upright, relaxed sitting posture. The Yamaha Tracer 700 sits enthroned 835 millimeters above sea level. Short and tall can cope well with this, also because the knee joint is nice and narrow and the shape of the fuel tank does not restrict the freedom of movement of the legs.

Ample wind protection for the driver

The fact that Yamaha is serious about touring is made clear by the space available for the pillion passenger in the second row, including the sturdy aluminum bars to hold on to. The driver can also look forward to plenty of wind protection. In the lowest position, the cockpit window of the Yamaha Tracer 700 effectively relieves the chest area of ​​the airstream; when it is completely up and thus 64 millimeters higher than in the lowest position, even the head gets relatively little from the airstream, depending on the driver’s size. There are 26 additional locking points between the highest and lowest position for personal fine-tuning of the lens position. But you shouldn’t overdo it with packing luggage and passengers.

Although the total permissible weight of the Yamaha Tracer 700 is 367 kilograms, much higher than that of the MT-07, according to Yamaha, the small Tracy pushes the pointer of the scale close to the 196 kilogram mark when fully fueled. The MT-07 is significantly lighter with a full tank of 184 kilograms. The extra pounds of the Tracer 700 go to the increased tank volume of 17 liters (MT-07: 14 liters), the slightly adapted frame layout and the 50 millimeter longer swing arm for a plus in high-speed stability. So the bottom line is that the new Yamaha can handle a little more than 170 kilograms in weight – not exactly lush for a touring concept.

Yamaha

Everything as known from the MT-07: The cockpit is small, but the most important information is easy to read.

The engine fits into this like a fist in the eye, because when it was transferred to the Yamaha Tracer 700, Yamaha did not change anything in the often praised drive of the MT-07. According to the Euro 4 standard, there is now an on-board diagnostic connector, and the exhaust gases escape the exhaust with fewer pollutants. That’s it. But why change something that works perfectly? After all, the 689 cm³ two-cylinder with 75 HP at 9000 / min and 68 Nm at 6500 / min including its crossplane design, in which the crank pins are offset by 270 degrees, is a fun, characterful drive that only hears the word boredom knows.

Downstairs it trundles through slow-moving city traffic without grumbling, even in higher gears, through mid-rev it sweeps spiritedly, and at the top it still has a few extra briquettes ready for a small additional fire in the combustion chamber. A drive that is made for fun collecting kilometers, strolling or sporty biking, where you can change gear with one finger on the non-adjustable clutch lever. It’s nice that the twin in the Yamaha Tracer 700 maintains the well-known economical drinking habits.

Michelin Pilot Road 4 convinces with a lot of grip and confidence

Even with the frequent full throttle in the Sella carousel, the average consumption display in the cockpit known from the MT-07 constantly showed values ​​just above the five-liter mark. With moderate propulsion, there should still be a few deciliters less in here. A test in one of the next MOTORRAD editions must first clarify whether, due to the additional weight and the now existing fairing, top values ​​of less than four liters as with the MT-07 are enough. Thanks to the increased tank volume, the Yamaha Tracer 700 can take you 300 kilometers at a time, even in winding terrain.

What the Yamaha Tracer 700 is still suitable for is the carefree curve dance. Despite the wheelbase, which is 50 millimeters longer than the MT-07 due to the longer swing arm, the small Yamaha crossover has lost none of its playful handling. Light steering impulses are enough to throw them from one side to the other. The first tires contribute a large part to this casual lightness. Michelin’s Pilot Road 4 is mounted on the rims, convinces with a lot of grip and confidence, even on the road sections that are initially still damp.

Yamaha

Double headlights with H7 bulbs bring light into the dark. The small, 28-fold height-adjustable disc effectively counteracts the wind.

The chassis of the Yamaha Tracer 700 also promotes trust. As with the MT-07, it works more on the comfort-oriented side, effectively absorbing bumps in the road thanks to its soft damping. Yamaha has donated the Tracer 700 fork springs with a different spring rate and a new damping setting, but that doesn’t change the generally soft tuning. Only with hard anchoring does the fork seem to build up more progression in the last few centimeters of its spring travel compared to the MT-07, and it no go along bounces so easily. With now 142 millimeters of spring travel, the rear damper, which can only be adjusted in the spring preload, has twelve millimeters more travel than in the MT-07, but it also applies to it that, despite the changed configuration and the new deflection lever like the fork, it is more comfortable than open sporty toughness sets.

With this set-up, the Tracer 700 driver drives really well and is pleased with the driving comfort. Only when the Yamaha Tracer 700 has to safe from one bend through the next on the brisk line does a lot of movement come into the chassis, more rebound damping would be desirable so that the Tracer 700 would pull its path more stable. The same applies to researching through bumpy road sections. At high speeds, comfort turns into a lack of stability and a slight unrest in the chassis. Here, too, more cushioning would help. Since there are no adjustment options for the rebound and compression stages either on the fork or on the shock absorb, one vote must be used for everything. And all in all, she does it well.

Wide range of accessories for the Yamaha Tracer 700

The same goes for the brakes. They come directly from the MT-07. The four-piston fixed calipers bite into the 282 millimeter discs at the front with a crisp, but not overly snappy bite. Even after a day in the Dolomites, the pressure point on the five-way adjustable brake lever remains stable and no fading can be felt. When the going gets tough, the standard ABS takes over the dosage of the braking force. Although it is somewhat coarse and has a slight stoppage tendency, it still brings the Yamaha Tracer 700 to a safe stop. Overall, the new, small crossover Yamaha delivers an all-round successful performance, preserves the fine talents of the MT-07 and enriches it with aspects that make tours more pleasant. The lively Naked Bike MT-07 becomes something like a rational motorcycle, which fortunately has internalized the joke for whimsical bends in the overall concept.

However, the additional benefit of the Yamaha Tracer 700 compared to the MT-07 does not reach the customer without a surcharge in terms of price. The nude is available at the dealer for 6395 euros, while the crossover offshoot, available in red, blue and black, costs 7895 euros. But it doesn’t have to stay that way, because just in time for the launch of the Trace 700, Yamaha is offering a wide range of accessories, from sports silencers to suitcase sets, with which little Tracy can be further spruced up.

Technical data Yamaha Tracer 700

Yamaha

More length: The Tracer 700 damper offers 142 millimeters of travel and the preload can be adjusted.

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