Some of my friends have a Tracer, and all of them are happy as hell with it. I've never heard anyone being dissapointed with it, when I think about it. Says a lot I think.
Do you think these bikes with all the accessories are part of the shop closure problem. When I started I had a bike that got me to work, pub, coast etc that I could fix myself. I had little money but at least freedom. Now expensive bikes that need specialist software and are expensive to insure due to the cost of repair. I feel that manufacturers, not all, are loosing their way. No cheap 2nd hand starter wheels and no young customers.
Maybe that's part of it....great to see the likes of Royal Enfield and Honda still bringing us (relatively) simple bikes to market at value for money prices....
Andy another great video and review. I have had 2 Tracers.. The first one in 2015 and was MCNs bike of the year.. My current Tracer is of 2019 vintage.. Been everywhere with it across the UK and Europe.. 2 up the majority of the time.. It's ironic that you tested this one, when yamaha has introduced the new 2025 version with the new automatic system.. That is interesting... Knowing you, you have this already planned.. Plus any chance you could get Carol to go pillion on it? Would be great to have her opinion which is valuable.
Great comment, and yes, I think it is. I've owned a Yamaha for over 8 years with perfect reliability, but all the tech puts me off. I wonder how expensive these bikes will be to fix in a few years time. The simpler new Triumph Tiger 800 Sport looks a far more attractive prospect at £11,000 Thanks for the look around Mr Flyer.
Way back in 1976 my dad bemoaned the electronic ignition on my Kawasaki H1 500, asking "who's going to fix that if it goes wrong", early 80s the same with fuel injection etc. The British bike industry collapsed because of standing still, progress is a good thing even though I'm a classic bike fan.
Excellent a Summer time vlog when it's -1 outside just what I needed 😊. One of these days a manufacturer will produce a bike with an adjustable back rest for the rider .
@@TheMissendenFlyermight be to do with pillion safety and comfort but probably because of added costs when only a few people ever even mention the fact its not there....
Nice video TMF do like the Yamaha Tracer, looking out at the frost this morning and seeing you in 21C increases that hankering after next summer, I’ll end up wishing my life away 👍
Value for money, this moto has it. Always a few faults to be found. People have more faults, adjusting is how we deal with them. Having 5 bikes of different flavors, I know this for a fact. Sort of like having a different wife for each mood of riding. Lol...and to be watching the review made in July (the month I was born) was fab. 👍👍
Nice bike, Yes I like Ye Old English Villages. My late uncle lived on the village green within short staggering distance of three pubs. Perfect for his later years. One for lunch one for dinner and one for a night out.
Pricing and value alone, will result in higher sales for sure, for a unit, that pretty much does everything. Add in, great tech, and an eye catching look, and you've got a winner in my books.
Nice review & bike. Seems like a great allrounder & while the looks are slightly odd maybe, they're not awful & seems like a grower. However, while I appreciate that comparitively you get a lot for your money, £15-17k is still a very serious chunk of change.
LOVE my Tracer 7 2021 back in Denmark - it's already a lovely sensible fun bike. Here in Japan I once rode behind a Tracer 9 GT with a Yoshimura exhaust, most epic sound I ever heard. Made my mind think maybe that one is next.
One thing that should be mentioned on the Tracer 9 (and 7 as well) is that their max load is about 20-40kg less than a lot of the competition. If you’re a bigger chap who likes to carry around your kit and significant other you might soon approach the maximum allowed. Not a huge issue for most but quite the issue for some. I can’t understand why Yamaha didn’t just beef up the subframes on the Tracers as they’re supposed to be touring alternatives. With both bikes in GT trim the OE panniers are quite an odd shape and quite small to boot. They really need fender extenders. Other than that (and the very subjective looks) it’s a really good package all-in-all. Yamaha makes a proper quality product
That windscreen on the Yamaha is so bad though. Im 180cm tall and there is just no way to set it so that it doesn't feel like someone isn't hitting you on the head at a rapid rate with a mallet. Real shame they didn't make it so that you could take it off without ruining the looks because other than that screen its a great bike.
Excellent review - thanks! I upgraded my brilliant 21'plate 9GT after 10,000 miles to the GT+ this year and I've been really pleased, the ride is virtually identical. The quickshifter is the biggest improvement in my opinion, love the radar cruise - a proper game-changer, the rear brake has more bite and of course the display is 100% better. I kept my touring screen from the old bike so not experienced the OEM. My big niggle is the stupid Garmin/Yamaha satnav link that is really difficult to sync with the screen and has a stupidly slow refresh rate. The weight is nice and low so it's lovely and stable. i'm off to Birmingham tomorrow so looking forward to seeing the new version, no doubt I'll be on that next time ;- )
I would have liked to hear more about the adaptive cruise control, and see it in action. I absolutely hate the implementation of this function on my car, although the main reason for that is that the system works in conjunction with the native navigation system, which overrides the speed I want with the speed limit. This is annoying generally, but it crossed the line to unsafe when the system for some reason thought that there was a 30kph zone on a 120kph section of motorway and slammed on the brakes. I haven't used the system since, for obvious reasons. I didn't particularly like the system in the car because every time I came up behind someone going slow with the intention of changing lane and passing them, the system got involved much earlier than I'd like and started slowing me down before I shifted lanes. I would imagine this would be even more annoying on a bike, where the natural response to coming up on someone going slow isn't to match their speed, it's to quickly pass them. Could you demonstrate the system in a subsequent video?
Morning TMF! Always loved the Tracer 9 and the MT09. Brilliantly engineered. Not the best looking but not a new GSA ugly either. Cracking engine. Good comfort and value. What's not to love?!
This would be my perfect bike but the looks just don't do it for me. Does the cruise work below 30 mph and 4th gear which is a Yamaha trait? So many more 20 zones these days.
Given your experience with phone connectivity on the Wing and other bikes I'm a bit surprised you don't do more to check out the functionality available in modern connected TFTs. I know that can be a pain as you don't have the bikes for long but it would be interesting. I don't think this bike comes with heated grips, am I right?
I don't recall on the grips off the top of my head - would have to lkook on the website (I'd be surprised if it doesn't!). ANd I can't be bothered with all that connectivity gumpf - I don't use my phone or listen to music on a bike so I really can't be doing with it (nav is handy though!).
The bits and pieces individually seem pretty good but the assembly of pieces has let it down styling wise. Sound, performance, features and styling are the big pieces when they all link well to the price then you have a no doubt winner. I just think the styling just misses enough to have me moving on.
Just the way my scheduling works - I sometimes have to hold videos back if I know I'm going to be away or something (in this case I was away for a month on my Euro tour in Sptember and I had to shuffle things around for future)...
Nice bike which obviously is already out of date with the new model just released ( even uglier than this one 🤷🏻♂️) but march brings the triumph 800 tiger sport to the party that easily wins the beauty competition … and undercuts on price by a fair way all be it by losing the electronic toys Yamaha offer but with only Yamaha /BMW in this class ( the others are adventure ) I think triumph will win and become top selling bike
Hi there in Australia people are buying undercoat grey cars which look unfinished to me . and that looks so yuck , for me a bright colour is very important for safety reasons . so its a NO! from me . colour wise . i want to be seen on my bike . styling wise its ok looking . bright colours for sure not undercoat grey .
If u can afford a GS ADV best overall motorcycle, had so many bikes in my life. But the GS ADV is like a swiss-pocket knife. Best combo is the GS ADV for overall/daily/long trips etc. Yamaha TENERE 700 for off-road my 2 bikes and my opinion
I have an NC750X DCT for my daily plodder. An ST1100 Pan European as my long range limo and a Himalayan 450 for off-road. Don't compromise with the Swiss army knife. Buy a tool for every job!
More and More content on all of the brands of motorcycles is driving prices and weights ever upwards. I cannot justify 15K for a mear 900 triple...not when Honda has just set the world on fire with it's new 1000cc Hornet with it's 150 hp 4 cylinder. Less content on the Honda? Absolutely and it's a better motorcycle for it. Besides, this Yamaha is kind of fugly... Imagine what trips you could ride for the difference in cost?
The Honda is great value, but the tracer is a sports tourer with panniers & long distance comfort. I would not want to be on the Honda on a 5k miles tour. I leave my MT10 at home for the same reason.
@@stevecade857 I get your point Steve, but I take shit loads of luggage & my tracer will do 250 mile before I need to refuel. My MT10 will only do half that.
Some of my friends have a Tracer, and all of them are happy as hell with it. I've never heard anyone being dissapointed with it, when I think about it. Says a lot I think.
Indeed - great engine,all the tech, reasonable price.....
Do you think these bikes with all the accessories are part of the shop closure problem. When I started I had a bike that got me to work, pub, coast etc that I could fix myself. I had little money but at least freedom. Now expensive bikes that need specialist software and are expensive to insure due to the cost of repair. I feel that manufacturers, not all, are loosing their way. No cheap 2nd hand starter wheels and no young customers.
Maybe that's part of it....great to see the likes of Royal Enfield and Honda still bringing us (relatively) simple bikes to market at value for money prices....
Good bike needs a Fenda extenda and chain case. Panniers have a small capacity
Andy another great video and review.
I have had 2 Tracers.. The first one in 2015 and was MCNs bike of the year.. My current Tracer is of 2019 vintage.. Been everywhere with it across the UK and Europe.. 2 up the majority of the time.. It's ironic that you tested this one, when yamaha has introduced the new 2025 version with the new automatic system.. That is interesting... Knowing you, you have this already planned.. Plus any chance you could get Carol to go pillion on it? Would be great to have her opinion which is valuable.
Great comment, and yes, I think it is. I've owned a Yamaha for over 8 years with perfect reliability, but all the tech puts me off. I wonder how expensive these bikes will be to fix in a few years time. The simpler new Triumph Tiger 800 Sport looks a far more attractive prospect at £11,000
Thanks for the look around Mr Flyer.
Way back in 1976 my dad bemoaned the electronic ignition on my Kawasaki H1 500, asking "who's going to fix that if it goes wrong", early 80s the same with fuel injection etc. The British bike industry collapsed because of standing still, progress is a good thing even though I'm a classic bike fan.
That is the perfect all rounder, and oh that sound!!!
Excellent a Summer time vlog when it's -1 outside just what I needed 😊.
One of these days a manufacturer will produce a bike with an adjustable back rest for the rider .
Yes I wonder why that's not a thing? ...and yes a little chilly here this morning too - minus 2 when I dropped my daughter at the station earlier...
@@TheMissendenFlyermight be to do with pillion safety and comfort but probably because of added costs when only a few people ever even mention the fact its not there....
Nice video TMF do like the Yamaha Tracer, looking out at the frost this morning and seeing you in 21C increases that hankering after next summer, I’ll end up wishing my life away 👍
Value for money, this moto has it. Always a few faults to be found. People have more faults, adjusting is how we deal with them. Having 5 bikes of different flavors, I know this for a fact. Sort of like having a different wife for each mood of riding. Lol...and to be watching the review made in July (the month I was born) was fab. 👍👍
Nice bike, Yes I like Ye Old English Villages.
My late uncle lived on the village green within short staggering distance of three pubs. Perfect for his later years. One for lunch one for dinner and one for a night out.
We should all be so lucky.
Pricing and value alone, will result in higher sales for sure, for a unit, that pretty much does everything. Add in, great tech, and an eye catching look, and you've got a winner in my books.
I see what you mean about all the bloody white vans!!! Excellent scenery
Not had any sort of street adventure bike before but I might have a look into this one. Thanks for the inspiration 👍
No problem 👍
Nice review & bike. Seems like a great allrounder & while the looks are slightly odd maybe, they're not awful & seems like a grower. However, while I appreciate that comparitively you get a lot for your money, £15-17k is still a very serious chunk of change.
Very true...
There’s a few ex-demos and low mileage examples on AT which would be around 50% of the equivalent GS. Definitely worth thinking about 🤔
LOVE my Tracer 7 2021 back in Denmark - it's already a lovely sensible fun bike. Here in Japan I once rode behind a Tracer 9 GT with a Yoshimura exhaust, most epic sound I ever heard. Made my mind think maybe that one is next.
Yes the Tracer 7 is good but the Tracer 9 is great!
I love the Tracer, however, they lost a cylinder moving from making the FZ to the MT. Had they kept the 4 cylinder I think it would be more popular.
I'm not so sure - the CP3 engine is pretty universally praised.....
One thing that should be mentioned on the Tracer 9 (and 7 as well) is that their max load is about 20-40kg less than a lot of the competition. If you’re a bigger chap who likes to carry around your kit and significant other you might soon approach the maximum allowed. Not a huge issue for most but quite the issue for some. I can’t understand why Yamaha didn’t just beef up the subframes on the Tracers as they’re supposed to be touring alternatives. With both bikes in GT trim the OE panniers are quite an odd shape and quite small to boot. They really need fender extenders.
Other than that (and the very subjective looks) it’s a really good package all-in-all. Yamaha makes a proper quality product
That's a really good point that I had missed - thanks for raising it.
That windscreen on the Yamaha is so bad though. Im 180cm tall and there is just no way to set it so that it doesn't feel like someone isn't hitting you on the head at a rapid rate with a mallet. Real shame they didn't make it so that you could take it off without ruining the looks because other than that screen its a great bike.
Excellent review - thanks! I upgraded my brilliant 21'plate 9GT after 10,000 miles to the GT+ this year and I've been really pleased, the ride is virtually identical. The quickshifter is the biggest improvement in my opinion, love the radar cruise - a proper game-changer, the rear brake has more bite and of course the display is 100% better. I kept my touring screen from the old bike so not experienced the OEM. My big niggle is the stupid Garmin/Yamaha satnav link that is really difficult to sync with the screen and has a stupidly slow refresh rate. The weight is nice and low so it's lovely and stable. i'm off to Birmingham tomorrow so looking forward to seeing the new version, no doubt I'll be on that next time ;- )
Thanks for the feedback and enjoy Motorcycle Live.....
Absolutely amazing bike. Can’t fault it. Went on a Europe tour of 7 countries in summer. Worked like a charm.
Yes, if you don't venture off-road you don't need a big £20K plus adventure machine....
I had the 2021 model. Bought the 2024 and within two months the 2025 version was released!
Great review thanks Andy, I will test ride one as an option to replace my too big / heavy Tiger 1200 GT Pro ( along with the new Tiger 800 Sport ).
Yes the big Tiger is a heavy ol' lump isn't it.....nice looking and well equipped mind.
As a feature I think all bikes should blur the speedo when possibly exceeding the speed limit. Seams to improve the giggle factor.
Agreed!
I would have liked to hear more about the adaptive cruise control, and see it in action.
I absolutely hate the implementation of this function on my car, although the main reason for that is that the system works in conjunction with the native navigation system, which overrides the speed I want with the speed limit. This is annoying generally, but it crossed the line to unsafe when the system for some reason thought that there was a 30kph zone on a 120kph section of motorway and slammed on the brakes. I haven't used the system since, for obvious reasons.
I didn't particularly like the system in the car because every time I came up behind someone going slow with the intention of changing lane and passing them, the system got involved much earlier than I'd like and started slowing me down before I shifted lanes. I would imagine this would be even more annoying on a bike, where the natural response to coming up on someone going slow isn't to match their speed, it's to quickly pass them.
Could you demonstrate the system in a subsequent video?
Looks good, I’d have one 👍
Wish they would improve the front view but no doubt it’s a great bike..
Yes - the new one is even odder!
Morning TMF! Always loved the Tracer 9 and the MT09. Brilliantly engineered. Not the best looking but not a new GSA ugly either. Cracking engine. Good comfort and value. What's not to love?!
I agree!
@TheMissendenFlyer what's not to love? Well, we need Carroll's opinion before we can make any assumptions!
Perfect touring machine
It sure is!
Does it have more electronics than you can swing a cat at?
This would be my perfect bike but the looks just don't do it for me. Does the cruise work below 30 mph and 4th gear which is a Yamaha trait? So many more 20 zones these days.
Given your experience with phone connectivity on the Wing and other bikes I'm a bit surprised you don't do more to check out the functionality available in modern connected TFTs. I know that can be a pain as you don't have the bikes for long but it would be interesting. I don't think this bike comes with heated grips, am I right?
I don't recall on the grips off the top of my head - would have to lkook on the website (I'd be surprised if it doesn't!). ANd I can't be bothered with all that connectivity gumpf - I don't use my phone or listen to music on a bike so I really can't be doing with it (nav is handy though!).
@TheMissendenFlyer A lot of the connected bikes do nav albeit non natively (but that's the same as CarPlay/Android Auto)
It does have heated grips, even the early 900gt has them.
A lovely bike, but the endless opportunities for faffing about with the settings while riding are just as distracting as using a mobile phone imho.
I tend to agree on that John....
The bits and pieces individually seem pretty good but the assembly of pieces has let it down styling wise. Sound, performance, features and styling are the big pieces when they all link well to the price then you have a no doubt winner. I just think the styling just misses enough to have me moving on.
Yes the looks are a bit odd but I don't mind this version - the new one just revelaed at Eicma is another level!
I hate that my '22 9GT does not have a display like that...
But it is a fine bike nonetheless.
Yes that diplay is a huge improvement over the split one isn't it....
July? What? Why so late?
Just the way my scheduling works - I sometimes have to hold videos back if I know I'm going to be away or something (in this case I was away for a month on my Euro tour in Sptember and I had to shuffle things around for future)...
Nice bike which obviously is already out of date with the new model just released ( even uglier than this one 🤷🏻♂️) but march brings the triumph 800 tiger sport to the party that easily wins the beauty competition … and undercuts on price by a fair way all be it by losing the electronic toys Yamaha offer but with only Yamaha /BMW in this class ( the others are adventure ) I think triumph will win and become top selling bike
Hi there in Australia people are buying undercoat grey cars which look unfinished to me . and that looks so yuck , for me a bright colour is very important for safety reasons . so its a NO! from me . colour wise . i want to be seen on my bike . styling wise its ok looking . bright colours for sure not undercoat grey .
In general I agree with you but I think on this bike, with the gold lines, it really works....all a matter of personal taste of course!
It’s better with the bigger screen
$27.599 ride away here in oz for a BMW R1300GS option 719 $36.690 plus on road cost so the Yamaha is a bargain.err might not fit in the new trailer 😢
You have a very strange concept of a bargain!
If u can afford a GS ADV best overall motorcycle, had so many bikes in my life. But the GS ADV is like a swiss-pocket knife.
Best combo is the GS ADV for overall/daily/long trips etc.
Yamaha TENERE 700 for off-road
my 2 bikes and my opinion
Fair enough!
I have an NC750X DCT for my daily plodder. An ST1100 Pan European as my long range limo and a Himalayan 450 for off-road. Don't compromise with the Swiss army knife. Buy a tool for every job!
@@simonthomas5367With all due respect: Nobody takes a himalayan seriously maybe in India
7 or 8 cms, what's that in real money
3 inches
Try googling it, most of the world has moved on😉
More and More content on all of the brands of motorcycles is driving prices and weights ever upwards. I cannot justify 15K for a mear 900 triple...not when Honda has just set the world on fire with it's new 1000cc Hornet with it's 150 hp 4 cylinder. Less content on the Honda? Absolutely and it's a better motorcycle for it. Besides, this Yamaha is kind of fugly... Imagine what trips you could ride for the difference in cost?
Yes I agree the new Hornet 1000 is outstanding value - but for the equipment levels I think the Tracer 9 is pretty good too!
The Honda is great value, but the tracer is a sports tourer with panniers & long distance comfort. I would not want to be on the Honda on a 5k miles tour. I leave my MT10 at home for the same reason.
@@marksimpson5218Fit a touring screen on your MT10 and go. All's good, unless you're taking a pillion.
@@stevecade857 I get your point Steve, but I take shit loads of luggage & my tracer will do 250 mile before I need to refuel. My MT10 will only do half that.
Ugly even the Chinese bikes look better,
The looks are devisive for sure - as it happens I think Chinese bikes look great!