Why The Yamaha Tracer Is A Touring Bike That Can Handle More Than Just Highways

Touring bikes are generally associated with mile-munching capabilites. This is why cruiser-based baggers and full-dressers are the coziest of the touring bunch. However, with do-it-all motorcycles gaining significant popularity, a touring bike needs to do more. We do have the new wave of adventure tourers, but most of them tend to strike a compromise between touring and off-roading. The urban-going aspect is often looked over then.

So what do you do if you want to do more than touring and a bit of everything? Luckily, there is one touring bike from Yamaha that excels at not just touring, but also shines through winding backroads, tight urban roads, and even packs the recipe for being a grin-worthy racetrack companion. This nearly perfect touring bike is priced under $13,000, and all of its well-stacked rivals have yet to match this underdog’s insane value and capabilities.

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The Yamaha Tracer 9 GT Can Handle More Than Just The Highways

Price: $12,599

Being a touring bike, it is a no-brainer that the Yamaha Tracer 9 excels at munching down miles. It manages to offer a maximum riding range of 240 miles, courtesy of its 5-gallon fuel tank and a claimed 48 MPG. Meanwhile, this is underpinned by a tractable chassis and engine combo that also caters to a few other cool middleweight offerings in Yamaha’s line-up. This is a crucial part of the whole beyond-the-highway equation.

Thanks to an adaptive suspension and clever weight management, the Tracer 9 not only loves to wind along curvy mountain roads but also has an easy-go attitude when it comes to daily urban rideability. Its slim dimensions are also a major contributor to the latter. Yes, standard side cases can make navigating tight urban roads a tedious affair. But that is taken care of with its quick-release function. That allows you to remove and store the lockable extra storage in mere seconds.

Dynamic Chassis Makes It Curve-Worthy

Main Frame: Diamond ‘Deltabox’ Frame

A lightweight diamond aluminum main frame underpins the Tracer 9. The sub-frame is a bolt-on unit that also adheres to lightweight packaging, thanks to an aluminum construction. The swingarm is also aluminum and all three chassis components come together to offer a balance of structural rigidity and strength. Topping these are 41 mm inverted forks up front and a monoshock at the rear. Both ends offer preload and rebound adjustability, and over 5 inches of travel.

Braking duties are handled by dual discs up front and a single disc at the rear. The front gets four-pot Nissin calipers, whereas the rear gets two-piston calipers. Grip duties are taken care of by a 120-section tire up front and 180-section at the rear. The wheels on this Yamaha are made of aluminum for weight savings and reduced unsprung mass, which helps with flickability during spirited mountain runs.

Hardware Specs

Slim Dimensions Help The Tracer 9 Tackle Urban Roads

Comes With Adjustable Seat Height For Added Accessibility

The Tracer 9 is relatively compact for its class. It has a compact wheelbase of under 60 inches and a seat height of 33.9 inches, which can be lowered to 33.3 inches. That’s highly accessible for a crossover. A curb weight of 483 pounds further impresses, especially for a fully loaded touring bike, complete with hard side cases. The rider triangle has been designed to offer extended comfort. While it is designed to keep the rider cozy during long tours, Yamaha has also left ample space for the rider to adjust the ergonomics. A tall and wide handlebar, comfortable seat design (for two), and neutral footpeg position give the Tracer 9 a relaxed posture.

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Dimensions And Weight

Surprising Electronics Suite Gives You A Superbike-Like Safety Net

Includes MotoGP-Derived Assistive Features

Yamaha truly impresses with the Tracer 9’s electronics. It features a total of five ride modes: four predefined ones (Sport, Street, and Rain), and two user-defined ones that allow riders to fine-tune various parameters to create a custom mode as desired. Ride-by-wire helps bring about notable differences between the ride modes. Additionally, it features a six-axis IMU that enables the integration of the Tracer 9’s extensive suite of safety and assistive features. Surprising racebike-derived features include a slide control system, a black slip regulator to reduce rear wheel lock-up under aggressive engine braking, and even a front wheel lift control. Optional features are also desirable, including a bi-directional quickshifter for enhanced sportiness and heated grips for added touring comfort.

Notable Electronic Features

• 7-inch TFT
• Six-Axis IMU
• Five ride modes
• Back Slip Regulator
• Variable speed limiter
• Optional Heated Grips
• Lift Control System (LIF)
• Optional bi-directional quickshifter
• Full LED lighting with cornering lights
• Lane change and self-cancelling indicators
• MotoGP-Derived Slide Control System (SCS)
• Lean Angle-Sensitive Traction Control System
• Ride-by-Wire With Accelerator Position Sensor Grip (ASPG)

Powered By The Famed And Flexible CP3 Engine

Power: 117 Horsepower

This is the final part of the formula that enables the Tracer 9 to be a versatile touring bike. The famed CP3 inline-3 engine elevates this Yamaha with its tractable nature. This 890 cc engine is used on the Yamaha MT-09 streetfighter and the classic-vibing XSR900 roadster, albeit in different states of tune. On the Tracer 9, practicality and daily rideability take center stage, complemented by linear power and substantial low-end torque delivery.

Thanks to dyno runs done by Cycleworld, we know that about 70 percent of its peak torque is produced at just 3,000 RPM. Power steadily increases from just under 2,000 RPM all the way to 10,000 RPM, catering to both its cozy touring duties and aggressive mountain runs. Power is sent to the rear wheel via a 6-speed manual gearbox with a slip-and-assist clutch.

Engine And Gearbox Specs

Rivals Struggle To Match The Yamaha Tracer 9’s Value Proposition

But A Brand-New Honda Has Come Very Close To Toppling Yamaha’s Supremacy

This all-rounder under $13,000 is a steal deal, especially when you consider the arch-rivals, most of which struggle to match this Yamaha’s value proposition. The BMW F 900 XR, although an affordable sport-tourer, still lags as an overall package, thanks to Yamaha’s extra performance and features. Whereas, the Triumph Tiger 900 GT is the only other worthy rival with a triple and adjustable seat height, but it is way more expensive at over $15,000. The only rival that comes close to challenging the Tracer 9 is the newly launched Honda NT1100, which features an automatic gearbox. Yamaha’s power-to-weight ratio stands out, though, as it has the lowest curb weight of the bunch at 483 pounds. Triumph does match that, but it is low on power.

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