Davy F
Registered user
OK, this isn't my own bike, but what the hell !
Having seen the new Tracer at the NEC and honestly not having my boat floated, I needed to give the bike the chance to change my mind with how it rode. Approaching the bike as it sat on its side stand, I can't help feel that it looks very......busy. Lots of knooks and crannies, fake carbon look plastic......I don't think it has the air of quality that the Honda Crossrunner I rode recently has. Still, this is all about the ride, so off I went.
The three cylinder motor is a real peach. The only triples I've ridden before are Triumphs Tiger/Sport 1050s and this sounds less gravelly. I set the ride mode to A which I believe is the sharpest setting and nicked it into 1st gear. The gearbox is a delight as I went up through the gears and the exhaust emits a lovely sound. I doubt I'd want a louder pipe on this baby as I think that you'd lose the engine noise which is lovely to listen too.
I threaded my way through heavy traffic and made my way to some of my favourite roads. I found that the throttle is quite snatchy which surprised me as I thought Yamaha would have made better improvements after the complaints with the MT09. There seemed to be quite a bit of slack in the throttle and I presume you can't do anything about that as it's ride by wire. Still, as the ride went on I became more used to it, but it was always there in the background. Still, now out in the country, I was able to give the triple some beans to find out how responsive she was and I'm delighted to say that this motor really delivers. There seems to be power at all revs and it is a rather rapid motorcycle. The response from idle to around 6000 revs is terrific and when she hits 7k, she lifts her skirts and really flies.
Luckily, she can also handle the fast approaching bends with aplomb. Unlike the new Crossrunner which was a tad spongy and bouncy, the suspension is beautifully balanced and provides loads of feedback. Fork dive is acceptable when hammering on the responsive brakes and I enjoyed the dry roads flashing under my wheels as I tipped from one corner to the next. It really is a confidence inspiring machine and it felt really at home on it.
Which brings me onto the ergos. The seat was set in the higher position and I was happy with the amount of legroom provided. The reach to the handlebars was spot on and I can see many owners covering big miles in comfort. Well, that is if they don't buy the so called 'comfort saddle'. The closest comparison I can come up with is the obligatory plank of wood cliche. It really is that bad and I can't believe the standard seat is any worse. Anyway, what did impress is how comfortable the bike is at speed despite initially thinking the screen etc wouldn't keep much wind blast off me. Approaching 100+ mph (I luckily have access to a private runway) and beyond is amazing at how the designers have managed to keep the rider comfortable. I thought the hand guards were terribly over-styled, but they must work in conjunction with the headlamp nacelle and screen to deflect the worse of the wind away from the rider. It is much better than my 1190 Adv in this respect, really impressive.
The dash is simple and clear, much better than Hondas effort on the Crossrunner and it was easy to scroll through the different information on offer. The only thing I couldn't find was if the traction control could be turned off. It does a good job of keeping the front wheel near the ground and stifles the power in those exuberant twists of the throttle. As for the mirrors, hmmm, not much use IMO. They need to be wider, but that would push them out past the hand guards and into car mirror clipping territory.
The overall finish is fine given that this is a demo bike that won't get the pampering it deserves from a doting owner. And that owner should be very happy in his or her choice of motorcycle. I am really impressed with what Yamaha has delivered, especially for the price. It handles great, goes like stink, brakes well, has great ergos and according to the fuel readout returned 53 mpg despite my best efforts. It is really that good and is now on my radar when the time comes to let the KTM go. I just hope that someone comes up with a better seat by then.
Having seen the new Tracer at the NEC and honestly not having my boat floated, I needed to give the bike the chance to change my mind with how it rode. Approaching the bike as it sat on its side stand, I can't help feel that it looks very......busy. Lots of knooks and crannies, fake carbon look plastic......I don't think it has the air of quality that the Honda Crossrunner I rode recently has. Still, this is all about the ride, so off I went.
The three cylinder motor is a real peach. The only triples I've ridden before are Triumphs Tiger/Sport 1050s and this sounds less gravelly. I set the ride mode to A which I believe is the sharpest setting and nicked it into 1st gear. The gearbox is a delight as I went up through the gears and the exhaust emits a lovely sound. I doubt I'd want a louder pipe on this baby as I think that you'd lose the engine noise which is lovely to listen too.
I threaded my way through heavy traffic and made my way to some of my favourite roads. I found that the throttle is quite snatchy which surprised me as I thought Yamaha would have made better improvements after the complaints with the MT09. There seemed to be quite a bit of slack in the throttle and I presume you can't do anything about that as it's ride by wire. Still, as the ride went on I became more used to it, but it was always there in the background. Still, now out in the country, I was able to give the triple some beans to find out how responsive she was and I'm delighted to say that this motor really delivers. There seems to be power at all revs and it is a rather rapid motorcycle. The response from idle to around 6000 revs is terrific and when she hits 7k, she lifts her skirts and really flies.
Luckily, she can also handle the fast approaching bends with aplomb. Unlike the new Crossrunner which was a tad spongy and bouncy, the suspension is beautifully balanced and provides loads of feedback. Fork dive is acceptable when hammering on the responsive brakes and I enjoyed the dry roads flashing under my wheels as I tipped from one corner to the next. It really is a confidence inspiring machine and it felt really at home on it.
Which brings me onto the ergos. The seat was set in the higher position and I was happy with the amount of legroom provided. The reach to the handlebars was spot on and I can see many owners covering big miles in comfort. Well, that is if they don't buy the so called 'comfort saddle'. The closest comparison I can come up with is the obligatory plank of wood cliche. It really is that bad and I can't believe the standard seat is any worse. Anyway, what did impress is how comfortable the bike is at speed despite initially thinking the screen etc wouldn't keep much wind blast off me. Approaching 100+ mph (I luckily have access to a private runway) and beyond is amazing at how the designers have managed to keep the rider comfortable. I thought the hand guards were terribly over-styled, but they must work in conjunction with the headlamp nacelle and screen to deflect the worse of the wind away from the rider. It is much better than my 1190 Adv in this respect, really impressive.
The dash is simple and clear, much better than Hondas effort on the Crossrunner and it was easy to scroll through the different information on offer. The only thing I couldn't find was if the traction control could be turned off. It does a good job of keeping the front wheel near the ground and stifles the power in those exuberant twists of the throttle. As for the mirrors, hmmm, not much use IMO. They need to be wider, but that would push them out past the hand guards and into car mirror clipping territory.
The overall finish is fine given that this is a demo bike that won't get the pampering it deserves from a doting owner. And that owner should be very happy in his or her choice of motorcycle. I am really impressed with what Yamaha has delivered, especially for the price. It handles great, goes like stink, brakes well, has great ergos and according to the fuel readout returned 53 mpg despite my best efforts. It is really that good and is now on my radar when the time comes to let the KTM go. I just hope that someone comes up with a better seat by then.
I tried today using "GRIP" pockets on my BMW 2in1 gloves and low setting was definately hot, but not burning hot.
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