vincep

@Mike A great outcome from Yamaha - too often on forums it is doom and gloom and everything that is wrong with a bike. Great excuse: "But officer I was just preventing carbon build up."

Finally got the 900 GT E up and running.

I went from a Multistrada to the Tracer GT. Two very different bikes technology/weight/power wise. Have been very happy with the "lesser" bike.

Congratulations - a great looking bike.

First image was CO, second image the Desert X Loop on the WY BDR. Re tires, always tricky. I trailered out west so having aggressive tires was not an issue.

I got back into the dirt in 2010, single track and fire trails on a KTM 450 XCW and a 1978 IT 175. I have done five of the BDRs (NE, MA, ID, CO & WY) and Copper Canyon MX on a Tenere 700. I agree with @Jayzonk most fun would be on a smaller bike, say a Husky 501 set up for light ADV or the more popular KTM 690 enduro. They cost a lot to set up. Light is right as they say. I really enjoyed the BDRs / ADV and camping with two riding buddies. A lot of fun. The funny thing is that as a youngster in Australia, we rode our road bikes on all roads - well maybe not single track! Seems you need to have a dedicated bike for each type of riding now. Images are out west last year.

I fitted the Euro blinkers to my 2019 Tracer 900 as soon as i purchased it, and have had no issues getting it inspected. This year, the local Yamaha dealer did not pass it as they were not the DOT blinkers. I pointed out they were Yamaha blinkers - he stated he realized that, still no dice. Took it to the local garage that does bike inspections, he checked everything worked, tire wear and brake pad wear - the important stuff. And passed the bike. Virginia USA ....

@texscottyd thank you very much for the heads up. Just picked up my fourth set of Road 5s for the Tracer using this deal and applied for the $60 Michelin rebate also mentioned in this string. The price with ebay (oemcycles) was the same as rocymountainatv.com my normal tire supplier. With $79 savings using what you mentioned and the $60 rebate, very worthwhile. I owe you a beer.

Reference security, I use this - expensive but very simple and well made: Garmin Zumo XT Security Lock — MotoPumps - The Best 12v Tire Inflators on the Planet

@Yamajank I think the CCT on our bikes (2019 900 GT) have a pretty good history for reliability, so I do not think you have any concerns there. On the earlier bikes with this engine there were some issues. My question above was more about how the one on our bike operates. I had it out to do the valves - probably little need for you to be concerned about it unless you are adjusting the valves.

Thanks for the confirmation @skipperT. I can see the cam chain move at the inlet cam sprocket as the CCT touches the guide, so I am good there. Awaiting a CCT gasket and will then button up.

Reinstalling the CCT on a 2019 Tracer. I have searched here - found good advice to modify a hex key to retract the mechanism - thanks @keithu The 2019 looks a little different to the one above, but seems similar. When retracted, if I remove the hex key it springs out to full length - I assume this is how it is designed. Can anyone confirm that? 2019 manual has the same installation instructions as @keithu above states. Install retracted with hex key in, clockwise until it contacts the chain guide, then an additional 1/4 turn. Can anyone confirm that this is what everyone has been doing? Thanks, Vince

I enjoy my '19 GT and have put 25k miles on it. If I was to upgrade I think I would look at the 9 GT and it would be hard to look past the GSX-S1000GT+ at a similar price point. Lots of great bikes on the market. Perhaps even the Guzzi V100 Mandello.

See my post from Sep 2021 with the video above. I had the bike at Romney Cycles West Virginia for a recall and they stated they would have a look at it. As the bike has the YES extended warranty I said sure. They replaced all the bearings, seals, bolts, spacers and collars in the dog bones. About $200 in parts and three hours labor. Picked up the bike today, the play is still there. No skin off my nose though.

Nice choice and have fun - sounds like you are already. If the new bike calls you to go out and ride that is a good thing.

Not on the Niken, but on the Tracer 900 GT, I occasionally have to push the clutch lever out (away from the handlebar) all the way to the stop to get the lever to not engage the safety switch. If I have the cruise engaged and barely touch the clutch lever it will disengage the CC. Not sure if the Niken uses the same levers and perches as the Tracer.

@Bernard congratulations on the bike. For the relatively small cost I would stick with OEM.

I guess I have been lucky. I have been using a Kendon bike lift for about 7 years with four bikes. Does the job but on and off does get my attention. I have a 2004 Kendon trailer which has been stout, so I stuck with that company. https://www.kendonusa.com/collections/stand-up-folding-motorcycle-lifts/products/folding-sport-bike-lift-folding-motorcycle-lifts

I had the first version of this and it broke down over time. To his credit, the vendor provided the Mark II and it is much beefier. It is a clever design and I am using with a Zumo XT.

2019 and 18k miles. I occasionally have to push the clutch lever outwards to its full travel to get the CC to engage. I put it down to having the clutch adjusted pretty loose. That's how I like it.

I put my concern again to RoadRUNNER and to their credit it looks like they are resolving - I got this response this morning: Hi Vince, Thanks for your kind words and feedback. Most of the GPX files are on the website, but we keep running into problems with our backend. We're working on a new site. In the future you'll be emailed each issue's GPX file. The Shamrock Tours will always have the tankbag maps, and we're looking at ways to make the others into useable tankbag maps again too. It's just that the other maps really lack the necessary detail to actually use on the road. The GPX files and the app are the easiest way to follow the other tours. Kind regards, Florian Neuhauser - Editor-in-Chief RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel

@1moreroad, they state you can get the .gpx out of the phone app, but I have not been able to get it to work. The ability to export the .gpx from the app elude me. You can share a QR code that gets someone else with the Rides app the tour, but that is it. I have a two week trial of the Rides App and am about to cancel it.

Interested in comments from actual Road Runner subscribers. Have subscribed to this magazine for years and is the only print bike magazine I read (along with AMA magazine I guess). Here is the gripe: Road Runner has good stories and planned rides in it. It is backed up by a website with a searchable, global map with all their planned rides going back 20 years - great resource for route cards and .gpx files. I use this feature a lot. If you subscribe to the magazine you get access to these files. In 2020 they develop a navigation app - Rides. This phone app has all the planned rides plus a route planning function. Sounds good. I do not like using my phone for navigation on the bike, so I am not interested in paying an additional $60 annually for the app. In 2021, they stop posting the .gpx files and route cards to their website (which I have paid for through the magazine subscription) and tell me to purchase the app (additionally). Seems to me I was paying for a bi monthly magazine and access to the archived rides through their website. Now I only get the magazine. Anyone else with a Road Runner subscription peeved by this change? Or am I the unicorn? Vince

Road Runner magazine had an article on Johnson City and a planned Clover Leaf Ride - four loops out of one central location. June 2021 edition. A riding buddy and I took five days to get from Northern VA to Johnson City, do the loops and home. Plan was for no freeway and routes we had not done before. Although small mileage each day we did eight hours in the saddle each day. Was a ton of fun and about 1,800 miles all up for me with very little traffic and perfect weather. 900 GT ran great as always. Day 1: Arlington VA to Christiansburg VA: Although the roads were known to us, always like 614; 678 (George Washington National Forest); 18; and 311. Day 2: Christiansburg to Johnson City via one of the Road Runner Loops taking in Little Switzerland. Route 194; 226 Alt into little Switzerland - very tight!; 221; 80 and 88 (keepers); 197 and 226 through Pisgah National Forest. A top day. Image is from Little Switzerland - every day had these same images and clear skies (well some smoke haze from the fires out west. Day 3: 197 south out of Johnson City - though we did turn back on 197 due to five miles of dirt in a very twisty part; Baileys Branch Road; 209; 212. Day 4: South and Southeast of Johnson City. Ride over Roan Mtn was great. 143 and 261. 80 and 197 - different sections than before. Day 5: Princeton WV to home. More great routes - including the Pocahontas Hwy. A terrific five days, and roads built for the Tracer.

@piotrek - yep I am not concerned about it. Have put plenty of miles on it as is. Thanks for your observation/experience.