Suu Kyi

Hi, I tried he different riding modes on my 2019 Tracer 900GT for the first time since buying it in 2019, have always used the Standard mode. Tried the "B" mode, too conservative, "A" mode was an eye opener, literally, it was a very different bike, almost a projectile, quite a surprise. "A" mode is excellent but can't imagine using it too often as conscious of extra fuel consumption and possible increased wear on the components. Nice to have it there though. 

This leads me to two questions as the info in the manual is pretty scant:

1. Can I shift between the modes on the fly without disengaging the clutch or throttling off etc?; and
2. How does it actually work? I imagine it adjusts the fuelling and timing? If so what does it do to it? Does it also effect the TCS/ABS etc and anything else?

Thanks,

Michael

Update - turned up the brightness on the phone to 100%, took it for a run in relatively bright sunlight, changed directions to get different angles of sunlight and it works fine, can read the screen well enough now except for direct sunlight but can live with that. Happy with the final result. PS: will only have it working on longer country runs as it can be a bit distracting around town unless absolutely necessary, tempted to keep looking at it, means eyes off the road which is not good.

On 3/1/2022 at 5:59 AM, joe72t said:

Hello All,

Just got back from a vacation in Jamaica and was very surprised and happy to see that their police force was sporting bright yellow Tracer 900GTs.  I was in a vehicle driving by and could not get a photo in time but I wish I had so I could post it for you.  Didn't know Yamaha sold Police bikes.

Cheers, Joe 

Police in Western Australia have unmarked Tracer 900s (not GTs) as covert bikes and have had a fleet of marked FJRs as well. Hence the local dealerships have heaps of spares and experience with both machines, which is good for people like me as I used to have an FJR and now have the 900GT.

3 hours ago, OZVFR said:

I've had the IPhone on a Quadlock mount on the handlebar until now, and found this a problem in traffic and waiting for the local ferry in the sun during summer. (I see that you've been coping a roasting in the Republic of McGowan this summer.)

It doesn't shut down, but decreases brightness as it heats up to save itself. As soon as you start moving and building speed it comes back, but it's hard to read in full sun. The Bluetooth keeps working though.

The phone sits too horizontally there and catches too much sun. I've ordered a GPS bracket from Fleabay that should be here this week which makes the phone sit nearly vertically above the dash, this should fix it.

Will be interested to see what the GPS bracket looks like when installed. PS: Western Australia is now open albeit Emperor McGowan is still insisting on tough/unnecessary restrictions whereas the rest of the world is getting on with life......

2 hours ago, KellyL said:

No worries Yes that's the downside for using a smartphone, but even some of the older motorcycle GPS models weren't visible in full sunlight either (e.g. TomTom Rider v1). Car GPS might also struggle, as it's designed for a shaded cabin. It's a combination of screen brightness AND reflective glare (which reduces effective contrast). Your idea of a hood is a good one, but might be tricky to build (wind turbulence etc).

What model Samsung Galaxy is it?

• Galaxy S10 - 670 nits (AKA cd/m^2)
• iPhone X - 640 nits
• Galaxy S21 Ultra - 890 nits
• iPhone 13 Pro - 1000 nits
• average computer screen at max brightness - 300 nits

I couldn't find the nits ratings for the current TomTom Rider or Garmin Zumo 396/XT beyond the marketing "sunlight readable, super bright screen" spiel.

P.S. just tried my TomTom Start 25 car GPS in the full sun... it was hard to read!

Thanks Mate, never thought of increasing the brightness on the phone till you mentioned it, a bit remiss of me. The phone I'm using is a Galaxy S7, listed as 855 nits max according to Google. Anyway, had a look at the brightness setting and it was at around 50%. A lot dimmer than the TomTom when compared to side by side, hence my previous idea of spending more and running the TomTom. Now with the brightness increased to 100% it's on par with the TomTom, maybe even a little brighter but that could be my wishful thinking. Warning that this will increase battery consumption is a non event as it will be always plugged in. Any additional heat should also be dissipated by the wind as we all ride our Tracers at warp speed, right? Will try again and let you know how I go, may not be till sometime next week as just did a lengthy run up in the hills around Perth today so no inclination to ride anymore this weekend, thanks again...... 

6 hours ago, KellyL said:

@Suu Kyi I just noticed you already have a RAM mount arm. In case you still want to use your XXL540, all you need on top of the RAM cradle is the diamond base

$28.95 + $15.95 = $44.90

Just add a sandwich bag to make it water resistant 🌧️

(P.S. I'm not affiliated at all with this store, I just Googled it)

Thanks KellyL, I looked at this again as wasn't happy with the Samsung on the X-grip as the screen was impossible to see so quite pointless. In addition to the Cradle and Diamond Base for the TomTom I'll also need another Tough Claw to attach to the handle bar as well as Short Double Socket arm as what I already have I need for the GoPro. Total cost of all that is around $125 not including postage. I've already spent $104.95 for the X-grip but perhaps happy to write that off as can be used later. Need to be absolutely sure before I go down this path as don't want to spend anymore unnecessarily as may end up close to the same as buying a whole new motorcycle specific GPS which should come with all the necessary fittings.

Latest; decided to go with an old/standby phone running maps.me off-line, secured with an X-grip and plugged into the existing auxiliary power point. Works a treat, a bit hard to see in direct sunlight as expected so will consider fashioning a hood of some description.

10 hours ago, HGP61 said:

Too true, I'd only had My tracer two weeks when I went on a trip with My two friends. First campsite My friend plugged a small camping air bed compressor into the socket on his 900 gt and blew the fuse. Not learning from this we plugged it into my bike and funnily enough and possibly expecting a different result blew the fuse on mine as well. 

I can also relate to that........plugged in a tire compressor to my previous bike, an FJR, and promptly blew the fuse. Now I have it connected directly to the battery with an in-line fuse on the Tracer.

49 minutes ago, KellyL said:

These guys in NSW sell a RAM mount for your specific GPS for AUD$28.95.

Add $49.95 for a handlebar clamp mount kit or $61.95 for U-bolt mount kit.

I personally use an old iPhone with a RAM X-Mount and offline Google Maps, and run a Lightning cable to a USB adapter in the accessory port.

Thanks, that's close to the $104.95 for the X Clamp Mount I had a look at this morning. I also have an older Samsung Galaxy which I could use with Maps.me off-line, I've used this app before while travelling overseas. Advantage of the X clamp is that it will be universal for all phones in the future whereas the GPS specific holder is not. 

Update; plugged in the TomTom to the provided power outlet and it all worked, fuse remained intact. Now comes the next challenge, attaching the GPS to the handlebars. Went to the local store specialising in mounts. Looked at a claw mount, the claw ends aren't long (deep) enough as the GPS is around 25mm thick due to the speaker protruding on the back. The claw ends sit along the edge of the unit so could easily pop off. It comes with a rubber device tether but that also is stretched to the max so can't see it lasting too long. There was another holder which could probably work but you're looking at around AUD150 which is getting up there as the whole purpose of the exercise is to keep costs down. Another option is to use my spare mobile phone as a GPS rather than the TomTom as that is a lot thinner so the claw mount will work, but prefer the GPS due to the larger screen if possible.

11 hours ago, KellyL said:

Ohm's Law: P=VI

The older TomToms can charge off USB 2.0 power spec (slowly), which is 5V 500mA (2.5 watts).

You can safely run 9 TomToms simultaneously off USB 2.0 from your accessory outlet 🤣

Standard TomTom DC car adapter is 5V 1.2A output (6W)

Even if you ran their fast charger (5V 2.4A) you're still well under max load @ 12W.

Running 2 fast charges simultaneously will theoretically max out the accessory port.

Thanks, comforting to know, have now tried the TomTom via the on-board power outlet and it worked, nothing blew up.

14 hours ago, Grumpy Goat said:

You might find this video useful: 

 

Thanks, good job. Interesting to note that you mentioned "Itchy Boots", been following her lately, and to be honest she's the inspiration behind me looking into using the old TomTom from the car rather than go spend mega bucks on a new bike specific unit. 

22 hours ago, flyfifer said:

Everything you need to know here.

 

 

Thanks for the link, had a look, seems relatively straight forward. Will use the provided socket for now unless I run into issues.

14 hours ago, HGP61 said:

Will be OK, the power outlet is protected by a 2amp fuse. but if you are intending to use the sat nav frequently it would be better to connect it to one of the spare sockets behind the dash. I used the power socket initially when I first got the bike but found that the connection would frequently get lost and the sat nav would switch off. the female yamaha conections are easily obtained and can be crimped or soldered to the sat nav power cable.

Hi, thanks for your response. Your suggestion to make it a more permanent/secure connection makes sense. Question; where are the spare sockets, does the dash have to be removed to gain access? If so is that relatively straight forward? Hints? Thanks heaps.

Hi, is it ok to plug in a TomTom XXL540 GPS into the Power Outlet on the fairing on my Tracer 900GT? The bike manual says not to exceed 24W (2A). Unsure what that means or how much power this GPS will be consuming (can't find anywhere). Asking as I don't want to blow a fuse. Thanks.

15 hours ago, Rdecae81 said:

just bought a 2019.  14K miles.  when I come to a stop light and but the bike in neutral and let out the clutch lever I get a metal/grinding sound

as soon as I pull in the clutch it goes away.  is this normal on a Tracer GT?

Trust bearing rattle, mine's been doing that since new and has now done 24k kms. No other problems. Think my Suzuki Bandit used to do that too and also a car I had.

Hi, any suggestions on where to look for a scale model of my 2019 Tracer 900GT? Have models of my previous Suzuki Bandit and FJR but not the Tracer. Thanks. 

Had the sensor replaced under warranty today, all good. Second warranty replacement, the first was the front brake switch which caused the cruise control to malfunction, now this. Staying positive......

Tried all the cleaning recommended, didn't work so have it booked in with the dealer next Wednesday to have the sensor replaced under warranty, will keep you posted.

The gear position indicator on my 2019 Tracer 900GT has started to display a blank in 1st gear, even though the gear is firmly engaged. Happens only when the engine is warm/hot and going from neutral to 1st. When this happens, if I select second and then go back to first it works ok. I've removed the sensor unit from behind the front sprocket and cleaned it thoroughly with 0000 grade (fine) steel wool followed by contact cleaner. Once again it all displays ok stationary when clicking through the gears with the engine off, but problem returns when at operating temperature. Can do anything else or are we looking at a new sensor? Thanks, Michael.

17 minutes ago, jthayer09 said:

Objectively the new radial master cylinder is better since the force is applied directly onto the piston inside the master cylinder; not sure if I'm actually noticing a difference since I haven't found the time to go on an extended aggressive riding session yet.

I was going to comment on the foot peg positioning in my next update. You are correct: the wider pegs make the bike feel taller than it actually is because you have to spread your legs further from the bike to clear the pegs. I can see this being an issue for shorter riders; I've found that I'm ok just putting my legs forward "in front" of the pegs, it's a matter of retraining my brain.

I'm glad you brought up the stock exhaust, it is the going to be the unsung hero of this bike: it sounds great, is a good volume, and gives the bike a tidy look as the entire assembly is underneath the chassis. I wonder if it helps warm up the rear tire faster 🤣

Got some landscaping to do this weekend but hopefully I can get out and finish off the break-in period with a day of twisties and I can make an update post at the first service interval.

How'd you find the instrument cluster? Like I mentioned previously, I found it a tad low. Also the black background, is there an option to change that to white? As for the wide foot-pegs there is an easy solution, you should be able to easily swap them for the shorter all metal ones from the 900. 

On 6/30/2021 at 6:20 AM, jthayer09 said:

Been on the hunt for a new bike after my 2015 FJ09 got a hole in the engine; on a whim I called all the dealers within 250mi radius yesterday and asked for OTD prices on their 2021 Tracer 9 GTs. One dealer roughly 160mi from me gave me an awesome $15,295.xx OTD price ($13,899 for the bike) so I went and picked it up today. Remember I'm coming from a 2015 FJ09 so some of the below improvements may have happened on the 2018-20 GT models.

These are my first impressions with about 40min of interstate riding (75mph), 2 hours of state-route riding (wide sweeping turns and 55mph straights, 20min of that in a thunderstorm), and 30min of twisties in one sitting:

Engine & Throttle

Power comes online a bit lower in the rev range than my 2015 so I'd call it more "useable". This does not come at the cost of the top-end at all, it is up on power across the board and it is noticeable but only in a nuanced way. I didn't notice any jerkiness riding in mode 2... which I think is the equivalent of "standard" on the FJ. Engine braking is strong, it caught me off-guard the first few times.

Windscreen

Still sucks, either have it all the way down and and it's loud but clean air. Or have it all the way up and give yourself a neck workout from buffeting, but quieter. I'm 5"10 and lean a little bit into the wind.

Vibrations

Nearly completely gone from the foot-pegs, handlebar vibes are much reduced but it seems like they were just moved to the brake and clutch levers.

Seat

Much better, I was surprised this was such a big improvement: flatter, and much wider. When I noticed a hot spot on one side of my rear I shifted my weight for about 10 seconds and went back to normal and was comfortable again.

Brakes

I think these needs to be worn-in, they're really bad until about the 130mi mark when I noticed them start having bite.

Suspension

This is the big one. I had my doubts that a semi-active suspension would be adequate, especially coming from my '15 FJ09 Ohlins setup. I cannot stress enough how good the suspension is. I had it in mode 2 - "road" mode and the best way I can explain it is that it smooths out all but the largest of bumps without losing any feeling or adding pogo. I can pay it what I consider the highest compliment: I never had to think about it, I started to forget that it was there. I'm 170lbs for reference. Mode 1 tightens everything up and seems like it'd be great for aggressive riding but I'll have to test that further.

Quick Shifter

Has auto-blipper for downshifts. It's good! I don't have another point of reference but upshifts are lightning fast and smooth, downshifts take a firmer foot press but is equally smooth in how it blips the engine and shifts. The firmer foot press requirement makes it a little "clunky" to interact with, but the execution is flawless. There are two arrows on the digital dash that light up when you can use the quick shifter, one for up and one for down. The QS does not let you down shift unless you are off of the throttle.

Electronics

Cruise control is very intuitive; works perfectly and like a car's. The bike feels like it turns in "on its own". This is due to the traction, slide, and lift control systems of the IMU; TCS measures rear wheel slip, SCS measures lean angle, and LIF measures front wheel lift to keep you going through a corner as fast as possible. These are adjustable from levels 1-3 with 1 being least amount of intervention; I rode on 2 for today. ABS works fine, I found it a little less intrusive than my FJ09 but maybe that's because the brakes suck until worn-in. I kept in BC1 which doesn't have cornering ABS; will test BC2 on a more aggressive riding day.

Misc.

The silver paint is a deep silver, and the blue on the wheels are kind of a satin finish. I liked the red better in pictures but once I saw both in person the liquid silver and blue stole my heart.

Passenger seat is big, also max payload has increased over the previous chassis so 2-up touring should be more manageable. The seat is also flat with the grab handles which served as a large even surface to set down my backpack to change into rain gear when the storm hit.

Storage compartment under passenger seat is much larger than the FJ09.

Digital screen has a lot of glare, max brightness isn't bright enough and combined with a weird angle it's hard to read.

Needs more testing:

Heated grips, tires, fuel economy. 

All in all I'm happy to the extent that I'm ashamed I ever considered buying a different bike; got my deposit back from the 2020 BMR r 1250 r. If you're rocking a 2015-2017 model year FJ09/Tracer without any updates added to it like the slipper clutch, cruise control, suspension, or need more passenger room I think it's worth an upgrade.

Cheers,

J

Good review and congrats on your new bike.

I test rode one last week here in Perth Western Australia as we only just got stocks of it. In addition to your comments I need to add:

Not keen on the new front brake fluid reservoir being external and gravity fed, unlike the previous which was integrated, looks prone to damage too and a throwback to the 70s.

I found the instrument cluster way too low, have to tilt my head and look down as the helmet chin guard obscures it otherwise, can be a distraction. Also; the background/wall paper is black, which makes it difficult to read in bright sunlight plus there's also reflections coming off the screen, went looking for the option to change this to white like on the 900 but couldn't find any.

I found the seat ok but the new foot pegs too wide for me, they keep getting in the way of my legs when trying to manoeuvre the bike or coming to a stop. Maybe my height of 170 cms / 5ft 7 1/2 has a lot to do with that, taller riders may not have a problem.

Screen maintains the usual buffeting problem but a Yamaha touring screen should fix that.

Price has gone up by around AUD 5K from the previous, difficult to justify.

On the plus side; the 9 is a dream to ride, love that stock exhaust note and the up/down quick shifter.

Decided against updating as the price is difficult to justify against the gains when compared to the 900.

16 hours ago, peteinpa said:

My only question is does the screen mount the same as previous years?         if not, you'll have to wait for the after market to catch up.

Looks to be the same, I got the dealer to measure the mounting hole on the Tracer 9 GT and they were exactly the same as those on the 900 GT, means the touring or any other screen which fits the 900 should fit the 9. In saying that it will pay to physically check for yourself first as the brake fluid reservoir on the 9 is now a gravity fed unit which sits elevated, rather than the integrated unit on the 900 which may foul the screen, shouldn't do but will pay to check first. 

On 6/25/2021 at 9:33 PM, bikelee said:

Just got my new GT and the windscreen SUCKS.The buufeting and noise is really bad. I'm glad i wear earplugs !!   Any suggestions for a replacement screen ??  Thanks !!

I had the same problem with the stock windscreen on my 2019 Tracer 900 GT. Replaced it with a genuine Yamaha OEM touring windscreen (picture attached). Big difference, still some slight buffeting but no where near the original. I'm 170 cms (5ft. 7 1/2) tall. Works well for me but height may have a bearing on what works for you. I have it at the highest setting.

On 1/11/2021 at 5:58 PM, Suu Kyi said:

Hi, my 2019 GT started to do this on the weekend. Same problem so definitely the same issue. Question; can the front brake switch be disconnected completely while I wait for a replacement from the dealer? Means the brake light won't be activated by the front brake lever (the foot brake will) but will the cruise control still work? Just undo the screw holding it in and somehow secure the assembly? Thanks.

Update; problem fixed, reported it to the dealer, Five Star Yamaha in Hamilton Hill, Perth Western Australia (great bunch of guys) and they replaced the switch almost immediately under warranty. Turns out the recall is yet to be activated in Australia but Yamaha were happy to apply it to me in the interim. Went for a longish ride this morning and used the cruise control a fait bit including stop starts, all good..............