HGP61

Fantastic write up, thank you for sharing your experience and for the entertainment. I have been contemplating adding a divider in my top box to make it easier to pop the crash helmet in beside the other stuff I carry. I hope you won't be offended if I don't ask for advice.

I used an airhawk inflatable seat pad with the stock seat on my last bike when I was on a tour. I didn't need it for normal use but for longer journeys it gave an inch to an inch and a half of extra leg room. (it also doubled as an extra pillow on camping trips). I haven't used it on the Tracer yet as I just manage to flat foot on both sides at a stop.

From 2017 the oil pan was modified and the oil drain plug is at the front of the sump not as exposed underneath.

Only time this bothered me was on a tour when I had a roll top bag tied to the pillion seat, this must have changed the airflow. I remember stopping to dig out a belt from my luggage to put round me on top of my jacket to stop it ballooning. I changed the jacket after that holiday for a longer one. The Oxford mondial suit I use now has a short 8 inch zip and a longer 3/4 length zip to attach jacket to pants and that works well. I watched a U-tube video to become an "expert" at sewing and fixed the extra length of zip that came with the jacket to my lighter weight riding jeans for the summer weather.

Looking forward for installment 2 of your saga

I think I would prefer it in the black. Much more menacing looking in a car drivers rear view mirror.

Me too, First time I had both wheels off my 900 Diversion (Seca in USA I think) I had the centre stand, a jack under the engine, axle stands on front and back and a strap from the handle bar up to a roof roof joist on the garage. The bike didn't move you will be glad to know.

Think of it as quicker and safer than the method I mentioned so win win your money was spent well.

Like it

I don't have a front axle stand but the center stand for the back wheel then a car jack and block of wood under the front of the engine lifted up a little for the front wheel removal front axle then put back in to support front of bike on a car axle stand while I took the wheels to the tyre fitter worked a treat.

I got the same reaction last week when I mentioned now that dealerships have opened up I was going to test ride a BMW 900 XR. "what do you want to do that for" and Don't you like your bike were two of the comments. Mind you this was the Lady that wanted me to splash out on a new Tracer GT rather than the two year old one I eventually went for. I don.t want to buy it I just want to try it.

Maybe not in the same boat as you as I'm not thinking of changing my 17 plate Tracer, but always happy with an opinion. I didn't go down the GT route and went for a base model Tracer pre-loved with luggage. I have been looking at the specs of the new MT-09, Tracer 9 and GT and if I was in the market for a new bike I would probably go for the less expensive Tracer 9 but trade my present bike in without the Shad 3 piece luggage. But whatever you decide is your decision so you can't be wrong.

My last bike was a Honda CBF 1000 linked brake system only with the front brake lever. rear worked independent of front. In 5 years of ownership I never had an issue with operation in use. Only minor complaint was with bleeding the system it was a proper nuisance the first time I had to do that, took me two days.

CP3 Engine astounds! I remember the day I picked up my test ride GT from Saltire motorcycles in Edinburgh. Set off in B mode to get used to it said the dealer. The bike was smooth and dealt well with the city traffic, (tick 1) stopping at lights and junctions safe and predictable (tick 2) Tight left and right bend as I left the city behind good handling (tick 3) then 8 minutes into the test ride leaving the city an empty 1/4 mile straight opening ahead click into a standard mode at some point said the dealer and.....OMG ITS FANTASTIC ITS AMAZING YEEEE HAAAA!!!! BRAKE BRAKE BRAKE ITS THE END OF THE STRAIGHT OMG I NEED ONE OF THESE IN MY LIFE!! And the decision was made, two other tests for other bikes were cancelled that afternoon.

After reading some of the posts in this topic I feel very happy to be living in the UK with its strict gun control measures and mostly unarmed police force. On our we have more ordinary police cars and I tend to see more of them on the roads and they will pull over some of the road traffic violations that they might encounter and Traffic cars that are more focused on traffic laws. In the past 6 to 8 months and 4,000 miles of driving I think I have seen one traffic car on the roads I have used. Twice if you count the same car 20 minutes later on the other side of the motorway. Well its a lovely Sunday morning so I think I might go for a fast run out

My bike came with a Shad 3 box set. I only use the side cases for touring but the SH39 topbox is on all the time Initially I felt it was too small but a re-arrangement of the stuff I usually have in it worked out and I like the look of it on the bike. I'm a function rather than form sort of person.

Extract from the Owners manual below if it helps

Glad it all worked out for you in the end. Now get out and enjoy every mile of your spring summer and autumn riding.

Me too, I managed to get my wife to buy me the jacket for a christmas pressy (reduced to £200) and I picked up a new pair of the trousers on an e-bay auction for £107 so was well pleased with the combination. Been out using them now and have been impressed with both the wet weather and cold weather performance. 60 miles in moderate to heavy rain and I stayed dry and both the jacket and trousers shrugged off the water and didn't feel that they were starting to wet out. Took a 140 mile round trip to a motorbike dealer on Easter Monday that included a 70 mile motorway blast with temperatures at 3 to 5 deg C and stayed comfortably warm. Only minor gripe is that the cuffs at the bottom of the trousers feel a bit loose and baggy and I might have to modify in some way. Just have to see how the combination copes with a bit of hot summer weather to find out if it lives up to my expectation of it as a good all round outfit.

It must be legal in Asia I've seen some pretty ridiculous pictures.

Much the same in the UK, dealership would much rather sell you a mirror for £50 rather than a bit of replacement glass for £5. With my previous bike it was easier and cheaper to buy a aftermarket pair rather than the stock part, they looked almost identical.

Welcome to the forum and excellent choice. I went for my 2017 Tracer two years ago with about 6000 miles and felt I had made a good saving from not going down the new bike route. I prefer the term "pre loved" rather than used. Mine certainly was.

YEEEEE HAAAAA !!!!!!!

Looks good, are you going to paint the bike to match...........Go on you know you want to.

On one of our previous tours my two friends and myself had roll top bags fixed on the pillion seats and we all commented at some point during the tour how nice it was to lean back on the bags. (picture below is pre-Tracer days but one bike is a yamaha so hopefully it don't offend to much)