Stew

On my ride out playing around today, the one thing that made it less than perfect was the suspension. A few times on bumpier (I mean really bumpy) roads I was thinking, man, this would have been a breeze on my old vstrom, but it feels uncomfortable and confidence sapping on this bike (my tracer). I thought about it for about half an hour riding around, almost to the point where I had convinced myself to look at for a different bike, to my great disappointment. Then I hit a decent twisty bit of road, with reasonably smooth tarmac, and realised that when the suspension isn't pattering or bouncing or whatever, I can really throw this bike into bends with massively more confidence than on a vstrom. Then I also realised I was riding significantly quicker all the time than on my vstrom, and I mean, Significantly So I am now looking at finding somewhere, ideally within riding distance, that is a suspension specialist, and I'm going to get the front and rear done to suit my weight, riding style, and the sort of roads I ride on. Then my excellent bike will be awesomeness. Never gone this route with a bike before, but this bike is totally worth it.

After a few days of 40-50 mphs winds and lashing rain, the sun appeared. So the bike came out of it's bed for a wee 30 minute ride, which ended up being around 4 hours. One of those rides where you come across great wee roads, just by taking turns you haven't before. I found some excellent twisty bits with decent tarmac, and a few times had the bike through bends absolutely perfectly, and oh my, what a rush. I had an absolute blast. Ended up on a few single track gravel roads, super twisty up and down, but with such a narrow road and really tight corners with high trees and hedges all around I was just bimbling along wishing it was a closed road so I could have more of a go at it without embedding myself in a tractor or a horse's rear end. It's a long time since I just went for a ride, rather than going somewhere. Here's a couple of wee photos, to highlight a couple of nice spots I came across... The one with the boat is at a wee village called Palnackie. The other is Dundrennan Abbey, built in the 11th century.

I had the same, I was on Metzeler Tourances on my vstrom, and they were ideal for my riding. Got a new set on, exact same Metzeler Tourance, and the bike handled like a dog from then on. I guess all manufacturers will have the occasional bad batch or whatever though. The Dunlop Sportsmax tyres that came on my 15 Tracer were brand new, so I had to scrub them in. They are not giving me a lot of feedback, but are working fine. I am putting it down more to the suspension than the tyres.

A fine way to use a holiday. Happy 4th of July to all the Americans.

Excellent, not really relevant here though, I just open my visor and mouth and let the rain hydrate me.

Thats a great photo.

Lovely colours you've got on your new bike. Enjoy every minute on it. I'm so glad mine came with a tail tidy. I'm new to the Tracer myself, so can't help with your queries, but I'm sure someone will sort you out shortly.

Oh, I loved mine. The low slung weight and the ton of torque. Brilliant 2 up with camping gear all loaded up as well, great weather protection and easy to service. I put R1 brakes on mine, as the stock brakes were dire. The only issue I ever had was doing the shims on the valves until I realised that the 'official' yamaha tool didn't work properly, but a quick session with a grinding disc sorted that. Looking at your bike list, I would have put it as better than the ST1100, sounds like you just had a dog.

I've had 3 FJ1200's in my time. Every time I got rid of one I regretted it. I just loved riding them. Never tried the FJR, which seemed to be it's natural replacement, but was far too expensive for me when it came out. The GS's were great bikes, I did 30,000 miles in a year on my old GS550 (partly despatch riding in London back in the day). The 650 with the shaft drive was a great bike as well. I still have a GSX750 1982 or 1983 I can never remember , it rarely gets ridden any more, but I just can't sell it. I no longer have a garage, so it's the Tracer and the CRF here, and the GSX stored away at my sister's farm.

5 FJ1200 Yamaha , GS650 Suzuki, GSX750 Suzuki, XT600 Yamaha and KDX250 Kawasaki.

HIya Gaz. You've some lovely roads to play on there, I worked in Belper for a time, and very rarely rode straight home, too many twisty up and down fun bits. Enjoy your new bike, I'm sure you will.

Wow, some amazing stories here. Mine isn't so wild but here goes. Riding on a lovely wee twisty road, on my FJ1200 , with my wife on the back, and we were having a brilliant time, till we hit traffic ahead of us, and I just brushed the brakes to slow down a wee bit, when a deer jumped right across in front of us , leaving a wee couple of tufts of fur on the fairing around the headlight from it's hind leg I assume. We got away with that one. I had a huge alsatian dog attack my front wheel once, and I tried to accelerate away , and it took another lunge, and I went right over it with both wheels, somehow staying upright. I stopped the bike, shaking like a leaf wondering what to do with a dead dog, and as I turned to look, it got up, like something out of a terminator movie, and started running at the bike again. Man, I never accelerated so fast. That was a monster dog. My most bizarre one though was on the Isle of Arran, on my vstrom, with my pal following on his bmw gs adventure thingy, brilliant wee twisty up and down bit of road, and I was really getting into it, when I looked in my mirror and no sign of my pal, so I slowed down a bit to let him catch up (he was rubbish on that bike, at 5ft 2" it was just too big for him) , then I went over the brow of a hill, and there in the middle of the single track road , was a freaking peacock, and it instantly fanned up all those big od feathers. I know it's adrenalin and everything, but I swear to this day it almost blocked out the sun. I was so confused I barely managed to stop the bike before I hit it. Bikes are brilliant, we all have so many stories

Great photos. But why the one in the toilet ? And how was the cathouse?

Cool, get stuck in with that, and relax about the pressure of the vstrom/tracer thoughts raging in your head

and just to clarify, I am new to my tracer, I'm talking about questions relating to switching from a vstrom to a tracer There are many tracer experts on here, I am not one of them.

If you have any questions please just ask, I'm still getting used to my tracer, but it is a superb bike. The weather protection is far better than I expected. It's all about that engine though, it is just brilliant fun. I've not had it flat out yet, but the torque is just delicious. After my first ride on it, I wondered if I had made a mistake, but it was just because everything was so much better, it actually was just all unfamiliar. The engine braking is what will surprise you most I reckon, that and the brakes. I did 44000 mile on my vstrom, which would have been more but for illness, and I thought it was a great bike, and I've given mine to my brother in law, who is lowering it for his shorter height, so I don't feel so bad knowing it's gone to a good home

61 going on 27 , 6ft tall, and the only issue I have with comfort on my tracer is a sore face from grinning so often while riding it I have a bad neck, back, twisted femur and other daft stuff. It's more comfy than my 650 vstrom was, and I feel like a traitor to my dear beloved vstrom saying that, but the tracer, hate to say this but, it shows the vstrom for what it really is, very average, and actually a bit dull. The tracer engine is brilliant, but you will need a few rides to get used to the better engine, and the things that I found most difficult to get used to was the vastly superior brakes, the engine braking and the bigger back tyre.

Minimum of 2. Maximum of N+1 Currently have my Tracer 900 for riding around, longer rides, twisty roads, CRF250L for single track roads and trail riding and 1983 GSX750 because it's just a big part of my life. If I could find a nice 250 or 350 Yamaha LC I would (maybe) have all I want.

I completely understand that Bandituki, I am the same, I could't ride a sports bike any more thanks to neck and back issues, and the vstrom suited me perfectly. I could do 500 miles in one go with no discomfort etc. , and everybody called my vstrom my mule, and even my brother in law, who I gave it to, said it would never be anyone's but mine. I literally went everywhere on my vstrom, places nobody believed, riding in sand quarries, riding up a mountain path here, with absolute glares from the hillwalkers. And I feel like I have been unfaithful, mad as it sounds. I thought, if I change bikes, will I just regret it, as I don't have the funds to change again, and am too old to try and realign my body to fit many bike any more. But the tracer has brought something I forgot about. Thrill, and enthusiasm. I can't wait to get out on it the next time. It's 50mph winds and lashing rain here right now and I am thinking, I might just go for a wee ride anyway.

Aye, Betoney, but if you drop it, it is an exhausting bike to lift, as it falls totally flat on it's side, so if you are on a downslope you will soon wear yourself out getting it upright again. You want the lightest bike possible, and you want a relatively bland engine, but with a bit of grunt in low gears, to get the front end light for bumps, whoops, fallen logs etc.

I had a vstrom 650 , full kitted out with every addon imaginable, for nearly 10 years. I loved that bike. Used it for everything, touring, moto-gymkhana, camping, offroading , the lot. Thought it was a great all round bike, but not really very good at anything. Switching to the tracer, without even having ridden one, I was wondering if I'd done the right thing, but I , you know, wanted a change. The tracer is far far better than the vstrom, in every area, in my opinion. For me it is taking a wee bit of getting used to the fatter rear tyre, and the insane acceleration, which has me giggling every time I give it some. The suspension is better, the handling, lights , brakes. it is definitely as comfortable, better fuel economy, and , well, I just love it. I've owned some great bikes in my time, the tracer is exceptionally good. i am smitten! Now my brother in law has my old vstrom, and I have my tracer, all is right with the world.

Thank you Betoney and TripleTrouble, I;m just home from another lovely ride, and tweaked the rear shock, felt great, then tweaked it some more, not so great, so back tweaked it a touch, and it is so much more planted feeling with my wee skinny body on it. I went on some proper bumpy roads, and it was much smoother all round, and on smoother roads it's like gliding along. Wheeeeeee

What was it? In case others have the same.

Kappa used to be called Cappa, but they were bought by Givi, in the early 1990's , who slightly changed the name. So they are sort of separate companies with the same ownership etc.

I was looking at buying a Tenere 700, but instead I went for my 2015 Tracer and a 2018 CRF250L , which I can throw around and pick up when I fall off it.