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My sport bikes had the short windscreens and the airflow was smoother. With the Tracer I did mostly long trips and the windscreen was nice. Some airflow to helmet but not buffeting. 400 mile days in the rain were better too. Have ridden a lot in the rain and don't see many bikes but every one that is out there is friendly. Met some very nice HD riders in Gillette WY on a very rainy day. We had all stopped for gas and a coke. Afterwards we put on our rain suits and rode on. The stock screen on mine buffeted helmet and shoulders a lot. Bought the bike in Sioux Falls SD, rod 600 miles in that area and then 1,100 miles home. By that point I really did not like the stock screen.

I had a pulsating on my 2020 Tracer 900GT. Lots of road miles - less braking and generally don't brake hard but sometime do. Talked to a Galfer rep at the Barber Vintage Festival. He told me if rotors are warped you will feel a pulsation in the brake lever when braking at speed (not necessarily high speed just not slow speed). If pulsating or grabbing feeling at low speed then it is something on the rotor. Mine were particularly bad when almost stopped - could feel part of the rotor was braking harder than other parts or more like there was a lump on the rotor. Cleaned bobbins - didn't help. Cleaned rotors with sandpaper and Scotchbrite and if my memory is correct brake cleaner (used gloves). Swapped out brake pads and it was smooth again. I bought the bike new and the front brakes always seemed like they needed more force but worked fine. The pulsating didn't happen until 12,000 or so. Figure it was something I did or stopped hard to a stop and left the brakes gripping tightly or something. Not sure what caused it.

yes to the lip, I put an MRA touring windscreen on and then added an inexpensive lip from Amazon. MRA made one with the lip but was not sure so did it is two steps. I set the lip and forgot about it, worked great and not issues with coming loose or anything.

Mine was not bad. Prior to the Tracer I had a BMW F800GT with the Rotax parallel twin. It vibrated much more. The Yamaha triple is not the higher frequency of an inline 4 or the lower frequency of the parallel twin. Grip puppies are an option - they really tamed it on the BMW but never put them on the Tracer - only did 28,000 miles on that bike in 2.5 years and many days over 400 miles.

30 years away is a long time but the rust should get knocked off pretty quickly. I'm partial to the Tracer 900GT and the 9GT. Biggest advantage of newer bikes is ABS and right behind that is traction control. ABS is the feature you hope to never use but nice to have. Traction control on the Tracer will not only limit wheel spin but will also keep the front wheel on the ground. Launched hard the Tracer 900 is a quick bike and 0-60MPH in 2.9 seconds. Prior to the Tracer I had a 2012 CBR600RR and a 2014 Kawasaki Ninja ZX6R 636. Up to about 70 or 80 the Tracer was just as quick but not as much noise. For your riding style there are many great bike out there. I don't know about your area but where I live the traffic has gotten faster and more aggressive in the past several years. Certainly want something that can get you out of harms way. Low speed handling. Any bike can be ridden well but some are easier than others to balance and control at parking lot speeds. My sport bikes could be a real handful at low speeds - after all they were designed to go fast on a track. Even though my Tracer was taller it was easier to handle at low speeds. Even loaded with a full 58 liter duffle on the rear seat and full sidecases and an overfilled tank bag it still handled well on gravel roads in campgrounds with low speed limits. Bikes like the Royal Enfield 650s might be a good choice, again ABS is important and traction control is desirable but they are very hard to get to wheelie. My CBR600RR would walk the front wheel up under hard acceleration unless I was working very hard (leaning forward a lot) to keep it down. Get some good gear. Today there are lots of choices in good gear and good does not have to be expensive. I do recommend an airbag vest or jacket. I bought my first Diane's airbag vest 4 years ago and have ridden with it in all kinds of weather and temperatures up to 106F - for hours. The Tracer 900GT is amazing in another respect in that it does not put heat on the rider or cook their feet. I've had bikes that would put a lot of heat back on the rider but the Tracer did not. If stopped and the fan kicks on you will feel that but in motion it is a very cool bike - important for someone in the south.

I have a Yamaha rack that came off my 2020 Tracer 900GT - it's available.

Not too hard to lift the tank. I always take a plastic parts box and but the fasteners and screws from each step or panel in one spot and in order. That way assemble is reverse and helps me not get confused. Some of the screws are different lengths and it's easy enough to miss steps. One of the fairing pieces slips down over a pin and about half the time I miss that step and have to go back and re-do it. Whenever you lift the tank, after re-seating it make sure all the vent hoses are properly connected. ON my CBR600RR I had a tank vent line slip off and I was lowering it. I took the bike out for a test ride and stalled it and dropped it! Act first I thought it was steaming but after I quickly picked it up realized it was gas running down onto the engine! Still don't know how it didn't catch on fire! the was a 4" circle of gasoline on the pavement after I picked it up. Waited a few minutes to start it and then rode it home.

Fuel should not spill. Everything I've heard about the frame sliders is they are OK for drops but a slide may or may not cause them to break off part of the frame. At the track I've seen lots of frame sliders and parts next to the track.

But those Virginia drivers sure let loose once they are out of Virginia - similar to Ontario drivers 🙂 Never had a stability issue with my side cases and 58L duffle on the rear seat. A couple of miles on western interstates with 80MPH speed limits.

Went to the local Kawasaki demo day last week and rode a Ninja 1000SX and a ZX6R 636. Ninja was great, lots of power and good sound. Would probably go with the Tracer 9GT but the 1000 I4 is sweet. Suzukis are nice but lack a center stand. For me the Tracer 900GT I had was a good balance between screaming high RPM power of a ZX6R and the big power of a liter bike. EDIT: Got my motorcycle permission temporarily reinstated for the demo but not to ride anything home 🙂

I ran a ScottOiler on my 2020 Tracer 900GT. The standard version and it worked well enough. I found that local riding needed it adjusted up more than when on a long trip will lots of time at speed (above 55 or 65 mph) versus the stop and go of more local rides. I used both of the oil weights and found it good to switch to thicker in hot weather. Kept my chain in great condition and chain wear was drastically reduced compared to OEM. Most of the miles I put on the bike were on long trips. Having the ScottOiler meant I didn't need to remember to lube the chain after a long day or riding. Most of the time I left it adjusted for trips and when riding locally would just use chain wax.

Good gear is critical. Last week called up and made an appointment with my orthopedic doc to have a look at my knee. He reattached to patella tendon almost 8 years ago after a 15 mph crash pulverized the bottom quarter of my kneecap. I have no limitations but messed it up a month ago taking photos of a Porsche track day. Too much aggressive panning plus too much walking and then I helped out out by doing more walking to get in better shape for the Barber Vintage Festival where I didn't help it either. A good pair of riding pants with knee pads would have saved lots of pain and suffering. Earlier this year I replaced my 2020 Tracer 900GT with a 2021 Miata. Many reason with the primary one being to reduce stress in my wife's life. I'm 6 months cancer free after prostate cancer surgery plus being on a blood thinner plus having an enlarged aorta are addition major risk factors. I mostly rode my Tracer on long 2 to 3 week trips and the shorter local rides had been dwindling. Took the Miata on a "short" long trip to North Dakota and while different it was a fun put the top down have wind in your hair experience. Doing the trip in early September meant I was in a heat wave. It is so nice when it starts raining to just put the top up 🙂 It's not the same but a fun experience and after a 58liter duffle bag and the two side cases the Miata trunk is huge! What I miss most is the exciting acceleration and the synergy of man and machine that a well ridden motorcycle yields but the tiny convertible is a different but very fun experience. I could have bought a Corvette convertible or a Porsche Boxster but the simple easy to maintain Miata is perfect for me.

My experience on my 2020 900GT was the big differences are speed, gas and elevation. Shift points make a big difference as well. The Tracer is great for being able to get great mileage in a pinch - shift early, keep speed down and avoid large throttle openings. Spirited riding can tank mileage. Most of the 28,000 miles I put on the bike were on long trips. I could get as little as 40mpg at interstate speeds particularly into a headwind. Interstate speeds ranged from 79 to 85 MPH. Here in the south the enforced speed limit is 79mph. Out west on 80mph roads I'd run 85 mph. I mostly rode secondary roads and days spent running at 65 mph made a big improvement in mileage. Ethanol free gas also increases mileage. Last year went to Calgary Canada across Saskatchewan. Think a lot of the gas was ethanol free but they seem to be getting more gas with ethanol. If ethanol free was available I always bought it. Higher elevations seemed to help fuel mileage as well - have wondered if it might be a combination of ethanol free and elevation. Different modes will affect how quickly the power is increased. More power earlier means more fuel earlier. As noted in the earlier comments the difference is not much. When riding in remote areas keeping track of fuel and mileage and the distance to the next fuel station becomes important. Nothing like rolling out of a town and it's 79 miles to the next gas station - and there are fun mountains ahead. Fill up, don't worry and have fun riding.

Something I neglected to mention in my previous post in this thread is heat. All motorcycles make heat, some cook the rider and some do not. I found my Tracer 900 GT to be a very cool bike. Well if it was 95F it was going to be warm but the bike didn't add to with with engine or radiator heat coming back on the rider. I've had bikes that did and it is not fun to be riding in 90+F temperatures at interstate speeds and feel like there is a hair dryer on high pointed at parts of your body! On the Tracer 900 GT my feet didn't get hot from the engine either. Now if it was 95F and I was stuck in stop and go traffic it would be toasty and when the radiator cooling fan kicked on I was going to feel it, I can live with that because when the traffic opens up I'll be able to cool off in the breeze. Ive ridden in up to 106F and that for hours while wearing full gear including an airbag vest. Had to drink lots of fluids and was hot but the bike didn't add to it.

Welcome, had my raven red 2020 out to Utah a couple of times. Great riding out there.

I put 28,000 miles on mine in just over 2 years. Had a CBR600RR then a Kawasaki ZX6R 636 and after I retired traded the ZX6R on a BMW F800GT. All those bikes turned in very nicely. The BMW had a very plush ride compared to the sport bikes but it did handle well. I never really got along with the engine though. It was a very competent bike but the engine just needed more at times. One time was headed up hill at 75MPH into a stiff wind and rolled on it and found was nearly pinned already. Could have downshifted but didn't bother. Sometimes passing on 2 lane roads in the western roads needed 2 or 3 downshifts to find the power. After 2 years and some great trips and adventures together traded it on a 2020 Tracer 900GT. Wow beautiful engine! Not a screamer with big power up top like the ZX6R but great power everywhere that built as the revs went up. On the I4 screamers everyone knew when I was out playing. The Tracer not as much but still a great sound. Riding position was more relaxed but still sporty. I ran the stock suspension but dropped the front forks 7mm. Why 7mm you ask? That was the easiest place to get both sides to at the same time but it worked great. Upped the preload and tightened the damping. It wasn't perfect but it was a great compromise. Interstate cruising was good but still fun in the mountains. I've found generally what is great in the mountains (CBR600RR) is not so great on the long interstate rides or even the quick 2 lane roads. For me my 2020 Tracer 900GT did a spectacular job of being good in the mountains even fully loaded, good on the interstate grinds (which I did as seldom as possible) and on undulating 2 lane roads was compliant without wallowing. Only thing it didn't particularly like was gravel roads - may have been me.

One really nice thing about the Tracer is the lack of heat from the engine. My previous bike was a BMW F800GT and here in the south temperatures are routinely in the 80s and 90s. I even did a day trip when it was a bit over 100 here. On my bike (problem seemed to be common but not uniform across all F80GTs) at higher speeds and above the low 80s it would put a steady stream of warm air on my inner thighs. Out west at speeds of 80+ and 85F it was quite toasty. My Tracer 900 GT never was hot even on my feet. Yes if riding in traffic or stop and go and the fan came on it would blow warm air back on me. Last year riding in Montana saw lots of high 90sF to 104F. It was HOT but the bike did not add to it. During the pandemic I spent several days in Nebraska waiting on parts to repair my German bike. The Tracer has good parts availability and even in cruiser country still some folks around that know how to work on it. It's reliable so working on it is rare. The Tracer 900GT in stock form is not so good as a 2 up bike but great for 1 up. The T9GT is better for that but think that is one area the FJR is still better at. It has a chain which takes more TLC but I ran a Scott Oiler and For me the Tracer 900 GT was not a light bike but not heavy either. It was light enough to flick into corners and have some fun. No it wasn't as quick as my 2012 CBR600RR or 2014 ZX6R 6363 but close enough for spirited riding even while loaded - full side cases and a 58L duffle on the rear seat. Smart to downsize before you feel forced to. My Tracer even full loaded with all my stuff was something I could still move around - I'm almost 69. Sketchy moments like pulling out of the campground in Calgary with the bike full loaded. Steep up to a steep road and enough down slope to my right knew it would not be good to drop it. Careful with the throttle and clutch and was just fine. Tracer balances very nicely and was so nice to have then. Due to a number of different issues I decided to buy a 2 year old Miata and sell my Tracer. Way down on the list was my ability to physically move it around. For the last 5 years I've taken long solo motorcycle trips. Briefly reasons were wife worrying, blood thinner, aortic aneurism and drivers getting faster, more aggressive and crazier. I still have a small scooter I ride around the neighborhood.

The reason for the annual change is to get rid of contaminants from the combustion process that wind up in the oil. Not good to leave it in there too long. US schedule is 4,000 miles or annually.

My experience with the Road 6s was very good. Rear had 8,000 miles on it when I sold the bike and was still good, would have not taken a long trip on it but descent amount left. In all the years I rode a motorcycle only had two punctures. First was on my FZ6 not long after I got it rear was older and needed to go so was a good excuse. Took my BMW F800GT in one time for service, they called me and said I had a screw in the rear tire. Of course they removed it and it went flat! I wound up going and getting the wheel and having Cycle Gear mount my used "spare". I rarely used more and 2/3 of the life of the rear so always had the old tire which was less than a year old. Dealer would not mount a used tire. In over 150,000 miles of riding all over the US those are the only punctures I've had. I almost never get a flat in any of my cars but our daughter who works downtown seems to get a nail or something a couple of times a year. Something that seems to keep punctures from happening is always carrying a tire repair kit and a small air compressor LOL.

I had ACC on a rental van recently. It was nice on a 2 lane road and on the interstate. It also had lane keeping. I felt like the lane keeping was aggressive and in heavy rain turned it off. My Chevy Bolt has lane assist (or keeping) and is much more subtle and not intrusive. The ACC was good but at times I really didn't like it. Creeping traffic it could do OK but in stop and go it was not good. At higher speeds like the interstate it would decelerate nicely and sometimes was surprised at how much it would brake. However I never really trusted it. In the right situation maybe on a motorcycle but generally not something I'd be desiring. I used CC a lot on my Tracer and loved it. It was great for interstates and two lane roads which I did many miles off in my long trips. Good for keeping from creeping 10 or 20 faster than I intended to go. I've traveled extensively in Wyoming, Montana, SD, ND, Nebraska and Kansas. There are lots of gravel roads in those states that would have loved to explore. The time my BMW was broken down in Nebraska I had a rental car for a couple of days waiting on parts. Did some exploring on gravel roads and it was fun. Last September tried to ride a gravel road near Saint Mary at the eastern side of Glacier. Turned around after 3 or 4 miles as was just too tired of the hassle and it was slow going. Would have been easy in a car. Despite the bike and I not liking gravel roads we still found many many wonderful miles of pavement to ride. The 9 GT+ is an incredible bike and is a fantastic package. It is still the best sport touring bike IMO. Small and light enough to really hustle thru the corners including the tight technical stuff but big and powerful enough to run the speeds most folks would want to run. It won't make that blast to 160+ when fully loaded like some high HP bikes will but is still more than adequate. I felt like my Tracer 900 GT was just as fast thru first as my CBR600RR or ZX6R 636 but aero did slow the acceleration above second gear. Still a very fast bike even when loaded. It's big attraction was good power and still light enough to make the quick right left or left right transitions and just a slight put on the bars had it turning into the corner.

Traffic and drivers certainly played into my decision as well. Thought about a Tenere 700 a number of times. My Tracer 900 GT didn't like gravel roads (may have been me) and I've wondered how much better a Tenere 700 would have been on gravel. Now I have 4 wheels so won't fall over LOL.

Few years ago had a RAM X-Mount on my BMW F800GT. Being a parallel twin it had lots of vibrations and the bars didn’t seem to vibrate too badly the RAM mount accentuated the vibrations. I could see my phone vibrating as I rode down the road. The camera didn’t factor well - it was an iPhone 10S. I got a Garmin Zumo XT for navigation and it did great. Got a free phone and line from t-Mobile, its a Samsung but no Quadlock case so bought a hard case and stuck a Quadlock mount on the back with double stick tape. Also stuck a safety line on the back of it. Have one of those on the back of the Zumo and it is still great - varying degrees of double stick tape. Good stuff is great but the other stuff not so much. Hard part is finding the good stuff.

Lots of places sell them, could probably find them at WalMart, Target or Amazon. When my son was in college he worked in a lab. They got one with some new equipment. He put it in a vat of liquid nitrogen they used in a refrigeration system then fished it out. He said a few seconds after they fished it out it exploded into tiny fragments. His siblings labeled him the rubber duckie killer.

Welcome! You will enjoy the bike. I had a MRA touring screen on my 2020 900GT that worked well. Added a cheap laminar lip from Amazon to it so wound up with something very similar to the MRA vario. Put over 25,000 miles on that and it worked very well. It wasn’t perfect but did a nice job of getting the air around me and over my head. Last September rode for several days in Montana and South Dakota with temperatures from 95F to 104F. It was a dry heat LOL. I had the 39 liter Yamaha top box and really enjoyed it. Was nice having it keyed to the ignition key. The side cases were nice and worked very well. Rode thru a fair amount of rain and never had a leak with them. On my top box I added an inexpensive LED light bar and tapped into the brake and tail light to I had an additional tail light and brake light up a bit higher. Here in the land of txt’ng need all the help I can get! I used a waterproof connector so could unplug if I took the top box off. My son and his wife visited her parents in Amsterdam earlier this year and had a great time.

I traded my BMW F800GT for my Tracer almost 3 years ago in Sioux Falls SD - 2,000 miles from home. Interesting story but fun moment. Took everything off the BMW and loaded it onto the Tracer and rode away. Was a really fun time. I found the front brakes to be very weak but the rear to be very strong. Not sure why but the fronts did get better. Eventually (like 15,000 miles later) scrubbed the front rotors and put ~HH pads on the front but left the rears alone. Try scrubbing the rotor with isopropyl alcohol and ScotchBrite pads. You may have something contaminating the pads/rotors. If I went to the trouble to scrub the rotor would just put a new pair of pads on it. I found the engine braking to be not too bad on the Tracer, not like my ZX6R or 600RR when slowing from high revs but good enough. Sometimes I just loafed along and sometime I got on it pretty good. On long trips when it was a ways to the next gas station it was light throttle and low revs to wring the best gas mileage out of it.