PhotoAl

Good to hear - have very little off road experience but want to do more gravel roads on my next trip to the west (June hopefully). It is encouraging to hear some say "I'm not an expert rider". Gives the rest of us the confidence that yes we too could do something like that.

When I bought my 2020 Tracer GT in early September in Sioux Falls South Dakota, they didn't have a lot of bike but did have a showroom full of snowmobiles with lots of crates outside ready to unpack. Went back on Saturday for the 600 mile service and the showroom was loaded with folks looking. Some at bike but mostly at snowmobiles. An interesting situation for someone from the deep south! Am I going to take a hit on the price? Only if I trade in March. I'm happy with my 2020 and looking forward to lots of long trips with it. I had my BMW F800GT for 26 months and 27,000 miles and from purchase (used) to trade lost $3,300 and maintenance costs were an additional $1,500 (service contract). IMO not too bad for the fun we had together on long trips. Lets just not talk about how much it cost me to fix it when it broke and changed my trip! Prior of the 2021 Tracer 9 GT is $14,500 compared to $13,000 for the 2020. A $1,500 increase which is not too bad considering the good stuff now included. Compared to the discounts available in late summer it is more of an increase but still well below what a new BMW F900XR costs. I'm impressed that Yamaha appears to have listened to complaints about the suspension and high speed stability and taken further steps to improve both. That is different than some other manufactures.

+1 on that. Looking at the video didn't see exactly where you hit the rock - didn't see any boulders in the road so wow. I'm in the middle of installing a SRC skidpan. It has a rear mount that goes from one side to the other in the back - looks like your old one had a mount one each side, did they go all the way across?

WOW didn't intend to write so much but my book on the 2021 is: Having spent some time looking at the pics and thinking it over IMO it will look better in person than photos. The red shows it better but looks to me like the fairing pieces are kind of like MotoGP wings - a tunnel on the inside. Air intakes have the scoops added which is interesting. I would have preferred a smoother fairing shape but not that bad after I study it. I like the look of my 2020 Tracer GT but not totally crazy about it. Looking at the changes to the chassis and geometry looks like they have been reading the forums and have matured the bike further giving it more stability probability at the expense of some nimbleness. Have to wonder about ground clearance. Other day noticed that although the Tracer GT is a tall bike the engine is set low in the frame which contributes to it nimbleness and lightness. My old FZ6 was very top heavy and could be a beast to hold up if it tipped over a bit - almost dropped it in a parking lot when someone cut in front of me and I had to hit the brakes while turning at 4 or 5 MPH> Said they angled the engine over more which would keep the weight low but allow them to possible raise the bottom a bit for more ground clearance. I agree the bags don't look so great but again good space in and good room for pillion legs. Again a more grown-up bike. More like a baby FJR now. Price? It's more than the 2020 (I paid $11,500 in September for mine) but still at $14,899 it is $2,000 to $2,500 less than a comparably outfitted BMW F900XR. Comparing that bike to a 2020 Tracer GT it has a more refined suspension but not as fun as the Tracer. I'm very happy with my 2020 GT and not looking to trade it but will quit worrying about it - if someone steals it I'll buy a 2021. But I'm not leaving it outside but keeping it locked up in my garage. There are fun bikes out there but for lots of touring miles on a reliable, easy to get parts for bike that is relatively lightweight I'm sticking with the Tracer GT be a 2020 or a newer one. Using a very scientific study and analysis of Cycle Trader listings looks like BMW has a lot of the F900XRs sitting in dealerships. I see the original FJ-09 GT as a hooligan bike trying to be a touring bike, then the Tracer 900 GT added more refinement and tamed a lot of the hooligan nature but it still is there. Now the Tracer 9 GT has even more refinement (judging from suspension and chassis changes) and will be a great sport touring bike that is still very sporty. Over the years the FJR has always been the sporty sport touring bike even when others went for bigger engines the FJR held true to it heritage. Crazy thing to me is this is a 900cc bike - almost a liter bike. Not a 675 saying its a triple making the same power as a 600 I4 but a 900cc ripple with loads of torque and good HP. I've always had a 600cc bike until my BMW which was a 800cc twin but needed the displacement to get much less HP. My Tracer GT gives me sport bike acceleration (LOL by the specs it is theoretically a tick quicker to 60 than my ZX6R was) great handling and I can add luggage and go touring for 2 weeks or longer with no issues. Finally the "thing" between the screens? Maybe it's a EU mandated spy camera to record who is riding like a hooligan :-)

LOL give away my stands when I bought my last bike a BMW F800GT. Several times I had both wheels off using just the center stand and a jack under the headers. Not the most stable but leave it alone and it wont go anywhere. On the Tracer GT did one wheel at a time using the center stand and for the front center stand plus a jack under the headers. I had a Woodcraft ripple clamp stand. It was OK but if space between the fender and the bottom triple was tight it could be difficult to get it in place plus the pin was a tight fit. It was only beneficial when doing work on the forks. For the Tracer GT will just use a jack under the headers.

Interesting the radial play. I have long suspected something amiss in the suspension contributing to the wobble or weave on a lot of bikes. Last couple of weeks I've been out riding it more and somewhat aggressively. I'm happy with the suspension - stock settings but one or two clicks firmer. Front tire is Pilot Power 5 and rear Road 5 and very happy with them. I'm not the most aggressive rider but the bike leans and turns well enough. I'm still amazed at how lively the bike is, very responsive and I find that I have to pay attention as a little deviation in steering and Im drifting off - not as in wandering but rather fast steering. Bike feels very light.

I think the Kappa boxes are "cheap" Givis I also strap a duffle on top instead of a top case. Duffle goes on the passenger seat and keeps weight more forward. Have thought about a small top case for helmet and wet weather gear. Would still put a duffle on the rear seat. My duffle clears the sidecars so not too difficult to get into them for gear. The small tool bag in the photo was a substitute tank bag as I had just traded bikes in the middle of a long trip. Wound up strapping it on top of the duffle bag for the 1,400 mile trip home. In the pic the bike is new, have only done a 2 mile test ride before setting out for 110 miles! Everything was totally stock, all settings tire pressures etc. Wonderful bike and Im in love with it.

My SRC skidpad arrived today, haven't had time to install it yet. Looking at where the brackets fasten to engine bolts looks like the insertion is to reuse the OEM bolts. Is that what everyone has been doing? Any issues? Everything will go together with medium thread locker. I got the powder coated black one, mounts are aluminum so may paint them with flat black engine paint. Quality of the SRC part is fantastic, everything about it is very well done. Will know more in a day or two about fitment but based on the quality of the parts do not expect any issues. More than an eBay part but worth the extra to me. Shipping was super fast as well. EDIT: Mounts are stainless steel rather than aluminum! Very nicely packaged, will put on tomorrow after I change the oil. Looks like I could get to the drain plug with it on but might make a bit of a mess so going to change oil first. Still trying to figure to how I can be retired and have so little time!

My second bike with a shorty. Always wear riding boots. I've not noticed any heat issues. Rode 500 miles thru Kansas with temperatures up to 96F and my feet didn't suffer - well everywhere was hot but exhaust was not a problem at all. Ive been pleasantly surprised at how the Tracer GT does not have any heat issues. My previous bike (BMW F800GT) would blow hot air on my inner thighs when the temperature was above 90F. Worst part of the 500 mile day was the stock windscreen - too much buffeting. My previous bike with a shorty exhaust was a 2013 ZX6R 636 with a Two Brothers exhaust - best description was LOUD. Wife told me she could hear me on the interstate even though I was nearly a mile ahead! Bought a dB killer and made it tolerable but traded the bike for other reasons 6 weeks after I bought it - traded for a 2014 ZX6R 636 ABS. Two Brothers sounded wonderful accelerating at full throttle all the way to redline - just like a race bike. However every LEO within a mile or two knew what I was doing. Longer rides were painful. In contrast the stock Yamaha Tracer GT exhaust is quiet enough I can ride in my neighborhood without upsetting the neighbors but it still has a nice burble at low throttle and a good sound when accelerating aggressively.

Look similar to the ones I had on my previous bike. They were red - used for taillight using PWM to go from running to bright for stop light. They worked really well and stuck on with no problems thru lots of miles in dry hot and cold and rain.

Which lights did you add to the hand guards? They look nice. Noticed on my last bike that when I added LED aux lights people noticed me more, prior to that had gone to running brights pretty much all the time. With the Tracer GT I'll turn on brights when approaching intersections and cars wanting to pull out. The other day was on scooter, went around a right hand turn from on street to another. I wasn't going slow, lady pulled out right in front of me, turning to her left and across my lane. I nailed the brakes and stopped very easily - for a moment she had a total look of panic and almost stopped but hit the gas and went on. I practice stopping on the scooter at neighborhood stop signs. It stops quickly but doesn't have ABS and is not super difficult to lock up rear wheel but generally well behaved. Thinking what would I do and practice stops helped as I didn't have much time to react. As for the lady I'm sure it took her a few minutes to calm down.

Nice suspension upgrades for only $1,600 which seems like a fair price to me. Would be nice if they did the same for the Tracer GT

Yea, IMO when LED lights get some age on them there will be lots of surprised folks at the replacement costs. Don't think they fail very often but when they do the cost to replace is very high from what I've heard. I've heard of some European replacements costing thousands. Think it is really nice the design choices LED lighting affords designers but would be nice if there was a more common replacement LED "bulb"

We have been going down to Longboat Key for many years. Unfortunately haven't taken my bike the last 3 years - have risen down several times. Some of the worst thunderstorms I've been caught in have been going down there. One time was caught between Columbus and Albany GA, wind and rain were fierce, then lightning so caught shelter in a closed gas station. Sat and the bike equidistant between two islands but had a roof over my head. Was on my ZX6R - its a bit of a challenge to sit on a sport bike on the kick stand without putting feet on the ground. Kept my feet up to avoid lightning is it struck nearby and ran across the concrete. Nice area down there but a bit like the Dakotas - all roads are straight.

Should be OK, would look at wheel bearings just to make sure no water stays in there - I think this is a minor risk/issue. IMO the biggest risk is getting water in the airbag that gets into the engine and then hydrolocks it - you would have known that immediately. Presume you rode it for a while afterwards to let the engine heat dry everything out.

WOW, rode my new Tracer GT back home 1,400 miles after buying it. Set the rear preload hard but never had any problems with it scraping that I know of. Had the bike loaded but roads were pretty good and I was being careful - new bike. I've ridden some tough stretches on my previous bike. Nothing off road but 10 miles on a freshly chip tarred road, construction that looked like a trail complete with very large gravel not to mention potholes and then three is the water crossing. Small town out west, SD I think, where they were resurfacing the street and had taken up all pavement then it rained. The car coming towards me turned in front of me and was over a foot deep before it started getting shallower. I held to the center of the street. Pickup in front wasn't worried - he had a his boat just in case :-) Ordering SRC skid pan.

Thanks @Wintersdark, photos help me visualize it but still not fond of what I think it looks like but will wait to see it in person. Interesting the way they added the "scoops" to the vents. I'm not sure about the way the lights appear to hang under the fairing but cant tell how that really is. Sigh, guess we will have to wait. I like the electronics on the new bike but overall very happy with my new 2020 I got in September.

Yup that is good for you. I was 1,100 miles from home last August when my BMW broke down - LOL would have been cheaper to have had an oil pan replaced! For a simple wheel bearing wound up costing me $550 for new swingarm, $93 for rush shipping, $100 for tools, $355 for a rental Camry to drive around for the 6 days I was there. Bike is fine now and for sale in Sioux Falls SD where I traded it for a 2020 Tracer GT. Its not fun to break down long way from home, I could not find a pickup to rent, smallest box trucks were expensive so stayed in place and fixed myself. Reading thru this thread looks like I'm going to need to invest in a skid plate. Like the look of the Higdonion but not sure about the cage. Is it possible to run just the skid plate part? I plan of maybe doing some gravel roads in the western states.

Currently running a MRA Touring windscreen, It puts the wind at the visor level - I'm 5 10", added an X Wing device from Amazon which moves the wind up to the top of my helmet, still bet a bit on my shoulders but not bad. Haven't ridden in the rain yet. Only think=g I don't like about the X-Wing is the added pressure on the top of the windscreen. I may try a Puig Touring. Had a MadStad on my BMW and it was nice - very calm behind and kept the rain off (lots of experience with that) but when hot was not enough air. Still had noise as the wind seemed to hit the top of my helmet.

Like the bags and ware with Ride365, extra space would be nice. I'm not fond of the front but pics are hard to look at, something doesn't seem quite right about them - the left and right air intakes appear to be different sizes. Turn signals seem off maybe. I'm getting weary of the insectoid look. Just my thought. Still like the front of my 2012 CBR600RR - BIG HUGE mistake to sell that bike! Pic from just before I sold it. It

Great video and gives me confidence about tackling some gravel roads out west. Been thinking about the Scorpion 2s. How do they compare to the Avon Trailrider? Seems like in Nebraska, Wyoming and the Dakotas county roads are all gravel but well maintained.

I like the looks of that and you have the center stand. I do lots of long trips so center stand is important to me. Yesterday when riding on the interstate noticing how well the suspension was doing - firm enough but compliant enough for a long ride. I got my bike $3k less than I had budgeted (got a $1,000 better discount on new bike and $1,700 more on trade than anticipated) so have some budget to play with. Well budget shrank this morning after I ordered wife a new iPhone - have to take care of her as she sent my my checkbook so I could buy this bike :-) Really appreciate those who post up about their bikes, I've been looking at a lot of stuff and trying to figure out what I want to do and have all winter to work on it. Well have contemplated a trip to Texas Hill Country before Christmas.

It does - so I hear :-) I haven't been fast enough to test the limit just have heard about it. Of course I have never had it over the speed limit.

I had a ZX6R 636 with a Two Brothers shortie and an expansion chamber delete. It really sounded great when hard on it - like a race bike. However my wife hated it, had to tiptoe in and out of our community. One of the guards at work told me it was the loudest bike he had heard in the parking deck. Even louder than HD with straight pipes. Bought a dB killer and it got it just tolerable. I have always been drawn to the Ackropovic because they seem to strike a good balance between the obnoxiously loud and the stock quiet. I actually kind of like the stock sound, pretty quiet but just sounds good. I do a lot of long trips and an exhaust that is too loud gets aggravating after a while. Also riding in a lot of strange communities and towns I like to avoid hassle with LEO. Again this is where the Akropovic ould York nicely, a bit extra but not too much. @betony I'm with you on the rear shock. First item on the list of mods is a new iPhone for the Mrs. Next is firming up front with oil and maybe springs and emulators then rear shock.

When the top speed is limited to 114MPH then don't need ram air intakes :-)