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PhotoAl

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Everything posted by PhotoAl

  1. I've done several long trips on my 2020 900 GT. It's a great bike and will eat up the miles. It will be an adventure you will never forget. Expect the unexpected. 2 1/2 years ago I set out on my bike for Red Lodge MT. Got 1,100 miles down the road and the bike broke in Nebraska. As my wife said "it's an adventure"! Had been wanting a Tracer 900 GT before I left. Found on on Cycle trader in Sioux Falls SD. Fixed my bike and rode up there and traded. The day I would have ridden into Red Lodge they got 6 to 8 inches of snow! I made it there the next year. Relax and enjoy the sights. I never ride early in the morning at at dusk. Occasionally I'll ride out at night for dinner but always carefully because of deer and other wildlife. Tires: start with new tires, two weeks at 500KM/day makes for 7,000KM. Even if they would last tires that are worn are thinner and more prone to punctures. At some point you will encounter rain and I value wet traction a lot. I'm running Michelin Road 6s and they are currently at 8,000 miles with lots of tread left - really amazing to me. Front wears better than Road 5s. Tools, I always carry enough tools to be able to remove the front and rear tires and the fasteners. Not that many different tools. I can get a long handled 3/8" craftsman ratchet under the seat in the right side area on the outside of the tube. I put sockets and tools in baggies on they go in the areas on either side. There is also space under the seat as well - I have my Neutrino Element there so to much space for tools. I have a tire plug kit, a CO2 inflater and a small electric tire pump - note on the air pump. Start the bike when using so you don't run the battery down. I have a chain oiler but have used chain lube in the past. Hard to lube every night but a few times during the trip should be good. My OEM chain was replaced at 11,000 miles as I was heading out on a 6,000 mile trip. Cases: I use compression sacks for my clothes and pack the heavy stuff in the side cases. I have a top case but don't like how far back it is. I carry a 58liter waterproof duffle on the rear seat. The top case is reserved for rain gear and I store my helmet in it when stopping. Will also put groceries in there if I happen to stop. My bike has been very stable with the top case and side cases and has seen some descent speeds. Tank bag: I've had a couple of Givi TankLock bags but have been disappointed in the quality of the zippers. They are easy on and off. I'm going to buy a SW Moto tank bag before my next trip. I keep essentials in my tank bag as well as my iPad. Spare batteries for the GoPro - need to have video of your trip. Also carry a small voltmeter - seems like I've had more trouble with electrical and electronic stuff on my trips. to bike problems but trying to figure out why stuff doesn't work. Also carry zip ties and a few wire crimp connectors. I put a USB outlet in the hole on the right side of my dash. It's the same as the 12 outlet on the right. Took a bit or grinding with a Dremel to enlarge so the outlet would fit. I also carry a USB outlet that will fit into the 12V outlet. I never mount a USB converter on the handlebars. My previous bike had a lot of vibrations on the bars and would kill a USB converter in less than a day. Take USB cords for everything you have with you. I also carry a Mophie in the tank bag. Typically I charge all my devices at night but can also charge during the day from the bike if needed. Navigation: I use a Garmin Zumo XT. It has been a great asset, it isn't the easiest to plan or enter a route but I love it for the "cities ahead" feature. That lets me see what cities/town are ahead and if they have gas, food and lodging. This is very valuable in the western US where distance between gas stations may be significant. Every time I get gas I always reset a trip odometer, gas used and gas mileage. When riding I'll use all three to estimate how much range I have left. I have come close to running out a few times but have gotten better on planning. In remote areas I look at the route planned for the next day and see where gas stations are. Most of the time I have a closer and then a further station picked out. If the closer is open then I'll stop there but know I can make it to the next one if I have to. Do not trust what the bike says in terms of gas mileage and gas used. After a few tanks you can get a good idea of how accurate it is. Typically my bike will hold 0.2 gallons more than it says I've used. I keep a close eye on when the fuel gauge goes from full to half. That gives me an idea of how much range I'll get out of the tank. Gas mileage varies a lot depending on the gas you get - always try and get ethanol free. Elevation, headwind and speed all can have significant impacts on mileage. I've gone as few as 145 miles before the gas light went on to as many as 240 miles! If you get thin on gas slow down. Going slower has a significant impact on mileage. On trips, unless I'm on a fun road, I'll shift up earlier and try and ride as much as possible in the highest gear. Always run premium, in a pinch it will run on regular and somethimes that is all that is available. If running regular I try to ride the bike more gently and avoid full throttle at high RPM and also lugging the bike. The bike does not have a knock sensor. I have Rever, the Zumo, paper maps and my phone. I'll also take a small notebook computer in addition to my iPad so I can plan routes on it (my goad but I never do LOL) Be prepared for all kinds of weather! A couple of years ago rode into Moab and it was 100F, next day it was 99F. When I left it was 65F but getting warmer and some rain was forecast. Riding up to Rock Springs, WY I made it about 50 miles before encountered rain. Temperature dropped to 55F and then as I gained elevation it steadily dropped. I had my light Frog Tongs rain jacket on over my riding jacket and was wearing two T-Shirts! Stopped and got out heavy gloves and a fleece jacket. Going thru a mountain pass the temperature dropped to 34F with rain but no snow or sleet! Grip heaters on high but I was COLD! Made it to Rock Springs and eventually got warmed up a bit. Rode from Rock Springs to Fort Collins CO mostly on I80. Three days later that stretch of I 80 had 6" of snow! I have since bought a good rain jacket that goes over my riding jacket. For rain pants I have a pair of the cheap Frog Togg pants (Amazon or Walmart). I also carry a the Frog Togg jacket but they only last a day or less if riding at interstate speeds. I take a couple of long sleeved t-shirts and a fleece jacket as well as my warm and safe heated jacket. I have used it one time but it was good, I'd rather pack it along and not need it than riding all day being cold. Bike prep: Start out the trip with fresh oil and filter. Check everything carefully on the bike particularly the chain. Look at steering head bearings, fork seals, coolant and brake fluid. Windscreen: I run a MRA touring screen and added a "wing" on top of it. The "wing" came from Amazon and does a good job of getting the turbulence off of the top of my helmet. Seat: I have an aftermarket seat that works nicely but not a huge improvement over stock. I also run an AirHawk air cushion. It has so little air in it is looks deflated but helps. I ride up to 600 miles a day with it and routinely go from gas fillip to the next without stopping. I tent camp a lot and so have a tent, sleeping bag, air mattress and inflatable pillows. Clothes in a lightweight backpack make a usable pillow.
  2. I mostly use a Zumo XT for navigating but as a backup have a phone in a quad lock case. I put a ball mount on the right side of the bar near the brake reservoir. I found a good deal on eBay for the ball mount Quadlock mount and added the vibration damper. Haven't used it much but it is on the right side of my view and easy enough to see but not blocking anything. Left side could work better but Zumo is over there. Left side is easier to do stuff with the left hand while keeping right hand on the throttle. I recommend the vibration damper. The Tracer is better on vibrations than my previous bike which messed up an iPhone camera. Before the Zumo used a phone for navigation. I also like to keep my phone on me just in case I go down it will be with me and hopefully still working.
  3. If you are going to keep the bike for a while I would go for the '21. A little over 7 years ago I bought a 2014 Kawasaki ZX6R 636 ABS. It was new but old stock and aI got a good deal on it. It was just the same as the newer ones and did well for me. For the OP, I have commuted on a Ninja 250, FZ6, CBR600RR and a ZX6R 363. The sport bikes were very fun but had to keep them in the right gear. The CBR would run very well but needed lots of revs. LOL minimum speed was 7MPH so a hot afternoon in stop n go traffic was well HOT. I rode in all kinds of weather and my minimum temp was 28 when I left the house although I did occasionally ride colder. Got caught in the rain more than once. I retired when I had the ZX6R and after a few months traded it on a BMW F800GT. That bike was a good competent bike I had lots of fun long trips on buuuuuut two problems. Engine, going from 129HP at near 16,000 RPM to 90 at something much lower in a parallel twin was a massive change. Picked up weight as well. Bike hand good power and did everything I asked of it but fully loaded at higher elevations it didn't have as much zoom to pass folks as I would have liked. I traded it on y 2020 Tracer 900 GT. It is a wonderful combination of better sound but still good lower end power of the twin with much better high end power. It would have been better at commuting than the sport bikes as the power is much broader. It doesn't have the top end rush of the sport bikes particularly the ZX6R which would accelerate quite hard at 100. About the only place to really romp on that bike was getting on the interstate but the Tracer is just as quick to 60 but is heavier and has more wind resistance. When I went to Red Lodge Montana a couple of years ago the Tracer was wonderful in the higher elevations. Yup it was down on power but so were all the other vehicles and it had enough power to easily pass folks going thru Beartooth Pass and on Chief Joseph's Highway. I'm always looking and thinking about bikes and the Tracer (900 or 9) have good usable power in highway situations. Most big cities I've been thru on the bike have very fast traffic in the city interstates and being able to easily run with the flow is something the Tracer does well. I looked at the Triumph 660 and like it but not a lot lighter and down on power relatively. I've thought about the Ninja 650, CBR 650, MT07, T7 and more but always comes down to the weight (low 400's) and a lot less power. Good twin torque will make them fun at lower speeds but I need to have good power in the 70 + area. On long trips I ride secondary roads with many of them being 2 lane where passing is inevitable. Lower powered bikes will do it but when you get to the occasional idiot who wants to speed up it is better if you have the power to quickly move away. The liter bike based bikes like the Ninja 1000 are interesting but more sport bike oriented and would be good at running 130 all day but I don't need that. So I wind up right where I started - I like my Tracer 900 GT. If I was in the market today I'd probably buy the T9. I use the CC a lot on long rides - so much so I'm not good at keeping a steady speed with just my right wrist. Around here we have lots of hills and I had a throttle lock on my previous bike but it was tough to get set well so that could get a break. With the Tracer it just works and works well. It's also handy for puttering thru towns with low speed limits but 30MPH is about as low as it can go.
  4. I don't disagree that $17K is a good price but not sure I want one that bad. I could buy a BMW R1250... but don't want to spend that much. I understand the midwest. Mostly flat level roads and cruisers work well there. Although I do lots of long trips don't need the ACC on the GT+ but do like the new display. I love my 2020 900GT and will probably keep it for a while. Had surgery so off the bike for at least another 2 weeks or more 😞 Will evaluate after to see how much will be able to ride - expect to be back to normal but pauses like this always cause me to consider what I ride. I look at bikes like the T7 and Ninja 650 and think the smaller size would be nice but then they are not set up for the long stretches I ride on long trips. Days where a lot of the riding is with CC on. So I wind up back at where I started, my Tracer 900GT is not too heavy or big yet is still comfortable for long rides and fun when I get to the curvy roads. Good power yea occasionally I could use more but most of the time it has all i need and then some. Will be interesting to see how well it sells. It is a good alternative to more expensive bikes and does have ACC for those who want it. It is also distanced from the new Suzuki sport tourer - no center stand is a deal killer for me.
  5. I have FJR case liners but they are a bit stiff and too large. Every trip I try different ways and last two trips I've gone to packing clothes in a compression bag from REI. Fits well in the side case. Will pack them off the bike each morning and fit other misc items under around and on top of compression bags. The super light backpacks and bags from IKEA are good to pack stuff in. Over the trip clothes get worn and then go to the dirty side until I get to a laundry day. Try and keep the sidecases equal in weight and heavy items are packed low. Notebook computer goes on the inside or bottom of the case but with enough soft stuff under it so that it is not stressed. Compression bag goes on top. Rain gear goes in the top case, big duffle gets tent and all kinds of misc stuff. Goal is to keep top case empty but over the trip it gets varying amounts of stuff. Worked well on the last trip which was 18 days and 6,500 miles.
  6. Welome and good choice on the bike. Think the Tracer is a great choice with good power and not too much weight. C14 is a great bike but has some heft. Most of the time where I ride isn't too bad but occasionally find myself in a spot where any more weight would be difficult.
  7. Welcome to the forum and good choice on the bike. You mentioned Givi Tanklock bag. I have one on my 2020 and have been disappointed in the quality of it. Think it is the 4th I've had. Had it 2 years and about 24,000 miles and the zipper teeth have come unstitched. Stopped at a fabric shop in Helena MT and bought a needle and thread to sew the teeth back on. It works but just barely. About to buy a SW Motech bag I cram a lot of stuff in my tank bag and am opening and closing it a lot but should have held up better IMO. Givi Tanklock is easy on and off but the SW Motech is as well.
  8. Like you found the swingarm is not hard to get off once the rear wheel is off. 3 years ago I set out on a trip with my BMW F800GT and at the end of the 2nd day had a massive rear wheel bearing failure. It was a single sided swingarm and the rear hub was difficult to take apart and expensive and difficult to get. Bought a used swingarm complete with everything mounted for a little more than the price of a new hub. Swapping it out was easy and I did it at the campground I was staying at.
  9. We had a super cold blast just before Christmas but February had some wonderfully warm days. It's been cool until this week but yesterday I rode up to Scottsboro AL to the the Unclaimed Baggage Store (no didn't buy a tux). On the way back bike was showing 85F. Pretty much perfect riding weather. On the way up it was low 60s and my winter jacket with a long sleeve shirt was fine and on the way back it was just about the limit for the jacket with the vents open. Have surgery coming up that will knock me off the bike for at least a month. By the time I get back to riding it may be summer weather.
  10. Oh noes you went to the dark side!!!!! I've run the Roads all the way back to the 2s and each one seemed better than the one before but the 5 was only a little better than the 4. Currently running 6s and they are significantly better in longevity and handling feel than the 5s. Never ran a 5 until it was worn out, was always putting new ones on for the next trip. Had lots of them with 5,000 to 6,000 miles and seemed like maybe 9,000 would be the very best for me. I'm currently at 7,800 miles on the 6s and they have lots of tread left. 6,500 miles was my last trip and it was more straight roads than a lot of my trips so they do have a pretty good flat spot in the center of the rear but not as bad as I would have expected.
  11. Good information. My Tracer surprised me to do this as it is the first bike I've had to do it and generally do not stop that hard with it, particularly stop hard from speed and come to a complete stop. It was defiantly just one spot on the rotor(s) which "grabbed". The OEM pads were not that great and replaced them with HH pads when I cleaned the rotors. LOL yup the first ride on the new pads was interesting, riding a couple of blocks with stop signs before a place I could bed the brakes in. Bike also gets ridden in all kinds of weather conditions. Last trip rode thru road construction where they had wet down the gravel which made for a nasty dirty bike but brakes did fine. Have to wonder i the cause may have been related to the OEM pads and a hot stop. I've had a couple of super sports and a Yamaha FZ6s which were braked much harder.
  12. Had a problem with my 2020 Tracer 900 GT. Almost felt like the rotors were warped. Cleaned the bobbing/buttons carefully did not spin them, got some stuff out but not that much. I stuck a screwdriver thru them and slightly stilted to wobble them a small amount. Scrubbed the rotors with scotch brite and brake cleaner and maybe isopropyl alcohol. Replaced the pads at that time. Brakes worked perfectly. Bike had 19,000 miles on it at the time and ow has 27,000 miles. Ridden in all kinds of weather except snow and ice. Talked to a Galfer rep about the rotors. He said warped rotors will make a pulsating feel in the brake lever at speed. Mine did none of that so cleaned the rotors and they are good. No clue what caused it.
  13. I have the jacket and it is very nice. I roll it up and store it in the top case for easy access. It rolls to 9” by 4”. For pants have FrogToggs - the cheap ones from WalMart. Problem is they will split the seat easily but work well and last OK and pack small. I always have a FrogToggs jacket and pants set around. Biggest problem in rain is the water running down you front and pooling in your lap. My Tracer 900GT is not too bad about that and many times in wet weather I just wear a jacket and my over pants do an OK job of protecting from rain but not all day good. I’ve ridden many days in the rain all day. The good gear would be nice but the space it takes up is not insignificant. Therefore my hybrid approach. Couple of years ago was caught on a 350 mile day with rain. Instead of the intermittent shower I expected it was steady all day and the temperature was much colder. Started at 55 and went down to 34 going thru a pass - I was cold and wet. One of those days that I’ll never forget and did change how I prepare.
  14. That is funny but true! Tracer is not bad to work on. Everything I’ve fiddled with has been pretty easy. My 2012 CBR600RR was a challenge to get the fairing off and back on. Not only the fasteners but tabs that were finicky and easy to break. I was careful and only broke one. First time is always tough but it gets easier every time. I use a clear plastic parts container with lots of spots. I put the fasteners in the little bins as I take it apart, putting it together is easier as it is the reverse order. I can usually figure out where the bigger parts go but the small fasteners can be a challenge as there are shorter and longer screws and easy to get them confused.
  15. Sad to see, wish you the best in selling. I can see the side cases and top case but other details would be nice to see. When I’m looking at a new bike I always look at the forums to see what the owners talk about and also to see what bikes are for sale. Wish you the best in selling.
  16. My 2020 900 GT is rock solid even with a top case, side cases and a 58 liter duffle bag on the rear seat. Even with OEM tires it didn't have the wobble. Replaced them with Road 5's and no issues. On the front I've run OEM, Road 5 Pilot Power 5 and now the Road 6 all without issue. This is the first time I've heard of wobbling on the T 9 GT. I would look into: Front tire - maybe defective or mounted incorrectly Tire pressures - presume you have done that Setup - are suspension settings where they should be for you and your normal luggage head bearings wheel bearings On my T 900 GT is did drop the front by 7mm but it already had 3,000 miles on it before that.
  17. Been a while since I did it. Read enough about it to psych myself out. If you know how to ride it is not bad ... if you take it slow the first time. To me seemed like there were lots of 3 corner sequences. First two were similar and just about when you think hey got these figured out the 3rd corner was significantly different. Many times if you slow down and ride comfortable and focus of what you know you can do and keep your lines clean then you actually go a pretty good pace. At the track when I'm looking for the next great crash photo I look for two things. Intersecting lines and bikes that are wobbly or jerky. That is a great indication that the rider if over their skill level and something not good is about to happen. Haven't taken the Tracer to the dragon or that area (I need to since I'm not that far away) but have ridden a lot of mountain roads out west including Chief Joseph Highway and Beartooth Pass. Battle Pass in Wyoming and Snowy River Road also in Wyoming. Except for Beartooth Pass they are much more open and speeds higher. Beartooth Pass was lots of 180s. Totally agree on early or late during the midweek. Its not just to other bikes is the other idiots in fast cars and they have the same trouble we do in that part way thru they get tired physically or mentally. I run Michelin Road 6s and they do just fine for spirited riding. Not what I would choose for a track day but they are plenty good enough for the Dragon. If you want to go fast, a track day is the place for that. I have done the Amalfi Coast on a scooter with my wife on the back. It makes the Dragon look like a wide open interstate. Most of the time it has a rock wall on the ocean side and rock bank on the other and the lanes are quite narrow. LOL most folks I know are scared in a small car and cannot believe I rode a scooter on it. I passed folks on that road - takes a bit of work as the scooter didn't have great acceleration - it gathered speed. On that road anything over a 600 was too big. One time it was on a weekend and on the far end there were a few sport bikes running race pace - awesome to see but they were being careful I think. They would ride a short distance then turn around and hammer it as they knew what was in front - still think they were crazy. The road to Revallyo has a narrow section where they use traffic lights to let only one direction thru at a time during the day. The local police standing there waved me thru - it OK to ride a scooter as you are small and if necessary can pull over to let the but thru. Always always have to be aware! A couple of times got back and my wife found some grass or leaves on her pants were we had brushed the weeds on the side of the road while cornering. Lines thru corners were always the ones you take if the oncoming vehicle is over the line. Big busses take the whole road and in blind corners there are mirrors and the busses honk - I'm coming get out of the way!
  18. Think this is the way I have my Zumo XT set up. I have a Cardio but the procedure is similar. I dont like pairing my phone with the Zumo and then the Cardio as the Zumo will play my music if the Cardio is turned off. I am going to be playing around again with this as I like the idea if weather info on the Zumo. I use the "what ahead" on the Zumo a lot for seeing how far to gas and food. In more densely populate areas not so important but out west it is nice to see which towns have gas ve gas and food vs gas, food and lodging. Not too hard to unpair and start all over again and sometime it seems to work better after a couple of pairings.
  19. Bought my Tracer over 2,000 miles from home. Mounted the Garmin and used a plug from AutoZone to plug into the outlet on the left of the dash. It worked fine with no issues - plug was pretty tough to pull out so a tight fit and no issues with it vibrating loose. After I got home i hard wired it to the power connector behind the windscreen. That has worked very well. I've had the Zumo for over 3 years and tow bikes. Last trip the power connector on the base broke. I was able to use a USB cord and a USB power adapter to keep it going. LOL I always cary a USB outlet adapter in my tank bag for just such a situation. However had cleaned it out just before I left and didn't get the adapter in the tank bag! Bought one at a gas station. Would have been interesting getting back to were I was staying in Calgary. Speaking of failures I added a tether strap to the back of the Garmin and loop it around the bar and fasten with a small carabiner. Used a camera tether by Nordic Flash that I got from Amazon. It has saved my Zumo XT not one but twice! I always pull it off when stopping and on a long trip it get mounted and unmounted many times.
  20. Around here icy spots are sanded if not widespread icing. Have to watch out for sandy spots which can be around long after the freeze is over.
  21. Around here it is rare we get snow or ice but hate the chemicals they spray on the roads. If that stuff is out I'll just leave my car in the garage and wait for better conditions. If there is snow or ice I stay home as driving is crazy.
  22. It was super cold here just before Christmas. Two nights in a row at 9F with a high of 18 between them. Lots of frozen pipes! Took it a few days to warm up but its been nice since then. As high as 70F. When I bought my Tracer in Sioux Falls SD in early September 2020 they already had snowmobiles on the showroom floor. Fun taking a look at them - they are as common as snow plows here - nonexistent!
  23. Here in Birmingham I've seen a couple of dealerships in the last couple of months. One of them was quoted $16953 OTD. A good deal - for the dealer. Weather is nice enough to ride most of the winter but there do seem to be a fair number of them now. However the new T 9 GT+ would be $20,000 OTD and that is a steep jump from the under $13K (OTD) I paid for mine 2 1/2 years ago.
  24. Warm and Safe here also. It has been folded and packed in the innermost part of a side case many times but always works. I'm careful how I pack it and do not force it to fold. The wires have connections and joints so try and keep those from being stressed or bent. Always take it on long trips as weather can be unpredictable. Last trip was 18 days and it has been on a few other trips so folded and packed multiple times. LOL best way to encounter cold weather is to leave it at home!
  25. Yea was thinking of just Tracer 9 GT sales as the rest of the lineup looks good. May be coming with an R9 which would be an interesting bike. Still can't see then leaving the market dry for a sport touring bike particularly when they have finally sorted out most all of the issues. Did Yamaha hire Mary B from GM? 🙂
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