Mark Jackson

Hi guys, I’ve reduced the seat height by 12mm via the height adjuster on my Nitron shock. Needing to shorten the sidestand, would appreciate advice and observations on doing this. Is the sidestand hollow, I also note by shortening the stand it gets very close to the footpegs making it harder to get it down, how is this dealt with? Cheers

HGP, cheers glad you like the look😃 I’d highly recommend the suspension upgrade, I’ve been able to dial in a level of comfort which was impossible with the standard shock. instinct, nice can, have you done a reflash? Hi Dub, no not bothering with the slipper clutch, don’t really feel it’s a necessity for me. Researching the ‘Gronk’ I read of a forum member who did the slipper clutch mod and it didn’t make much difference, it’s the clutch basket which is causing all the problems. Apparently it has a new part number which suggests an update🤓

Yup, been a bit of a busy five weeks since I rode my 2015 Tracer back from Doncaster. I've wanted a Tracer for a long time so I've had a few years to plan what I wanted to do to it. Firstly, off with the hand guards, I've never been keen on them and I found out on the ride back in the rain that they offer zero protection. If you suffer from Tinnitus and want to cut down on wind noise I feel there are only two ways to go, very large touring screen or very small sports screen, anything in the middle just doesn't seem to work, for me at least, so I got a Faco sports screen from Italy. Bar end mirrors also helps keep turbulence down as well, I've added my ZRX1200 bar ends to cut down on vibes, they weigh 230grams so are weighty. Radiator protector and crash bungs are a must and I chose Evotech, quality stuff. I came across the GB racing casing protectors, since the casings stick out quite a bit I thought it would be prudent to get these as well. FJR footpegs followed along with a JTech tail tidy. I bought the Black widow exhaust and mated it with the Evotech headers and finally the Nitron R1 shock. So how has this all affected the bike. The screen is pretty good although there's still a bit of wind noise so I'll cut it down a bit. The handling has now entered another dimension, man it's so good now. I've altered the default rebound settings to suit my riding and am well chuffed. The preload is very easy to adjust using the Nitron tool, took just seconds to wind it up for my pillion. I've also changed the handlebars, I prefer a more swept backed sweep so a Pair os Renthal street bars went on. I'm getting more used to the bike, it's very feisty compared to my ZRX in both handling and power but that's why I got it, I just wanted a different experience and this bike certainly delivers. Out today and I noticed the bike was stuttering at slow speeds, this is new so will be the exhaust. It's got an end baffle in and I'm waiting for an inlet baffle which I think will sort this out as I think there's not enough back pressure being generated. I'm looking around for someone local who can reflash the ECU. Now the downer, GRONK! Yup, Within minutes of collecting the bike I was aware of the horrendous grinding vibes between 2k-4k, checking up on this forum revealed what the problem is and that, for a 26k miles bike it isn't unusual. Thankfully I have a 3 month warranty so I've contacted the dealership and they are sourcing the parts I need to replace it. Rather than a 460 mile round trip and two days off I'm just going to do it myself. I've checked out a few videos to get any extra tips but if anybody out there has any pearls of wisdom I'd be grateful to hear from you. Can't wait to sort this out as it is really spoiling the riding experience. I've changed a Lot of things, have I bought the right bike? before the Tracer came out the Triumph Tiger 1050 was the bike I lusted after. It's a nice bike although I find the styling a bit 'awkward', it's also physically bigger and heavier than the Tracer. I'd also previously had three Hinckley triples during the 90's and had problems with two of them while I had them (broken cam chain, and blown head gasket related problems) and the third broke a cam chain tensioner a year after I sold it to a mate. Ok, that was a long time ago but I just wasn't too keen on tempting fate, but here I am now having to change the clutch basket on my Yamaha! ye gods! At the moment I don't regret buying it, yes the GRONK is driving me nuts but at least I know it'll be fixed soon. The Nitron has moved the handling up to another level and the exhaust sounds lovely. I wanted a different experience after 20 years of riding the ZRX, I certainly got it!

Thanks CRF, great to know. I’ve fitted many exhausts over the years with no problem, this one drove me nuts, glad to know I’m not the only one whose had problems. My situation is compounded by the high level link pipe, the problem at the collector worked its way up the line to the can.

Hi guys, my question is, how close to the sump is your collector link pipe? I got the high level version with the link pipe and can’t stop the pipes rubbing up against the sump. I managed to take a pic with my phone in selfie mode, I’d appreciate any of your pix of same. I had read the ‘tolerances were tight’ but am pretty surprised at the route the exhaust has taken

Pretty happy with my Black Widow high level exhaust😃

Thanks Warchild, looks like a SW Moth, that's the other one I was looking at. Was working out how to make up a grab rail to fit onto it, think I may have figured how to do it.

Hi guys, I've been looking for a rack for the Tracer that is pillion friendly. I don't use top boxes and my wife prefers to use some kind of grip behind her so the standard side grips won't do. I've tracked it down to the SHAD rack with the D1B40PAR top plate. it looks like it may give space for her to get some grip. Could folk who have this rack post some photos from different angles so I can properly assess it, don't want to buy something which won't work, cheers.

Ah, missed your last msg. Yes, the weather can be a bit 'temperamental' here but when the sun does shine, man, you really appreciate it! Yeah, we all have bikes we regret selling, for me there's a couple but the GT750 kettle is at the top. Great bike, lovely sound and a surprisingly amount of torque for a two stroke.

Thanks for your feedback guys. Yes I used to dislike the OEM exhaust and it was always in my mind to replace it with a high level can. Have to admit I’ve grown to like it but still going for the high level, it just feels right for me. A 400mm can was always on the cards as that’s what I’ve got on my ZRX and it’s just right regarding noise, enough to be pleasurable without being a pain. The thing with Black Widow is they also sell a baffle for the inlet side as well so If need be I can fine tune it more if required🤓 Anybody out there got the circumference measurements for the oval can?

So, I've trawled through all of the interesting articles on this forum regarding modifying the original exhaust and had some kind people reply to my questions regarding this, but.....I've decided to go for what I've always wanted for this bike, a high level exhaust. All the bikes I've had have had a 'conventional' exhaust system ending with a can. My current bike of 20 years, the ZRX, has one and although I like the OEM exhaust I just know I'll not be happy until I get the exhaust I'm used to. The Yoshimura would be very nice but way out of my league. Fortunately Black Widow do a high level exhaust with a large selection of end cans and are very well priced. I've worked out that when I want to put the panniers on I'll get a link pipe made up so I can lower the pipe to avoid them. I'm looking at the longer 370mm and 400mm as I'm not wanting the exhaust to be too loud but still with a bit of 'depth' behind it. I know the round 370mm is 110mm in diameter, could someone measure their oval exhaust and give me the dimensions top to bottom and width please, it does look a lot larger in the photos but it's hard to gauge the proportions. If anybody has had experience of these exhausts and the 300mm version and has any extra info/thoughts I'd be much obliged, cheers.

Oh, I forgot, I live in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Yeah, I've got all my number plates back to 1978 when I first started out on a KH250. After the 250 there was a Suzuki GT750 'kettle' , Z1000J, Z1000Mk2, GPZ900, x2 Triumph sprints, a Speed Triple then eventually my current ZRX1200 and '77 Z1000A1. Not that many bikes considering 44 years of riding but I do tend to keep bikes for a long time, the ZRX & Z having seen me through the last 20 years. I'd always wanted another Triple and the Tracer was, for me, the perfect choice, light great riding position and that engine!

Renthal make a Fatbar equivalent of the 755 medium road bar called the 845. I’ve been using the 755 for over 20 years and it’s perfect for me with the right amount of pullback. Unfortunately nobody, including Renthal, have them in stock. I’ve got a spare 755 bar and have mounted that using some spacers to downsize. Very happy with the result, much more comfortable for me now, much more what I’m used to. These bars also have an insert with a 8mm thread which I made up a while ago, I’m thinking of putting the OEM mirrrors back so I can try my ZRX bar end weights. They weigh a hefty 230g each so be interesting to see if they cut down on vibration.

Cheers, that’ll sort me out👍

Hi guys, I’m changing the handlebars for ones with more pull back. Is the only way of getting the clutch lever bracket off is by filing the edge of the lip at the end of the bars or am I missing something? Cheers

Thanks for the vid OZ, does sound better🤓

Thanks 2&3, never seen that style of mod, certainly more sound than I thought from such a small cut. Speaking of which, Oz, that’s certainly a bigger cut than the 1.5” hole other folk have suggested, I take it that’s pretty loud? Do you have a vid clip?

Cheers Heli, interesting vid but that's a bit too much for me I think😀

Cheers OZ, how big did you make the hole?

I've read a lot on this forum about modifying the standard exhaust and am thinking about going down this route. I don't like very loud exhausts but at the same time I find the OEM to be a tad too tame, can hardly tell it's a triple sometimes!😄 There's plenty of choice out there for slip on cans and the one I'm drawn to is the Scorpion but I'm on a tight budget and have blown most of it on a Nitron shock and crash protection. The mod seems simple enough and I'll be able to get someone with the welding skills I need, I'm just wondering about other folks experiences. I'll be cutting the 'S' pipe but am not sure how big to make the hole into the CAT section of the exhaust. Can anybody advise if they've done this mod and can compare it with the Scorpion? cheers

Thanks for the tips PhotoAl, I’m ordering a new C&S kit today. Yes, I usually get about 11k out of a chain on my ZRX. Interesting about your father, I’m a bit of war history buff and the bombing raids carried out by the RAF and USAF have always fascinated me, the sheer logistics needed to carry this our is mind boggling!

Yes Paddy, I’m thinking it is probably the knackered chain and the fact that it’s on the slack side of things. The bike had the full 25k service a year ago so unlikely the throttle bodies. I’m still getting used to the bike so hoping once I’ve replaced the C&S things will get better, cheers🤓

Cheers, I highly recommend the FACO screen, nice quality and punches a decent hole through the air🤓

Just over a week since I rode my newly acquired Tracer back to Edinburgh from Doncaster in a storm. Weather's stayed pretty bad since, lots of high winds and it snowed yesterday, however.... Today the sun is shining, the temperature gauge has rocketed up to 8C and most of the snow has gone so I couldn't help myself and went out for a blast to test a couple of mods and re-assess the bike under a more calmer climate. I'd ordered a FACO sport screen from Italy, it took over two weeks to arrive but I'm happy with the quality of it. I suffer from Tinnitus and am very sensitive to wind noise despite wearing custom made earplugs so the shorter screen will be the best balance between wind protection and wind noise. I have also found high mirrors can cause a lot of turbulence which hits the jaw part of the helmet and can cause a lot of noise. The Tracer mirrors are quite low but I thought I'd start of with some bar ends and see how that goes. Verdict, very happy, a smooth flow of air, pretty quiet and good wind protection, result! FJR pegs have dulled the vibes a bit and I have my Kawasaki ZRX1200 bar end weights I might try, they weigh a hefty 230g each so could really help dampen the handlebar vibes. I have loads of storage with my ZRX as its a twin shock so the space where the mono shock would normally go is a huge 'boot' area (Americans would say 'trunk'?) No such space for the Tracer so I invested in the Kriega 5L dry bag, fantastic bit of kit! Radiator protector and crash bugs are courtesy of Evotech and I fitted a Pyramid extender fender on the rear. Poor bike, spends the last 6 and a half years and 26k mls practically standard and then gets all sorts of goodies thrown at it in a week, with a few more things to come! I fitted the newer version clutch cable to it and readjusted, the dealer hadn't done this and on the centre stand the clutch dragged spinning the back wheel, doesn't now. Still vibrates like buggery in neutral, just going to have to get used to that. There's that rough patch of graunching and vibes between 2500-just under 4000rpm, the chain is slacker than 30mm and the front sprocket is hooked so hoping a new C&S kit will dampen this down a bit. On hard deceleration it really vibes past 7k, again may just have to get used to that. Maybe I'm a bit spoiled with riding the ZRX for 20 years and it being a pretty refined motor. In comparison the Tracer is a feisty little bugger and has already seen me get quite a surprise when I've looked down at the clocks and seen the speed I was doing, maybe a slightly louder pipe will inform me a bit better😀 So after being a bit disappointed at first with the vibey character of the engine I'm starting to get more used to the bike, still got a few things to do to it. At first I was wondering if I should have gone with my other choice of bike which was the Tiger 1050 Sport but I think I'll get on with the Tracer just fine. The Tiger is nice, possibly a bit more refined like the ZRX but I wanted something lighter and smaller and the Tiger ain't that.