KrustyKush

Yeah that was a good price on the Tracer. I got a $1k discount on mine because the dealer had three 21s on his floor and had been sitting there for a few weeks unsold. Like your dealer, after these three sold, the price went back up and they now fetch an additional $1300 dealer premium. With CA taxes, my OTD was $17,500. Ouch. I do love the bike, but like you I would seriously consider trading it for the Suzuki. If I could afford it.

Yeah, this "under 75f" thing sounds wrong. Around my part of CA a 75f high is typical, but more typical is highs around 55 and 60. I ride this Tracer all the time in those temps, and sometimes a bit cooler, but not often. My engine temps as reported by the bike will def stay down towards the 177 degree mark, only rising during periods of stop and go. In hotter wx, the bike will heat up into the 180s and 190s, sometimes during stop and go getting towards 220 and the fans come on. But I have never seen anything lower than 177. I assume the bike is reporting accurately. I have had overcooling bikes before. Notably a 79 Gold Wing that I had to tie cardboard onto the rad during cold wx in Texas, just to keep the engine up into normal range. It wasn't a great solution, because if I got into stop and go with the cardboard shield in place it would over heat quickly. This was a cheap solution, would have been better for me to find out why it was overcooling. None of these modern motors should overcool in such mild temperature. Probably a stuck open thermostat.

Helmet. I have a couple of helmets I use, one is a new Shoei Neo-Tec 2, and the other is a fairly new LS2 half helmet that I wear only on the Goldwing. I have also recently extensively used a Harley (probably HJC) that I like a lot. Each helmet has distinct sound characteristics that profoundly affect what I hear while I ride. I first noticed this in 2015 after buying a new Harley FLHTCU. The full face Shoei of the day amplified certain sounds from the engine that made it sound terrible to me in the saddle. I verified it was the helmet by removing the helmet and riding without. Yes... it is the helmet. A helmet will allow certain frequencies to be transmitted right into the ears, and make those sounds seem very loud. Even with earplugs, you can hear it. If you wanna know what your bike really sounds like, ride it with a bare head for awhile. In some states you can do this legally... here in CA we have to hide a bit.

I remember bikes of the 1960s. Those had terrible brakes, (or virtually NO brakes, especially in the wet). Suspensions were ridiculously bad. Tires... well, tires really sucked. I could go on, but we all know that those old bikes were death traps. Some of us survived, but not without scars. I have a short collarbone on the right because of a crash on a Concours, and another on a CBR1100XX that would surely have not happened if the bikes had had ABS. We eventually learned how not to crash, but it took years, and there were many crashes with injuries and damage that need not have happened. My 50 year old son is a new rider. He bought himself a 2004 Sportster. No ABS. No traction control. I fear for him during his learning phase, as he encounters all the various dangerous situations that aren't covered in the Basic Course. He's already crashed once with a couple of painful leg injuries that took weeks to heal. Now he's got a case of fear. He's overcoming it, but how much better it would be if that older bike had the same electronic aids that were present in all cars in 2004.

Safest (Covid) place in the world is aboard a moving motorcycle.

I’m sitting in a Farmer’s Boy near Lake Elsinore. Rode the 21 Tracer over here in search of some concrete anchors at Home Depot. This hamburger is WAY too big for my geezer tummy. From here, I will ride north on the 15 to the east bound 91. Then south on the 215 to home. This is my North Long Horn. Weather today is not bad at all. I’d say temp is around 75. Golden sunshine. No wind. Fairly light traffic As I round the Horn I will say a word of praise in honor of all the friends who cannot, for whatever reason, ride today.

Seems like I recall Yam doing similar with the advent of the FJR. They announced the bike would not be sold in the U.S. Then later relented, saying they would import only to specific buyers who had put down a deposit. A little while later they apparently dropped all resistance and the FJRs started appearing on showroom floors in the U.S. That's how I remember it...

I’ve got a 22 Wing new on 2 Aug this year, now at over 7k mikes. I do ALL my own maint including tires. Same on the Tracer. I agree the Tracer is a bit of work getting at anything under the fuel tank. Throttle body sync is another level of hard that is worse than merely changing out the air filter. I haven’t done the Wing yet, but I hear the complaining about it from the other owners. I don’t mind maintaining my bikes. I enjoy it. These maintenance things are essential to the total motorcycling experience, IMHO. Even when they are hard, sweaty, frustrating jobs, I enjoy them. Always have. Always will. One of the things I dread most about getting old/frail is inability to do my own maint, let alone be able to ride.

Great review. Thanks. Particularly noticed the appraisal of the stock saddle. I agree the Tracer saddle is way better than the one they put on the FJR. But still painful for an old prostate, so I went Corbin and got a very nice improvement over stock. My 2021 Tracer does everything my 2014 FJR did, in some ways even better, handles better, uses less fuel, and is a lot more fun to ride in the corners.

In 1974 my ride was a 72 Suzuki GT750 Water Buffalo. One day, I stupidly took my nearly 2 year old son on a ride, setting him on the fuel tank and holding him there against my body and between my arms. It felt fairly safe to my 24 year old stupid head. A few miles down the road (Austin, TX) I was pulled over by a LEO. He politely explained that carrying my son on a motorcycle in such manner is not only stupid, but illegal. No ticket, just a warning. Fast forward. Son is now 50 years old and recently bought a used Sportster. Out of the blue, he wanted to learn to ride. He lives in Albuquerque. I rode out a couple times to help him, as he was having some problems figuring out the controls. On the second trip, he was riding well enough that we were able to take a ride together down to Silver City, and then up the western roads north and west of Silver City. It was a wonderful ride, lovely weather, and a certain joy felt in seeing my son, at age 50, take the rather large plunge into riding.

My 2021 T9GT is coming up on 14k miles. There is no racket of the type described as, and named, Gronk. I ride most always with earplugs, but sometimes will leave the earplugs at home if just doing around town stuff. Surely I would have heard such noise if it existed. Here’s hoping Yam fixed this ‘cause I really hate crummy engine sounds. One thing I can say is, the racket coming from the motor sitting at idle in neutral with clutch released is very noticeable. All bikes trannies make this type of rattle in neutral. But this Tracer is Really noisy. The noise goes away when clutch is pulled. Normal.

I gotta agree. It was what the mags of the day called a “parts bin special” because it was a cheap rehash of an earlier more capable bike. It was a mere cash grab. Honda made a big deal in advertising for this 92 Nighthawk which sold new for $3999. Apparently somebody there thought there was a big demand for this kind of cheapie. It was a pretty good bike to commute on. It was so cheap it was practically disposable.

Same here. I bought my 21 Tracer last January (2022) thinking it is a young person bike. I went home, found this Forum, and discovered a nest of geezers riding Tracers. Turns out, geezers are where the manufacturers are aiming. Almost everything is being made lower, automatic-er, lighter, etc. I mean, I hear guys on this Forum talking about the FJR like it’s a major heavy tank. Even the Wing is lighter/smaller than it used to be. Again, anyone who hasn’t sat on and hefted one of these 2018+ Wings should try it out. They are NOTHING like the competition BMW or Harley. All that weight including fuel is way low in the chassis.

I have a hard time believing that... I can look at them side by side and the Tracer is obviously VERY much higher than the Wing. It may matter where the two bikes are set up. The Wing is pretty adjustable, and so is the Tracer. I may get some energy later and try some measuring... just now am testing some vodka...

I have never put anything like that on any of the 50 some bikes I’ve owned and never had a broken case from a strike. I have covered lots of daily rider miles and seen a lot of debris. I suppose my odds now are pretty good and I should get a skid plate. Truthfully, the Goldwing is far more likely to have such a problem because it sits so low to the ground. Some ppl do put plates on the Wings because there have been a couple of broken engine cases from debris strikes. I probably won’t get one, though. They ugly up the bike, add unnecessary weight, are questionably effective, and the odds of a strike are almost impossibly small.

If you haven't sat on a Gen6 Wing, you should check it out. The bike hefts off the side stand just about as easily as the Tracer does and is actually quite a bit easier to mount because it is so, so low to the ground. Honda really did mold this new Wing to the older rider.

Reviewer says Yam puts the 2022 Tracer oil change interval at 6k miles. Oil filter every other, at 12k miles. My 2021 manual sez 4k miles. Assuming this is correct, and that Yam has increased the oil change interval on the Tracer, I wonder if it is Ok to increase the interval on the 2021...

Older age makes motorcycling an iffy project. In 2021, I decided that I was deteriorated enough at age 72 to resign from riding completely. I sold my 2018 Harley Road Glide Ultra with 46k miles on it. Got a good price 'cause of pandemic shortages. I spent six months not riding. For awhile there was no regret, but about six months in, I started getting an urge to think about a lighter bike. One day I suddenly bought a 21 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT. I didn't know a thing about the bike, and frankly didn't really care for its transformers appearance. It was hard to ride for quite awhile as I adapted my old limbs to that new and more sporty posture. Over a space of a few months, though, I grew to love the Tracer. Indeed, even the looks of the bike have grown on me to the point that I love the way it looks, and often stand gazing at it sitting beside my 2022 Gold Wing. Yes, after realizing that I didn't actually need to retire, I bought a Gold Wing Tour. Emptied my savings account. But I look at it this way: I still have a few days of riding left in me, and I intend to use them all, if I can. The Wing is a MUCH easier to handle ride than my old FLTRU. It is close to the ground and weighted in ways that make it easy for a geezer to deal with in parking and slow speed handling. So, I went from no bikes due to age, to TWO bikes due to age. And I'm still riding, averaging at least 100 miles of meandering, fuel burning, imitating SoCal commuters but going nowhere. The Wing is for me and the DW when she wants to ride with me, which is often. And the Tracer is for zipping about, splitting traffic, acting like a kid.

I bought one of those in 92! That 92 was a re-issue of the Nighthawk from the 80's. The 80's Nighthawk was a shaft drive, and I believe they were all 700cc. The 92 was a parts bin special. MSRP was $3999, coming in under the magic $4k number of the day. Mine was red. I liked it. A good everyday bike. Eventually traded it on a Concours.

Relating to the two marks on the crank. I almost made the same mistake. The book is clear, but it isn’t written for the home tech, it is written for a much more knowledgeable mechanic. I saw the two marks but assumed they were the same, since they look similar on the written page. I was fortunate to find a video somewhere that mentioned this. Even knowing there is a second mark, it is darned hard to find it thru that tiny portal down at that low place. You go past it so fast and must go all the way around again if you miss it.

Don’t know about earlier models of Tracer, but I can tell ya that on the 21 GT there is no way without sticky to hold that gasket in place while maneuvering into position. Can’t be done without something sticky.

Plastic bags and chewing gum. the Modern World.

Hello and Welcome from California. Please describe the “wobble” What speed does it appear? Is it rhythmic or random? Does it go away when you slow down? Provide much more information about the bike. Any accidents? Are the forks bent? How old are the tires? Proper tire pressure?

Good points. I use the stock 2021 windscreen usually in the full up position. Yes, the windscreen is pretty good at keeping wind blast off the center body, but unless the rider is 3 feet tall, there is still plenty of human being out in the wind. My fav position is tucked in, leaned on the gas tank with forearm, head down close to but still above the screen. Legs tucked in to tank. This is an extremely wind blast-free ride and can be maintained long term, with minor comfort adjustments as I ride. In fact, the smallish windscreen makes SO MUCH turbulence to a head in the upright sitting position, it is pretty useless except in certain ambient wind conditions that naturally reduce turbulence. Many comfort issues will naturally resolve by time and miles. I approach a new bike with a mind of adapting ME to the bike wherever possible. Some things require equipment mods but many, many ergo issues on a new bike are a matter of learning the new machine. Like, if you were a Clarinet player that moved over to Flute, it would take you around 13k miles to adapt to the new thing. Some things can’t be hurried.

I've got a Corbin on my 21 9GT, and I like it very much. OP give yourself plenty of time and miles to adapt to the bike. I've had mine for 9 months and 13k miles, and just lately have come to feel completely at home on the bike. The definition of "upright seating position" is squishy. One man's upright is another's forward lean. Different body dimensions, arm lengths, etc. I prefer a slight forward lean, and this is easy to attain on the Tracer. Some ppl seem to prefer sitting bolt upright, but not me. Once I get to operating speeds above 75 mph, there is plenty of wind to cancel out the forward lean pressure...