KrustyKush

Thanks, skipper. I aim to follow the book, and crank clockwise to release the CCT. These manuals always have a few errors. I wanted to make sure this wasn't one of them.

Welcome, Miguel.

This is a 2021 Tracer 9 GT. I've got a question about installing the CCT after a valve adjustment. The manual says to install the CCT, then "turn the crankshaft several times clockwise to release the cam chain tensioner rod." Then, next step in the manual, turn the crankshaft several turns "counterclockwise" And then, confirm the chain tension is proper. I've found a few errors in the manual. Can anyone confirm that this step of turning the crankshaft CLOCKWISE to release the CCT is correct? Thanks

I'm checking valves on my 21 9GT. The manual sez to use Three Bond 1541C on the valve cover gasket. Seeing that in the manual surprised me, I'm not used to putting much of anything on a valve cover gasket. Anyways, those who've done this job, did you actually use that exact Three Bond? Or another equivalent, and if so, which one? FYI, this work is mainly to replace spark plugs at the 12k interval. I decided to go ahead and do an early check of the valve clearances, since most of the disassembly was already done, and I know from experience to do the first valve check early. Good thing I did... all the valves appear to be well within tolerance... except one stinking exhaust valve, which has a clearance around .25mm, the minimum being .28. So at 12k I need to pull the exhaust cam and deal with one shim. I could probably leave it as it is for the rest of the valve interval, 14k miles, but knowing it was tight and probably getting tighter would bug me on the ride.

My 21 GT at over 12k miles is fairly noisy in the clutch basket. Neutral, clutch out, it makes a racket especially when cold. I don't notice it while riding because I wear earplugs most of the time. I've had other bikes that had noisy clutch baskets. I think this is normal for this bike. As for the first gear thunk, yeah it is among the worst I've ever seen on any bike. Worse even than a Harley tourer. At least with the Harley you can hold the clutch in for a few seconds and then snick into first without a clunk. This Tracer you can hold the clutch in forever and it will still whack when you go to first. Normal.

Have you checked all the fasteners that hold the windscreen bracket onto the bike? Sounds like something is loose. My 21 GT doesn't wiggle side to side at all.

My 2021 GT seems to be pretty accurate. I still assume the inflated reading, and so I jack it up a bit and end up cruising around indicated 82 mph most of the time. This seems to me to be the natural cruising speed of this motor. Oddly, I would say the same speed applied also to my 2014 FJR. It gravitated to indicated 82. I may be imagining this, though.

So, speaking of Yamaha drive sprockets... The Yam Road Stars, at least in the 2004 model years, used a defective locking washer on the drive pulley, which wasn't found out until I noticed a clunking coming from the motor area. Search revealed the drive pulley loose, the locking washer broken, and the pulley riding up against the preventer on the countershaft cover. Not knowing the washer was a defective design, I used another one I had on hand, because I always have extra of everything. It, too, broke within a couple thousand miles. Finally, I discovered Yam had updated the washer design. So I am not necessarily surprised to hear of Yamaha drive sprockets coming loose, even though these incidents appear to be caused by improper maintenance.

I know what you mean by "bike-chondriac" And this tracer is an opera of whines, whirs, gear clunks, especially that first gear from neutral! There's a lot to worry about. Mine now coming up on 13k miles, can't say I've been aware of the vibration you describe. I do tend to slip this clutch pretty heavily. The transmission makes a LOT of racket sitting at idle in neutral with clutch released. All of that disappears when clutch is pulled. Normal, but this is a surprising amount of noise for any bike, to me.

My 21 GT came with the bars visibly crooked in the mounts. The manual says to start with the lower holders loose. Then tighten the upper flanges to 22 nm, then tighten the lower holder bolts to 40 nm. After I did this, my handlebars were straight. It just might be a good idea to start with those holder bolts slightly loose so they can float while you torque the upper flanges.

A few days ago I saw a new 21 Tracer at Fun Bike Center in San Diego. Also recently saw one at Malcolm Smith in Riverside. I’m in Menifee.

The only odd clutch thing I've had on my 21 GT is, or was, in the early miles, if I got into a higher rpm/slip the clutch situation, the clutch would pulse as if I were pumping my left hand on the lever. That would continue until the clutch was fully engaged, on first gear take-off. That hasn't happened in a long time now. Bike presently going on 12k miles. As I think about it, most likely my left hand WAS pumping. It doesn't take much hand movement to make the clutch act, and the motor is so eager to rev, etc. My hands are somewhat weak from years of RA, and of course I'm a geezer. The clutch has been the thing that has flummoxed me the most on this bike. Between the close coupling to the shift lever by left foot, and the very sensitive clutch/hand/motor interactions, I have struggled to make every take-off perfect.

As one who has owned four Gold Wings going back to 1979 and ending in 2003, I can report that even a Gold Wing is not comfortable "all day." Even with a Corbin on it, or other build of saddle on it. Nothing is comfortable all day. Heck, my Laz-i-Boy gets hard after a couple of hours watching TV on it. What is needed for long haul "comfort" is the ability to move around in the saddle. To find a half-dozen positions that relieve the pressure on the hot spots. A good saddle will help in this regard, but saddle alone cannot be a complete fix. I spent many $ searching for the saddle that I could just sit on it for 8 hours and be comfy. No such thing. However, to answer the OP question regarding the Tracer... I find the 21 GT offers plenty of space in the saddle for moving about into modified sitting positions, including the Big Kahuna of butt relief: standing up on the pegs. There is also plenty of room to scoot left and right, hanging one cheek off the saddle at a time. I personally like leaning forward with one elbow resting on the tank, my head tucked up close to the windscreen where the quiet air lives. This position also rests the butt tremendously.

No gap on my 2021, whether the stock saddle or the Corbin. That is a heckuva gap there, OP. Would take a redesigned saddle to fix it properly, I think. Meantime, the use of a filler is probably the only recourse.

I let a little more slack into the clutch cable. Seems to bring the friction zone a little closer to the grip. I had more than a little adjustment period for this new clutch, coming off years on Harley tourers. I still botch a take-off now and again. I think it is caused by a little snatchiness in the clutch release mechanism, combined with the all but instant throttle response of this fine little motor. The Harley, you gotta wind it up a bit. That gives you some room. This Tracer, if the friction isn’t there the motor will zoom!

What we need is head up display. So we can monitor gear, revs and speed without looking down. Maybe it will be in the 23 Tracer along with the Adaptive Cruise.

Maybe the FJR will become the new Star Venture, an archaic left-over unimproved-for-a-decade dinosaur, like the Kawasaki Concours, or the old Voyager 12. I bought a new Star Venture in 2007. It was still being manufactured with a cassette player in the dash. In 2007. It was a good bike, I put over 50k miles on it and then traded it for an FJR. I think the Tracer 9 is the FJR replacement. The apparent fact that Yamaha is developing a radar adaptive cruise control for the Tracer proves it to me. Plus, the obvious fact that the Tracer does everything better than the FJR. Apparently the public is moving away from the monster motors.

Thank you for the very frank crash report. I'm gonna paste this and send it to my (49 year old) son who just a few months ago took up riding. Bought a used Sportster. Your experience may help him avoid what we all have come close to now and again.

I can't make the comparison to earlier Tracers, because my 21 GT is the only Tracer I've ever ridden. It took me some getting-used-to for sure. I had been off bikes for 6 months, and my experience of the previous six years was on Harley tourers, mostly riding two-up. The Tracer is a MUCH more athletic ride! My early adjustment problem came with the shift lever, specifically the very tight area of operation thereupon. I was all but unable to get the toe of my 20 year old Sidi On-Road boot reliably under the shift lever. I bought a new pair of boots (Gaerne) and worked daily to break them in so as to be flexible enough to let me shift without thinking about my foot position. After a few thou miles, things got better, but even now after 10k miles, I still have to work to get my boot toe under the shift lever. The QS device does not permit any adjustment for this purpose. There is a specific length of the QS mechanism, period. Then, I had weeks of squirrelly take-offs because I could NOT seem to get a smooth interaction between clutch friction zone and throttle. Pretty sure this is a function of the very quick engine response to throttle, compared to the Harley, which is fairly sluggish. I still sometimes have a jerky take-off, but at 73 and after years of rheumatoid arthritis my hands are damaged, so maybe this is how it will be. Then, seating position, which got blown up by the purchase of my Corbin saddle. The saddle took a lot of break-in, and I had to buy a Heli adapter to move the bar assy back and up an inch. I didn't care for the windscreen early on. In an upright seating position, unless the ambient wind flow is just right, the stock screen delivers up lots of turbulence, unless I lean forward closer to the screen. I have found this to be a very comfy riding position, even for long hauls. The fuel tank provides a nice flat area to lean either forearm upon. Set cruise control, scrooch back in the Corbin, and enjoy a clean-air ride. The drive chain. 'nuff said, after many years of shafts and belts. A drive belt would be the ideal solution, but I understand why a belt is not do-able on such a machine. Now, I've passed 10k miles. The bike is well broke in, and my 73 year old body is broke in to the bike, and I'm a-diggin' it.

My 21 Tracer GT has the QS on it, and it seems to work fine. This is the first bike I've ever had with a QS. I have come to like it, especially during high acceleration on-ramps. Pulling clutch at 9krpm isn't as clean as a clutchless QS.

$60 sounds about right to me. Some depends on class of mail you use, i.e. whether overnight or surface-doesn't-matter-how-long-it-takes. Last month I mailed via USPS my daughter in Singapore a small box full of some doggie diapers she can't source there. So, light weight. I told the clerk, slow is OK, make it cheaper. It still cost me $68. The diapers themselves were quite a bit less than that shipping cost. FYI this is why I don't bother trying to sell things online. I always seem to lose money on the shipping. And it is worse now than it probably has been in several years what with fuel costs soaring. It might be cheaper and a LOT more fun, to just ride it over to the recipient.

Yeah, that’s how I figure it, too. I put 24k miles on a 2014 Feejer and then sold it for a Harley. I kinda liked the FJR, but the fairing cramped my long legs and it was red. Never ever buy a red motorcycle said self. It was mechanically flawless. It never had a hiccup. My 2021 Tracer is a worthy replacement for FJR. It is easily as capable, even with the smaller motor. The gone shaft drive isn’t much of a bother really, and the power saved helps Tracer keep up with FJR. The panniers are better on Tracer. The electronics are better, more evolved on Tracer. Tracer gets much better mileage and a 5 gal tank that gives a plus-200 mile range. Also, Tracer costs less. I much prefer Tracer to FJR. Coming up on six months owning and riding this Tracer. Loving it. Will pass 10k miles tmrw. And not a single problem worth remembering.

Apart from the nearly perfect weather, here in CA a Suzuki or Yamaha or any other kind of 2-wheel device is allowed to plow between cars. Between lanes. At 70 mph! In fact, from what I’ve witnessed, and am about to witness again in a little while as I ride Tracer south to San Diego for a Dr appointment, is that motorcycles in Cali are Special Category devices. We are allowed to go as fast as we want! It isn’t just the LEOs allowing this freedom. It is the general motoring public. Cars get out of our way! I was in the Army and have ridden in most every US state. I have never seen a place where motorcycles are so “beloved” by the general public, as in California.

Shows how different the world can look depending on where you stand. Out here in southern CA you can't hardly find a Tracer anywhere. Back in January this year, I bought one of three that were sitting side by side on the floor of Temecula Motorsports. The other two were gone within a week. They also had three new Busas on the floor, they were gone within a couple more weeks. My Tracer was marked down $1000 but they simultaneously added in a $1300 mark-up. I was out the door for $17,500. Taxes are very high in CA, and BTW bikes like this are hot. They don't sit for long. I realize $17k is a shocking high number for a 900cc triple. However this is a very capable, well equipped motorcycle, modern in every respect. I don't even mind the high Cali taxes. This is a great place to live and ride.