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Tracer 9 GT test ride & comparison to 900 GT


petshark

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Great writeup.  Certainly have my eye on the T9GT but going to keep my 2020 900GT for a while longer.  You didnt really tell me anything I didn't already kind of know but coming from a fellow rider with the same bike I've got makes it so very real.  That and very well written - I've got the engineer knack but writing does not come easy to me.  

I've said this before but Yamaha is turning the FJ09 into a great mid weight sport touring bike thru a series of changes.  Non of the changes are radical but overall and across a couple of generations they have resulted in a brilliant mid-weight sport touring bike that has not lost it's sport roots and can still feel bits of hooligan nature.  

Just the other day was talking to someone who had a KTM 1290 adventure bike and another bike.  Said his some was on the 1290 with side cases and went by him at a rapid clip and the bike was really weaving due to the effects of the side cases.  If I remember it was the previous generation but still surprised me.  My Tracer 900 GT is very stable at speed with the side cases and a top case.  In trip mode the top case is empty but I do have a 58L duffle on the rear seat.  Out west it's not unusual to see a nice 2 lane road with a 70MPH speed limit.  Lots of folks run over the speed limit (imagine that LOL).  But if passing a vehicle doing 65MPH it is not hard to hit mid to upper 80s while passing.  I do not want to be passing and have a bike that is aerodynamically unstable or twitchy.  

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My impression of the 2021 9GT dash is that I love it!  I grew up when you had only a speedo and if lucky a tach to look at and a bunch of idiot lights.  I suppose those that don't like the looks of the 9GT dash are staring at it instead of looking down the road.  The right side is configurable with a display of four functions and on a trip it's nice to monitor fuel and temp (coolant and air).  I use the fuel gauge, coolant temp, trip2 and fuel consumption on the right.  On the left I use trip1 and odometer.

 

The only thing I don't like is the size of the clock numerals.  I also set the tach to display colors which sometimes helps.

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5 hours ago, OldBikers said:

My impression of the 2021 9GT dash is that I love it!  I grew up when you had only a speedo and if lucky a tach to look at and a bunch of idiot lights.  I suppose those that don't like the looks of the 9GT dash are staring at it instead of looking down the road.  The right side is configurable with a display of four functions and on a trip it's nice to monitor fuel and temp (coolant and air).  I use the fuel gauge, coolant temp, trip2 and fuel consumption on the right.  On the left I use trip1 and odometer.

 

The only thing I don't like is the size of the clock numerals.  I also set the tach to display colors which sometimes helps.

I don’t think anyone is critical of the information that is provided on the screen, most of the complaints I have heard (and have myself) are the size,  shape, layout and brightness. Why use 2 small 3.5” screens with highly reflective glass instead of a single 7” screen with non glare glass like every other TFT screen?  

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***2015 Candy Red FJ-09***

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18 hours ago, OldBikers said:

My impression of the 2021 9GT dash is that I love it!  I grew up when you had only a speedo and if lucky a tach to look at and a bunch of idiot lights.  I suppose those that don't like the looks of the 9GT dash are staring at it instead of looking down the road.  The right side is configurable with a display of four functions and on a trip it's nice to monitor fuel and temp (coolant and air).  I use the fuel gauge, coolant temp, trip2 and fuel consumption on the right.  On the left I use trip1 and odometer.

 

The only thing I don't like is the size of the clock numerals.  I also set the tach to display colors which sometimes helps.

Indeed I love to have all that information at my fingertips but the reason I call it 'geeky' is that it's all data and very little insight in how to present data in a visually efficient and pleasing way. I would like to be able to see it in the blink of an eye, not search for it, which is never more important than on a motorbike.

I do some work as a programmer and also do some graphical work so I'm probably too hard on Yamaha but there is a lot of room for improvement. I'm not opposed to using two screens but cramping a lot of stuff in the left and showing just four stats in the right is not a good way to present information IMO.

That said I did not like the KTM's huge iPad-like display neither. It's too big and has too much fluff. It needs to be clean, crisp and have the right amount of emphasis on different kinds of data. It's probably subjective in part, but I'm pretty sure there is a way to nail it that +90% of users would be really happy with it.

I understand that manufacturers are in the business of making great riding machines and that the digital display is still quite new but I think they may underestimate how much some riders will associate the one part of the bike they look at most with their overall appreciation of the product. I believe many will say that it's not that important but if it's great and you really love the display it will make you love your bike more. I for one look at other bikes and cannot go back to the ugly LCD displays, it's a total deal breaker to me. I much prefer an analogue tach and skip everything in between.

I have to give credit to Honda. They are going in the right direction IMO. The tachometer on the '21 CB1000R looks beautiful but it was too small for me to quickly see the RPM so it's all a trade off.
Honda überarbeitet CB-Baureihe für 2021 - moto.chAll in all I'm very happy with the 2019 Tracer GT display.

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On 12/14/2021 at 3:25 PM, skipperT said:

KTM does allow you a lot of control with their Ride Modes, if it wasn’t on “Sport” it may have been subdued to the point that it felt less sporty-like while riding, leading to you not being impressed acceleration/responsive-ness wise. 

1290’s are quite fast and love to wheelie, whether it’s an adv or a duke GT. The engine packs quite a wallop. And yes, they are quite “rattle-y” as well. 
-Skip

It was on sport mode the whole time. I don't know... It just felt so agricultural that I may not have ridden it with the right input. I did give it the beans and could feel the power but the Tracer still felt like a fireblade in comparison after.

Then I rode the CB1000R and got back on the Tracer, the Tracer felt very unrefined so go figure...

I imagine that riding with lots of luggage, with a passenger, or on rough terrain will make the KTM stand out but I just did a road test and there was nothing there for me.

It's of course parallel twins compared to triples compared to inline fours. I don't think I will ever go back to a twin after this. Just not my thing I guess. @2and3cylinders my nick may become 3and4cylinders. 😉

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3 hours ago, petshark said:

It was on sport mode the whole time. I don't know... It just felt so agricultural that I may not have ridden it with the right input. I did give it the beans and could feel the power but the Tracer still felt like a fireblade in comparison after.

Then I rode the CB1000R and got back on the Tracer, the Tracer felt very unrefined so go figure...

I imagine that riding with lots of luggage, with a passenger, or on rough terrain will make the KTM stand out but I just did a road test and there was nothing there for me.

It's of course parallel twins compared to triples compared to inline fours. I don't think I will ever go back to a twin after this. Just not my thing I guess. @2and3cylinders my nick may become 3and4cylinders. 😉

My twins are 2 smokes & big 90° 4 strokes, a lot different than a parallel twin with crank timing made to simulate 90° orientation; it just isn't the same! 

2 smokes rip and come on the pipe like nothing else, and big 90 twins just hook up and are sneaky fast; especially when you lighten the flywheel a bit.

Both great fun and charactor filled, just lousy gas mileage.

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On 12/13/2021 at 2:42 PM, petshark said:

........wheels really make a difference, it's even more agile and happy to turn in........

I've invested too much in my 2019 900 GT to jump on this and now I kind of wish that I hadn't done that. It is going to be hard to keep resisting the upgrade. The thing is that I would not need to do most of the upgrades on the new one (ECU, suspension). I'm almost hoping that someone hits it with their car while it's parked so I can use the insurance money to buy the 9 GT. Just kidding, well kind of...

Same boat here, sans test ride on the 9. Want want want ( childish,eh, can't reasonably use all my 900 will offer up ; )

 

 

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On 12/14/2021 at 3:33 AM, skipperT said:

How many miles on your test ride bike? These pads take a bit to “bed-in” and the performance is much better after 500 miles or so IMHO. 
 

9GT is a far better bike, period. It’s just so much more refined and smooth. The extra price is worth it for what Yamaha has improved, IMHO. 
 

it’s like comparing a GL1800 gold wing from 2002 to a new 18-21 model.
KTM’s are exciting to ride until they start to spend time in the shop, which they all do eventually. Then you’ll be excited about the cost of maintenance vs a Yamaha. 

-Skip

You compare a model of 20 to 21 as a model goldwing 20 years old???

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23 hours ago, Dpl900 said:

You compare a model of 20 to 21 as a model goldwing 20 years old???

Yes. The 2002-2005 GL18 are all the same bike, changed again from 06-09, then I get a bit lost but I think Honda changed mostly the fairings and dash from 2010-15 or so. At which point they moved production from Georgia back to Japan and pretty much redesigned the bike for a 2018 MY release. There were a couple years where no ‘Wings were produced. The 18-21 Gen models are all the same except for BNGraphics and a different Trunk on the later touring models. 
I could change my comparison to gl1500 to gl1800 if you like.

What I was trying to get across is that the 900GT and the 9GT are very similar bikes, but after riding both you can start to get a feel for the progression of the model and the changes the Factory have made. They’re both amazing, potent motorcycles but the 9GT is the best Yamaha has done yet with this platform.

and to answer the un-asked question, yes I have ridden all the bikes I’ve referenced - DCT and manual clutch models too. The newest GL1800 Wing is the Creme of the Goldwing line, similar to the 9GT being the Creme of the Tracer line, IMHO. 

Ride them both back-to-back and draw your own conclusions. 

-Skip

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On 12/13/2021 at 7:11 PM, stevesweetz said:

.....Now if I only they were actually available for purchase anywhere...

Maxim Honda/Yamaha in Texas has a red 2021....if I had a spare 16K lying around I'd be flying over to pick it up fer Xmas🤑

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7 hours ago, Larz said:

Maxim Honda/Yamaha in Texas has a red 2021....if I had a spare 16K lying around I'd be flying over to pick it up fer Xmas🤑

I was doing just fine till I read you post.  Now you have me thinking .....

 

quick gotta go before the mrs catches me drooling.

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