Mark Jackson Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 Hi guys, I'll be hopefully getting a used Gen 1 Tracer 900 by late February early March. I've been using the excellent resources of this forum to get me familiar with the bike. Here in the UK we have a good selection of used bikes and it's very easy to track down what's available thanks to 'autotrader'. I've ridden 92k miles on my Kawasaki ZRX1200 so know how bikes can last if looked after well and the 900 looks like it's a pretty solid bike. The Tracers I'm looking at within my budget range from 15k mls to 30k mls, I've read about the cam chain woes and the valve check at 25k which a lot of folk suggest would preferably be done at 20k. Are there any other things folk can advise me to look after which is specific to the tracer? One last thing, could somebody tell me what the exact length of the Scorpion Seket can is, that's including the carbon end piece and the bit which clamps onto the link pipe. Any help and advise would be gratefully received, cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwringer Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 I think you covered it! The stock chain and sprockets are short-lived shite, so if a bike in that mileage range is still wearing the original, factor that in quality aftermarket x-ring replacements. Yamaha requires replacing the sprocket nuts front and back, so plan to order these from Yamaha. The torque spec for the rear nuts is insane; many of us use the lower torque spec used on other brands. The valve check is fairly straightforward if you have a manual and you're used to doing shim-under-bucket valves on other bikes. And yes, you should definitely take care of this a little early. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member 2and3cylinders Posted January 12, 2022 Premium Member Share Posted January 12, 2022 I just replied to the thread going on now about Niken's being with withdrawn from the market and that there's a glut of new and used bikes. You can find a bike here if not readily what the prices have shot up is that up as much as 50% unused and and new it's MSRP For the most part. Is one of the most obscure FJ Issues most often Occurring when a large windscreen is used for any period of time, that the instrument windscreen stay at the weds at thecross tubes crack and the screen adjustment mechanism is problematic; At least through the 17s. The side panels sometimes crack due to impingement from the seat and they revised those parts And have covered warranty replacement as a result. The 600 pound gorilla in the room Is the 1st 2 years oil pans being busted open when the drain bolt at the bottom got ripped off; still even all later models Due to low ground clearance making them susceptible to sump damage. And if you want to improve the suspension and brakes you have to budget for that as well, and tires of course if they're the original crap! Then there's things like the saddles a non adjustable clutch lever an ECU Flash I could probably go on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Jackson Posted January 12, 2022 Author Share Posted January 12, 2022 Cheers guys. Bwringer, yeah, I hate under the bucket shims, the old Z650's had them. I prefer the shims on top of the bucket like the old 70's Z1000's which, I'm fortunate to own. The ZRX shims are also a doddle, finding out about the Tracer shims was disappointing but not too much of a problem. 2and3, yes I've read about the sump pans, a bit more worrying for me as I intend on getting a Nitron shock lowered by 15mm, I'll be looking into that more thoroughly. The other things you've mentioned I'm also looking into. For the price I suppose one can't complain, the only other bike I considered was the Tiger 1050. It has higher quality finish and fittings but that comes with a heftier price tag. I can spec the Tracer up to the way I want it and it'll still be cheaper than the Tiger...I hope! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhotoAl Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 I've got a 2020 Tracer 900 GT. Put 18,000 miles on it in the firs year. Haven't gotten to ride much since fall. Valve check is on my list. I added an aftermarket skid pan just for some oil pan protection. It's got a couple of scratches, the pan sits lower than you might think and although I don't ride off-road I do long trips and inevitably there is road construction or chip tar or even just pulling off the road sometimes there is a dropdown. Skidpan gives me peace of mind. Back in June was riding down a loose road to the Jones Hole Hatchery outside of Vernal Utah. Pulled off to fix the GoPro as the scenery was good. the drop from the pavement didn't seem high but scraped pretty good. I've not noticed the timing chain making any extra noise so tensioner seems to be holding up well. My old FZ6 needed a new tensioner every 10,000 miles it seemed. Replaced the chain and sprockets at 11,000 miles. Chain was not that bad but had several stiff links and since was heading out on a 6,400 mile trip did not think it would last. Sprockets did not seem to have much wear but replaced them anyway. Rear sprocket nuts were not replaced but retorted and have had no issues with them. With the high torque make sure you use a 6 point socket and not a 12 point socket. I rounded one slightly using a 12 point socket! A "cam" type socket got it off wo issue. Everyone likes to complain about the OEM suspension but it was worked OK for my after adjusting. Don't ride it like I did my ZX6R in the corners but it does OK. Really feel like the stock suspension settings plus the OEM tires make for lackluster handling. Wish you the best in your search. LOL with used bike prices higher maybe I should trade my 2020 for a 2022. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Jackson Posted January 13, 2022 Author Share Posted January 13, 2022 Cheers PhotAL, all good info to have. I use DID chain and JT sprockets on my ZRX and rarely get more than 12k mls out of them despite using a Scotoiler. The problem isn't the chain, the front sprocket is usually well worn by then. What type of skid pan do you use, any pix? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhotoAl Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 here is a link to a long thread where skid plates are discussed. There are photos of my skid plate in there as well as a description. Here are a couple of pics that I posted in the thread. I put a Scottoiler on my bike after the chain replacement and it has worked well. A bit fiddly in the adjustment but when on a long trip much easier chain maintenance although I did get in the habit of wiping the accumulation of oil fling off the rear wheel every day - 350 to 400 mile days. If adjusted properly just a light film after a couple of days. My bike has mostly long trip miles on it and think that is easier on the chain as a lot of time spent at speed and less accelerating and decelerating. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGP61 Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 On 1/11/2022 at 5:35 PM, Mark Jackson said: Hi guys, I'll be hopefully getting a used Gen 1 Tracer 900 Good choice (but I could be a wee bit bias) thats what I did. I picked up a 17 plate gen one nearly 3 years ago now. By 2017 they had fixed the oil pan issue and had also upgraded to a slipper clutch. Buying used or pre-loved as I prefer also has the advantage that the previous owner may have lavished the stock bike with extras mine came with Yamaha comfort seats and a SHAD 3 box luggage set. I bought my bike after test riding a new GT model and I think the only thing I have a hankering for is the cruise control but for the limited time I would use it I can get by with My £5.00 throttle lock. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Jackson Posted January 13, 2022 Author Share Posted January 13, 2022 Yeah, Looks like I'm going to have to travel down to Englandshire😁 to get the bike I want. Not too many for sale up here. Still, if the weather holds out it looks like it'll be a nice ride back to get used to the new bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGP61 Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 3 hours ago, Mark Jackson said: Looks like I'm going to have to travel down to England Did that too, Drove down to Batley in West Yorkshire to pick up my two year old bike, enjoyed a leisurely lunch in a restaurant near the dealership then rode the bike 240 miles back home Lovely day out, pleasant run home and still saved a few hundred quid compared to the bike I was looking at closer to home. (picture from the day I picked it up) 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Jackson Posted January 13, 2022 Author Share Posted January 13, 2022 Nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member knyte Posted January 13, 2022 Supporting Member Share Posted January 13, 2022 On 1/12/2022 at 11:44 AM, 2and3cylinders said: one of the most obscure FJ Issues most often Occurring when a large windscreen is used for any period of time, that the instrument windscreen stay at the weds at thecross tubes crack Yep, I've had to deal with this one. Thankfully, if you've access to a MIG, it's a fairly quick fix. 1 2015 FJ-09 / FJR touring bags / oil plug mod / Evotech rad guard / SW Motech bash plate / VStream touring windshield / Seat Concepts: Sport Touring / Vcyclenut ABS rings (speedo correction) / Cosmo RAM mount Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Jackson Posted January 14, 2022 Author Share Posted January 14, 2022 Hopefully won't be a problem with me, I prefer short sports screens, intending on getting the FACO one. Handy to know though as some of the bikes I've been looking at have the very big Givi touring screen on so I'll be sure to check that out, cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member 2and3cylinders Posted January 14, 2022 Premium Member Share Posted January 14, 2022 21 minutes ago, Mark Jackson said: Hopefully won't be a problem with me, I prefer short sports screens, intending on getting the FACO one. Handy to know though as some of the bikes I've been looking at have the very big Givi touring screen on so I'll be sure to check that out, cheers. That's the barn door that did it to mine! Besides reinforcing the welds, I strengthened the entire screen stay structure with brackets and made the screen height adjustment a quick cam affair because the OEM adjuster is just dumb! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member betoney Posted January 14, 2022 Supporting Member Share Posted January 14, 2022 4 hours ago, Mark Jackson said: Hopefully won't be a problem with me, I prefer short sports screens, intending on getting the FACO one. I also much prefer a shorter sport screen, I only use my slightly larger screen in the winter but refuse to use a 'barn door'. For the '15-'17 FJ, Parabellum makes a very nice Flyscreen, nice, smooth airflow just like a naked bike. I actually use it on all of my summer road trips, usually 400-450+ miles a day for 7-9 days. http://parabellum.com/FJ-09-Parabellum-Flyscreeen-P125.aspx 3 ***2015 Candy Red FJ-09*** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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