Hello from East Texas

[etex]

I'm a proud owner of a 2022 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT.  I've ridden bikes since 1968 when I bought a Honda CB160.  A couple of years later I bought a Honda CB400II.  A few years after that, I took a brief break from riding and sold my bike.  Only about 40 years later, I bought a 2018 Honda CB500X and rode it for about five years and about 60,000 miles, mainly on paved roads.  The 500x is a good bike, reliable, adequately powered, flickable and responsive. 

But nowhere as nice and responsive as my new Tracer 9 GT.  I have yet to explore all the power it has.  It seems really planted and stuck to the road (I had road 5 tires on my CB500x, but I think I like the Battlax tires on my tracer better).  It spite of its 110 plus horsepower, the throttle is quite controllable, and at no point have I felt like the bike was going faster than I wanted it to.  The torque at lower speeds even in higher gear ranges is amazing.  And passing power - the CB500x would get the job done, but the Tracer 9 gets it done a whole lot faster.

I've never had a bike this powerful, with so many bells and whistles, and never a Yamaha.  I'll have a lot of questions- hopefully I won't wear out my welcome too soon!

Edited May 21, 2023 by etex
add pict and properly place pict

[robzilla]

Welcome etex! Glad to see another new T9GT owner join the group. Hope you can share a pic or two of your new ride.

Make sure to read the other areas and threads on this forum!  Lots of good info on farkles, ie, accessories, mods, etc once you find what isn't working or needs a little enhancement. Be sure though to do some short and relatively long rides before spending more $.

 

 

[etex]

Thanks for the welcome.  For sure I want to know what I need and can afford before before buying stuff.  I'll be looking for ideas and cautions here.  All things for a motorcycle seem to cost much more than I would think they should, so I do investigate before I invest.  Also, generally I'll do all the maintenance on my bike, so I may bug folks about that as much as what the best and cheapest farkle is. 

I'm looking forward to learning the world of Yamaha.

[texscottyd]

Welcome @etex!  Beautiful bike… I’m sure you’re going to love it.   I’m 7+ years into my CP3 ownership, but my old FJ still makes me smile every time I ride it.  

What part of East Texas?  I’m in Houston now, but grew up out near the Big Thicket, and we still have a lake house in southern Tyler county.   

[etex]

I told my son the other day - who rides an XSR - that I liked my CB500x, but that I love my Tracer 9.  It is so quick, stable, and nimble.

I live near Longview, which is between Dallas and Shreveport.  There is a large network of farm to market roads around here, which is mainly where I ride.  I'm retired, so I can ride whenever the need hits, which is fairly often.

[robzilla]

I see you updated a pic-- makes sense you've removed the handguards since you're in Texas!

Noticed you added aux lights on the forks. Which ones and did it include the fork mounts?

[etex]

I installed hand guards on my CB500x hoping that in the winter they'd help keep my hands warmer, but really I don't think they helped me at all with warmth.  They do protect from flying bugs and rocks, but my gloves do a fair job at protecting from those flying objects.  Truth is, I just don't like how hand guards look.  So I took off the guards from my new bike.

I harvested those lights from my CB500x;  they are Denali 2.0 TriOptic LED lights and are a good example of overpriced motorcycle farkles.  However, Denali stuff is good quality - those lights are in perfect condition despite almost 60000 miles on a pretty buzzy Honda and they do supply good quantities of reliable light.  One of the lights is set as a spotlight, and one a broader beam light;  I believe more light and a larger headlight "puddle" on the front helps to reduce cage driver's errors that might get me killed.  One thing that I definitely do not like about the Tracer is the high beam headlight element going completely off when the high beam is turned off, reducing the size of the lighted area "puddle"  of the headlights for other drivers to a one small low beam.  Seems to me that having two dual beam (high and low) headlights is is much safer idea.

I do like the quantity and light spread of the headlights on my Tracer.  I did have to raise the low beam slightly.

The fork mounts are from Amazon, and although definitely not an example of over priced motorcycle farkles, they  appear, at the present, to be of good quality and they fit nicely;  Amazon Link

 

Edited May 21, 2023 by etex
correct link

[miweber929]

Welcome!!!

[etex]

Thanks!

[betoney]

3 hours ago, etex said:

One thing that I definitely do not like about the Tracer is the high beam headlight element going completely off when the high beam is turned off, reducing the size of the lighted area "puddle"  of the headlights for other drivers to a one small low beam.  Seems to me that having two dual beam (high and low) headlights is is much safer idea.

I hate that "feature" as well.  I only ever ride during daylight so I have both high and main beam illuminated 100% of the time with the high beam aimed down a bit.  I also use Denali daytime running lights, agreed, very expensive.

[tktplz]

Welcome, I'm just southeast of Shreveport/Bossier, LA. You are also close to some of the best motorcycle roads in the United States, in Arkansas. You cut up through OK to the Talihina Parkway going over into Mena, AR. From there it's go north to Hwy 23, The Pig Trail into Eureka Springs. Then you're on 21, 103, 74, 123, 7. Then further east to Mountain Home. Then off to 125, 177, 14, 263, and you can't forget 341, Push Mountain. Just paved top to bottom 2 years ago. Wasn't fun the fall of 2021. They just re-did it with fresh chip seal, oh God.  Then go back west to home. Best roads since North Carolina with the Tail of the Dragon, Cheroholla? Skyway, Moonshiners Highway, Wahaya? Road. Arkansas is quite comparable. Here we are at the Mini-Dragon

 

Edited May 21, 2023 by tktplz
fix picture

[etex]

I've ridden out of Hot Springs during two rain sodden days last spring.   Road to Petit Jean and parts east and west.  Lots of twisties and scenery.  Arkansas is a beautiful state.  I'll be visiting again sometime.  And the next time I'll be on my Tracer 9.

Edited May 21, 2023 by etex

[TomTracer]

Don't.mean to hi-jack here, but some other sites in AR are worth mention. Near Eureka Springs Beaver Lake has a wooden replica of the Golden Gate Bridge. 7 S out of Jasper a short distance has The Cliff House overlooking the AR Grand Canyon. 7 to Hot Springs is great.  AR 125 to Peel has a free ferry across an arm of the lake heading to Ozark, MO. Dover, AR has the Booger Holler Tabernacle with remnants of a small store and a double decker outhouse! Always makes me smile when I pass there. AR is great for us Mid-W dwellers.

[Kenny A.]

Welcome,and enjoy !! 👍

[KrustyKush]

Welcome from southern CA.

Austin is family home for me.  I ride through now and again to visit them.  Maybe see you out there some day!