10 year Versys 1000 owner to '23 Tracer 9 (losing weight was never easier)

[SVincent]

Hi Vincent here from the, big part under sea level residing, Netherlands

Put downpayment on a new tracer 9 which will hopefully be delivered ASAP (can't wait). 

Did 40k miles on my 2012 Versys (which in our very small country is considered high mileage) and wanted a change. Tried the vstrom 800 but couldn't get along with the 21 inch front wheel on higher speeds. Liked the peppy low down grunt, good suspension but detracted from the vibes and the mediocre quickshifter. 

Was contemplating on waiting on the street version, but in the end the engine and quickshifter was going to be the same and aftermarket parts non existent. And I have tweaked the versys quite a bit, would take at least a year before the street version would have any farkles available on the market.... 

So the tracer tickt the majority of the boxes and the ones that were not can be retrofitted. 

Looking for a higher and possibly wider handlebar (love the 95 cm wide bars on the versys) so might be popping into some old topics to ask some questions. 

Will probably go for an Mra vario screen (coming from a fugly but very effective airstream, I am spoiled) and might be looking for a shorty for the hot summer (which makes the bike look damn fine!) 

I had the fully kitted gt version of the versys but decided to not by the tracer gt because when I travel I tend to opt for the lighter softbags (need to work out how to. Mount my lomo medium and small bags.) 

Will probably add a givi plate to the rear and buy a cheap topbox for the practical rides if I need to lock up somewhere or take my laptop or such. 

Crash bars are most likely also in the list...... Wallet might be losing weight too🫣

 

 

[tgas]

Looks like you did your research.  I think you will like the Tracer 9.  Let us know your thoughts after you get and put a  few miles on the new bike.  When are you anticipating delivery of the bike?

[Fleng]

As a small topbox you might be interested in the GIVI TREKKER case, which comes in a 33 ltr version. Normally used as a sidecase, but can be used as a topbox as well.

I used it as a very good laptop carrier to work.

[RonZuidhoek]

23 hours ago, SVincent said:

Hi Vincent here from the, big part under sea level residing, Netherlands

Put downpayment on a new tracer 9 which will hopefully be delivered ASAP (can't wait). 

Did 40k miles on my 2012 Versys (which in our very small country is considered high mileage) and wanted a change. Tried the vstrom 800 but couldn't get along with the 21 inch front wheel on higher speeds. Liked the peppy low down grunt, good suspension but detracted from the vibes and the mediocre quickshifter. 

Was contemplating on waiting on the street version, but in the end the engine and quickshifter was going to be the same and aftermarket parts non existent. And I have tweaked the versys quite a bit, would take at least a year before the street version would have any farkles available on the market.... 

So the tracer tickt the majority of the boxes and the ones that were not can be retrofitted. 

Looking for a higher and possibly wider handlebar (love the 95 cm wide bars on the versys) so might be popping into some old topics to ask some questions. 

Will probably go for an Mra vario screen (coming from a fugly but very effective airstream, I am spoiled) and might be looking for a shorty for the hot summer (which makes the bike look damn fine!) 

I had the fully kitted gt version of the versys but decided to not by the tracer gt because when I travel I tend to opt for the lighter softbags (need to work out how to. Mount my lomo medium and small bags.) 

Will probably add a givi plate to the rear and buy a cheap topbox for the practical rides if I need to lock up somewhere or take my laptop or such. 

Crash bars are most likely also in the list...... Wallet might be losing weight too🫣

 

 

Hello, fellow Dutchman.

 

Enjoy your Tracer9. Now riding a Tracer 900 from 2015, but going te look for a Tracer 9GT (white one is sexy), so who knows.

[PhotoAl]

Welcome!  You will enjoy the bike.  I had a MRA touring screen on my 2020 900GT that worked well.  Added a cheap laminar lip from Amazon to it so wound up with something very similar to the MRA vario.  Put over 25,000 miles on that and it worked very well.  It wasn’t perfect but did a nice job of getting the air around me and over my head.  Last September rode for several days in Montana and South Dakota with temperatures from 95F to 104F.  It was a dry heat LOL.  I had the 39 liter Yamaha top box and really enjoyed it.  Was nice having it keyed to the ignition key.  The side cases were nice and worked very well.  Rode thru a fair amount of rain and never had a leak with them.  On my top box I added an inexpensive LED light bar and tapped into the brake and tail light to I had an additional tail light and brake light up a bit higher.  Here in the land of txt’ng need all the help I can get!  I used a waterproof connector so could unplug if I took the top box off.

My son and his wife visited her parents in Amsterdam earlier this year and had a great time.   

[SVincent]

On 7/20/2023 at 2:44 PM, tgas said:

Looks like you did your research.  I think you will like the Tracer 9.  Let us know your thoughts after you get and put a  few miles on the new bike.  When are you anticipating delivery of the bike?

I hope I did😅, it was harder than buying my first bike (the versys) now I have 10 years of experience and it now needs to tick more boxes. Preferably everything needs to be better than the Versys including all the things I have done over 10 years  to it to suit my needs. It was unrealistic and never going to work..... Its looking at the compromises and seeing if I can live with them or there are farkles to change them. In any case... After the first year I will know🤣

Waiting for the call this week to pick it up.... Patience is a virtue (don't think it's mine though) 

On 7/20/2023 at 7:44 PM, Fleng said:

As a small topbox you might be interested in the GIVI TREKKER case, which comes in a 33 ltr version. Normally used as a sidecase, but can be used as a topbox as well.

I used it as a very good laptop carrier to work.

Thanks for the tip! I'll keep an eye out. 

On 7/21/2023 at 10:09 AM, RonZuidhoek said:

Hello, fellow Dutchman.

 

Enjoy your Tracer9. Now riding a Tracer 900 from 2015, but going te look for a Tracer 9GT (white one is sexy), so who knows.

Hoi Ron! Thanks! The white one is a beauty indeed! My versys is/was white. Too bad the normal 9 is only available in black or red. I already have a red car and a red street twin (and both a nicer red than the Yam one) so opted for the black. Figured it might be easy to wrap some parts and come with my own color scheme. The panels and even the tank seems easier than most bikes to do. 

On 7/21/2023 at 2:49 PM, PhotoAl said:

Welcome!  You will enjoy the bike.  I had a MRA touring screen on my 2020 900GT that worked well.  Added a cheap laminar lip from Amazon to it so wound up with something very similar to the MRA vario.  Put over 25,000 miles on that and it worked very well.  It wasn’t perfect but did a nice job of getting the air around me and over my head.  Last September rode for several days in Montana and South Dakota with temperatures from 95F to 104F.  It was a dry heat LOL.  I had the 39 liter Yamaha top box and really enjoyed it.  Was nice having it keyed to the ignition key.  The side cases were nice and worked very well.  Rode thru a fair amount of rain and never had a leak with them.  On my top box I added an inexpensive LED light bar and tapped into the brake and tail light to I had an additional tail light and brake light up a bit higher.  Here in the land of txt’ng need all the help I can get!  I used a waterproof connector so could unplug if I took the top box off.

My son and his wife visited her parents in Amsterdam earlier this year and had a great time.   

I hope the Mra vario is good enough. Having tinnitus I hate wind noise but love riding with visor open....

We generally have moderate climate, but a shorty like the wrs or ermax might be good in summer. 

I'm not too far from Amsterdam, although some might say that everything in the Netherlands is not far from each other 🤭. 

 

[thanks4thefish]

I'm another Versys 1000 owner who sees the "light" I calculate the 17 FJ 09 I am on now has about 100 US pounds lighter weight than the Versys. I've had my  V1000 for 8 years and it's been the best bike I have every owned and the only one I have ever kept for 8 years as it did everything I needed a bike to do. I normally have to start the Versys to move it around but the FJ is so easy to move around with out starting it even. Predictions are that a lot of older riders are going to be moving down in size from full size touring rigs. ST1300,RT1200 etc to smaller lighter mid-weight bikes.

When I started riding the Honda 750 was THE super bike. I had one that I wiped out and landed in a goldfish pond on my first day of ownership over 50 years ago. Now 750 is a smallish bike. 

[SVincent]

True, but with all the big bikes going to 1200+cc's there is also a call for lighter and nimble opposed to powerful and heavy. 

I'm not afraid to say that the power weight and size on those bigger bikes exceed my capabilities. Might very well already be the case the the tracer, in terms of power anyway. 

Had a blast on the tracer 7 aswell, but for 2 up its nice to have a little more room and oemph so hence the 9.

 

[RonZuidhoek]

You never posted a pic of your new Tracer 9.

Show us the beauty you bought.

[SVincent]

Very true, its time for some pictures and updates..... The pictures will have to wait for now but I'm sure I'll be able to snap some on my next trip. 

Mods sofar:

-Mra xcreen spoiler on the standard screen

-Puig shorty for them hot days

-qc3 usb in cigarette lighter (used tyraps and old bycicle tyre to secure and waterproof.)

- tomtom powerlead into spare power output under the fairing (had wrong 3pin sumimoto, but could use the pins to fill the dummy 2 pin connectors that were on the bike) 

- sw motech barback risers. Had to modify the brakeline and clutch to accomodate. But is working great! (t-rex syndrome cured) 

-switched red brakelight for mt09 transperant version. 

- tank side protectors 

- shinguard stickers (first thing that loses paint.)

Projects ongoing

- fit heed crashbars

- store emergency tools tyre plug/first aid kit etc.(looking for an option to use empty space where the cases, that I don't have, mount) 

- make a mount that is centered for my sarnav or phone above the clocks. 

- heated grips somewhere along the line. 

- givi or swmotech rear rack. Or softbag supports.. Not sure yet. 

To be continued........ 

 

[SVincent]

After adding 1400 km last weekend in Germany I finally have some pictures worth showing:

Here she is:

Hot setup with the smaller Puig screen

Normal setup with the standard windshield and the MRA X-Creen

Small weekend bag on the back until we find a different solution (still hate the "kick your leg up between the bag end the tank" to get in the seat move). 

The black HEED crash bars, kneepads for the tank and heel protectors 

SW motech barbacks, handlebar bag and made a custom bracket for the windshield mount from Aluminum supporting a RAM mount that can carry either my TomTom or my phone via SP connect.    

Managed to get quite a few tools, ty raps, tyre plug tools and small other bits and bobs under the main seat for some roadside repairs that I would hopefully never need to use.

The engine is fully broken in and i could unleash its true potential. It's amazing! still need to work on my footwork. The back brake was closer to locking up a bit when attacking a slow speed corners from decent speed, will require some more front braking, and for this I just might want some extra lever te grip onto. I would have loved if the lever could be adjusted 1 or 2 steps closer to the handlebar. (hope some aftermarket solutions might enable this and not stay within the same range....

As for the other foot, had some false neutrals (need to put some more resolution in the shift) and while blasting from a corner didn't release my toes back properly to quickshift from 2nd to 3rd (as from 1st to 2nd is so quick and when revving up you get to 2nd to 3rd in a heartbeat, but need to disengage the shifter enough to be able to shift up again). But i'm sure this will grow on me quick enough.

I'll put some pictures up from the crashbar, barback + cable rerouting and satnav bracket Mods in a separate topic at some point...

Too bad we are entering autumn here, so sunny hotter days are behind us. Let's hope we can manage some nice dry weather in the next few weeks before PMS kicks in. 

 

 

Edited September 19, 2023 by SVincent

[RonZuidhoek]

1 hour ago, SVincent said:

After adding 1400 km last weekend in Germany I finally have some pictures worth showing:

Here she is:

Hot setup with the smaller Puig screen

Normal setup with the standard windshield and the MRA X-Creen

Small weekend bag on the back until we find a different solution (still hate the "kick your leg up between the bag end the tank" to get in the seat move). 

The black HEED crash bars, kneepads for the tank and heel protectors 

SW motech barbacks, handlebar bag and made a custom bracket for the windshield mount from Aluminum supporting a RAM mount that can carry either my TomTom or my phone via SP connect.    

Managed to get quite a few tools, ty raps, tyre plug tools and small other bits and bobs under the main seat for some roadside repairs that I would hopefully never need to use.

The engine is fully broken in and i could unleash its true potential. It's amazing! still need to work on my footwork. The back brake was closer to locking up a bit when attacking a slow speed corners from decent speed, will require some more front braking, and for this I just might want some extra lever te grip onto. I would have loved if the lever could be adjusted 1 or 2 steps closer to the handlebar. (hope some aftermarket solutions might enable this and not stay within the same range....

As for the other foot, had some false neutrals (need to put some more resolution in the shift) and while blasting from a corner didn't release my toes back properly to quickshift from 2nd to 3rd (as from 1st to 2nd is so quick and when revving up you get to 2nd to 3rd in a heartbeat, but need to disengage the shifter enough to be able to shift up again). But i'm sure this will grow on me quick enough.

I'll put some pictures up from the crashbar, barback + cable rerouting and satnav bracket Mods in a separate topic at some point...

Too bad we are entering autumn here, so sunny hotter days are behind us. Let's hope we can manage some nice dry weather in the next few weeks before PMS kicks in. 

 

 

Nice. Share your findings also on the Dutch forum.

I am curious for the custom bracket you made for the GPS.

 Nice looking bike btw.

 

Did you enjoyed the trip?? 

Edited September 19, 2023 by RonZuidhoek

[SVincent]

As mentioned above, a little how to on the risor options without brake/clutch or wiring extensions:

https://www.tracer900.net/topic/11945-tracer-9-21-onwards-handlebar-riser-options-with-oem-wiring-brakeline-clutchcable-lengths/#comment-156841