Jpainter187 Posted September 5 Share Posted September 5 Thanks for the add from East TX! I’m not a FJ09 or Tracer 9 owner yet but am in the market for one. I go back and forth between BMW’s and Yamaha’s. Hopefully I can gain some good info on the bike before picking one up! My last Yamaha was a 2007 FZ06, so it’s been a minute… 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theog Posted September 5 Share Posted September 5 I can’t personally speak to owning a BMW, so take that disclaimer up front. I’ve ridden a few and know guys who are happy with them. That said, the FJ/Tracer bikes are excellent. I’ve owned 9 different Yamaha products over the years and really love this bike the most out of all of them. Sure, the Ducati I just sold had more character and was a little livelier, but owning the bike sucked. Parts were expensive and hard to come by, and frankly, you have to spend a mountain of money on them just to get them running right fresh off the dealer floor. The Yamaha can surely benefit from some improvements, but they are far less “mission critical” than some of these others. BMW has made some questionable design choices in the past, but they’re able to wave the “German design” flag and get away with it. The Yamaha just works and, as you know from your FZ6, the likelihood of something going wrong is pretty low. Plus, who doesn’t love a 26k mile valve adjustment interval? The CP3 is a great engine and has been well proven over the last 10 years. Same can be said of the chassis (even if it stands benefit from suspension tuning). Good luck with the search - hope you join the ranks soon! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jpainter187 Posted September 6 Author Share Posted September 6 Yes, I agree the CP3 is a great engine! I would love to get one of the newer 2021+ Tarcer 9GT’s but it’s out of my price range at the moment so I’m willing to settle for a 2015+ FJ09! I’m just hoping I get lucky and am able to find one within 100-150 miles from me… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I’m GPS Posted September 6 Share Posted September 6 Not sure if this will help but here is my experience. basically pros and cons for them all! I love my Tracer 900 GT, 2019, and just got back a few weeks ago from an 1500 mile trip thru CO San Juan Mountains (Ouray, Silverton, Durango, Telluride…from Salt Lake City). I added a new Yamaha comfort heated seat and it was wonderful. I love the fun triple. With almost 16k miles only had issues w chain o rings coming out and a recall abt rear brake switch (I found issue and had it fixed before they recalled it). My husband says she is easy to work on. After all this I have her listed for sale and have actually planned on it for a few months now. I can’t post her for sale here because I have not reached my 25 required posts. I just bought a 2022 BMW S 1000 XR (low suspension ). I did quite a bit of research and test rode a variety on motorcycles before making my decision. So far I find the 1000 XR is fun, feels better in corners, is faster (honestly probably not more usable power for how I ride), less comfortable given seat and leg position, has a ton of great technology, and costs more to buy accessories for. I also find the seat to get hot. I came close to buying a Kawasaki Versus, or a BMW 1250 GS (low suspension). I think the GS takes more effort to corner and is a little too smooth and I may find it lacking in the thrill factor. The Versus was nice but basically same things w corners and the thrill factor. Both are also quite a bit over 500 lbs which was as a detractor. Anyways I hope you enjoy selecting your next motorcycle! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theog Posted September 6 Share Posted September 6 (edited) 10 hours ago, Jpainter187 said: Yes, I agree the CP3 is a great engine! I would love to get one of the newer 2021+ Tarcer 9GT’s but it’s out of my price range at the moment so I’m willing to settle for a 2015+ FJ09! I’m just hoping I get lucky and am able to find one within 100-150 miles from me… I was in the same situation and then I was able to try an older one out for an extended ride. I got wrapped up in the internet comments about wind buffeting, vibes, and the shorter swingarm. Long story short, those aren’t show stoppers for me. Cut down the stock windscreen, dropped a tooth on the cs sprocket, and I’m pretty damn satisfied. Given the price I paid, I couldn’t justify double the price for a new one. Edited September 6 by theog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xstoff Posted September 6 Share Posted September 6 Before getting the 2016 FJ09, I tried a BMW F850GS Adventure (I'm 6"4, so I need a big bike) and a Triumph Tiger 800. The Tiger 800 was the smoothest of the 3. I knew my use case would likely be 100% on the road, and it didn't feel good with the F850. The FJ09 was exactly what I was looking for in terms of playfulness. People like to talk about how the suspension are bad, and so on... After I setup the sag, it already felt like night and day! I did a 450 miles day ride recently, and apart from the OEM seat that's a bit lacking of cushion, I have nothing to complain about. Find one with cruise control and better seat if you plan for longer trips, updated/upgraded suspension if you plan on dragging the knee, and you shall have fun. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now