GT niggles?

[bugie]

As the happy owner of a GT with 2k on the clock I am very happy with my purchase over all, however, like with everything in life nothing is perfect:
 
So what are your complaints with your GT? Mine are:
 
 
[ul type=disc][*]I think the foot pegs are a little low and constantly scraping when doing some spirited riding[*]My old Suzuki and Honda had the brights flashing switch instead of the Driving mode switch on the GT which I found very useful;[*]I find the suspension does move around a lot in very spirited riding which can be a little unnerving (especially in quick directional changes);[*]Fuel guage is split in to 3 parts (Full, half, quarter). I can't fathom why they thought putting in a 3/4 mark would be too complex or expensive;[*]When riding 2 up I find myself getting pushed to the front of the seat which has an uncomfortable shape. I find the seat very comfortable when riding solo though;[*]The nooks and crannies of the bike seem to hold a ton of water so after washing the bike it requires a good ride to get rid of residual water;[*]The clutch case sticks out a long way meaning my boot ends up resting on it at times;[*]I find the side stand hard to reach when stopping (whilst wearing motorcycle boots) as my boot always hits the foot peg[/ul]
So what are your complaints about the bike?
 
 

[duhg]

 
 
My most trivial of nit picking complaints...  🙂
 
 
 
That side stand gets me, too.  I'm getting better at it but I can't consistently deploy it without looking, as I did for years on my two previous bikes.  Foot peg often grabs my pants cuff as I swing the side stand out.
 ....Not any more.  I deploy it blindly without issue.  I installed a wider side stand foot and I've been riding the FJ solely this year.
 
Also, I cannot use the foot peg as a stirrup for getting off the bike, as I can with my other bike, because the FJ will tip over.  This is only an issue when I have the GIVI panniers on the FJ.
 ....I must have gotten over this one.  Not a problem to saddle up like in a western movie.
 
I'm not accustomed to having a fuel gauge, so I still try to keep an eye on the trip odometer.  (only failed TWICE 😉
 
 
My addition to the list:  Much of this bike is black.  It's hard to tell if I've gotten it clean when it's still wet.  It's a good thing I don't have a reputation for clean bikes.
 
 
 
PS:  Chains.  Why are we still using chains?  Cheap (good), maintenance intensive (bad)  and dirty (bad).  I'd appreciate a belt final drive.  (I've been riding shaft drive bikes for 13 years, so the chain is bugging me)
 
 
One more - I'd like to be able to program the sign-off message on the dash.  "See you next time" is fine for the factory setting, but I'd like to personalize it for my own amusement.
 
 
 
None of this keeps me from enjoying the ride or makes me regret the purchase.  I've put 15k miles on and I enjoy the FJ more than ever.
 
 

[runnerhiker]

My nitpicks, in order of importance to me:
 
1.  the cruise control should work in 3rd gear.
2.  the quick shifter should also work for shifting down.
3.  the thumb wheel should be on the left handlebar, which means other things on the left need to move, I would put the headlight lo/hi where the "mode" is now, and move "mode" to the right.
4.  The seat should be level rather than leaning forward.
5.  I also find the side stand difficult to lower, the footprg tab gets in the way.
 
I find the suspension works fine for me.  And I've gotten used to the windscreen, which bothered me at first but not anymore, I can't explain why, it certainly has not changed.

[bugie]

My nitpicks, in order of importance to me: 
1.  the cruise control should work in 3rd gear.
 
3.  the thumb wheel should be on the left handlebar, which means other things on the left need to move, I would put the headlight lo/hi where the "mode" is now, and move "mode" to the right.

I thought the cruise control does work in 3rd gear. will give this a try next time. 
I forgot that thumb wheel; that really does piss me off. It's about 2cm out of reach of my thumb so in order to use it on the go I have to release my grip on the accelerator and try and half arsed use both. The end result is usually a sudden acceleration due to whisky throttle. I agree it should have been on the left.
 
As for the screen, my complaint with that is that it causes wind to hit the open part of my visor which causes a lot of wind noise in the helmet. Aside from that I actually like the shape and look.

[soonerstan56]

#1 - The position of the key, with gloves on I have bent the key once! I now start the bike before I put the gloves on.
 
#2 - The fuel gauge reading. This is something I'll eventually adjust to but it's strange to travel 100 miles before it moves.
 
Other than those minor complaints I'm tickled with the machine especially the motor.
 
Stan

[krillz]

#1 - The position of the key, with gloves on I have bent the key once! I. 
Stan

 
 
I turn the bars all to the way left and it’s so much easier to put the key in with gloves.

[snelly]

Hi All,
 
I have done 2000 miles on my new 900GT and am generally pleased with it.  My niggles are much the same as everyone else:
 
[ul type=disc][*]The key is difficult to access[*][span style=background-color:transparent]The seat angle pushes me forwards[/span]
[*]The panniers won't take our helmets[*]Screen - the buffeting at speed is awful[*]Similarly, wind noise[*]Similarly, high speed stability - generally the screen is badly designed[*]I think the TFT should have some form of app connectivity[*]Quickshifter is up only[*]Throttle is a little snatchy[*]Exhaust note is a little underwhelming[*]Headlights could be better[*]Front brake is underpowered[/ul]
All of which sounds like I am disappointed and maybe I am.  However, I wasn't for the first couple of months and thought it was an awesome machine but something happened last week to make me reconsider my entire view of the bike - I test rode the BMW S1000XR.  
 
Unfortunately for me, the BMW is a better bike in every possible way bar one - it looks slightly waspish whereas my matt blue Tracer looks very pretty indeed. 
 
To compare the XR against the list above: 
 
[ul type=disc][*]The key is perfectly placed, right in front of you[*]The seat is bigger and more comfortable, especially with pillion[*]The screen is absolutely brilliant, creating a cocoon of perfectly smooth air[*]Consequently, a much nicer place to be at any speed[*]Beautifully stable ride at any speed[*]The Navigator 6 system is excellent, full satnav, great trip stats, phone connectivity and a mobile app[*]The quick shift system is flawless, both up and down in any gear at any speed - such a clever bit of engineering[*]Throttle is perfect.  Really smooth[*]It sounds like the ride of the Valkyries when you open it up [*]The brakes are sports bike standard - like chalk and cheese compared to the Tracer[*]It is ridiculously fast[*]Just feels like a very high quality product in every way. So much better (sorry all!)[/ul]
So I am really sorry that my first post here is not all that positive! If I had written it a week ago, it would have been totally different but having seen what excellent feels like with the XR, I am now really disappointed with my purchase.  Spend in haste, repent at leisure I suppose. 
 
I will change as soon as I can although this will mean a new house as the wider BMW bars won't fit through the passage to the rear of our house! Shame. 
 
Am on the hunt for a better screen for the Tracer ASAP though and will be riding it until at least the summer so will keep reading this board with interest. 
 
Ride safe. 
 
 
 
 

[snelly]

You make good points on the cost - it is a more expensive proposition all round.
 
I am thinking very seriously about the bar width - it would not need much off each side to squeeze through.   New bike plus a hacksaw is cheaper than a new house.
 
Widening? Unfortunately it's not a doorway but one of the side passages next to our Victorian house!  Impossible to widen and we were thinking of moving anyway..!!! 
 
 
 

[fddriver2]

2019 Yamaha Tracer 900 GT Price: $12,999 MSRP
 
2018 S 1000 XR. This new 2018 BMW is made in Germany with an MSRP of $16,695.
 
For an extra $4,000~ A difference of > 20% for the BMW and > 30% for the Yamaha. It should be better.
 
A better comparison would be the BMW F800 @ $13,000. While not the same class of bike It is a better price point comparison.
 
These are MSRP's pulled from google search. Not actual showroom prices.... 
 

[mellow]

Haven't ridden yet but one way to out the front seat on high and rear on low is to cut the plastic riser in half and install the front portion but put the rear in the low setting.

 

 

 

[mikerbiker]

The 2019 is over $20,000 with heated grips and bag supports but no bags. With the bags I'm guessing you'd add $1,000 to that. It SHOULD be better at that price, over $8,000 more than GT. Nice bike hope you're happy on it.... Coming from FJR's and R1's I'm loving the 900GT. Have 2,200 miles in 2 mos and makes me smile, very comfortable to ride, light weight, good performance and range.

[mikerbiker]

As for my "niggle" if that's a word, it would be the menu wheel being on right side. Cant realistically operate it underway without using cruise control IMO.

[bugie]

I can assure you that niggle is most definitely a word
 
To be fair the BMW S1000XR is indeed a much better motorcycle but to get it with the same extras as the GT you are looking at almost double the price in Europe (around +80%) so it really is not comparable to the GT. As @fddriver2 pointed out I think you need to look at similar priced machines for comparisons

[texscottyd]

@snelly - Welcome, and I appreciate you sharing your candid thoughts and experiences. I went through the same S1000XR versus FJ09 evaluations (along with the Ducati Hyperstrada) on my shortlist. Ultimately, the FJ09’s hard-to-quantify ‘character’ and price point won me over, although I knew I would end up spending $$$ to really make it right for me. The suspension & big brake upgrades were the game-changers on the FJ, and I have zero complaints now on the riding dynamics of the bike.
 
What that doesn’t fix is just the overall ‘quality difference’ you mention... the BMW and the Ducati have a higher end fit & finish, and that’s not something you can easily change. I can, however, overlook a lot of it because the FJ is just so much fun to ride... hooligan-sport-tour seems to be a narrow market segment, but it suits me well.
 
I’m actually saving my nickels & dimes & 100s for a Kawasaki H2 SX SE. It will be an addition to the FJ, not a replacement, but it totally talks to me on an emotional level. At $22k it makes zero economic sense, but I’ve never considered motorcycles to be a totally rational purchase.

[betoney]

 
 

I’m actually saving my nickels & dimes & 100s for a Kawasaki H2 SX SE. It will be an addition to the FJ, not a replacement, but it totally talks to me on an emotional level. At $22k it makes zero economic sense, but I’ve never considered motorcycles to be a totally rational purchase.

 
I have had mine for 2 years and have no plans on getting rid of it any time soon, however I am always keeping my eyes open to new models being introduced for when "someday" gets here.
 
 
The H2 SX SE caught my eye as well, though since its release I haven't kept up on any long term ride reports. 
 
Have you ridden the Ninja 1000?  I test rode it before deciding on the FJ and liked it - A LOT.  The one thing that kept me from further considering the Ninja was the rider triangle, I have bad knees and the riding position was just too focused on the sport aspect of sport touring.  Otherwise, GREAT bike.