Luma46 Posted January 20, 2019 Share Posted January 20, 2019 Hi guys, new member here, seriously considering the GT. Wish it was spring already, so I could take the bike for a test ride. Being retired and in my "golden years of 71", I need to be careful what I ride. I will be trading in my 2016 Africa Twin and hoping for something more comfortable for my puttering at 80 km/h on bumpy secondary roads here in New Brunswick, Canada. I am looking as well at the new Versys 1000 LT, pretty much the same features and electronics as Tracer GT but 20 kg heavier and $2k more. Here are some questions: 1. The bumpy secondary roads are better half of my riding. How is the GT on less then ideal paved roads, mind you doing a conservative riding. 2. Can the engine handle lower rpm, say going 80 km/h (50 mph) in 6th gear, or at least in 5th? 3. What are the rpms say at 100 km/h (~62 mph) in 6th gear, possibly going by gps? If you have rpms at other speeds it would be just fine. 4. Being 5 10 and 31 inseam, can I expect to reach safely the ground with my feet? How will be overall riding comfort for a senior like me? 5. Curious how big a job is to access the air filter and spark plugs, anyone changed them yet? I tend to do all the maintenance myself... Any comments will be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruizin Posted January 20, 2019 Share Posted January 20, 2019 Welcome to our forum. Someone may decide to answer all of those questions, if they have the time. But I do suggest looking around the forum, reading, using our search feature. We are happy that you found our forum, welcome. Yamaha FZ-10 Forum Yamaha FZ-07 Forum Yamaha Ténéré 700 Forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmev Posted January 20, 2019 Share Posted January 20, 2019 46 minutes ago, Luma46 said: 1. The bumpy secondary roads are better half of my riding. How is the GT on less then ideal paved roads, mind you doing a conservative riding. 2. Can the engine handle lower rpm, say going 80 km/h (50 mph) in 6th gear, or at least in 5th? 3. What are the rpms say at 100 km/h (~62 mph) in 6th gear, possibly going by gps? If you have rpms at other speeds it would be just fine. 4. Being 5 10 and 31 inseam, can I expect to reach safely the ground with my feet? How will be overall riding comfort for a senior like me? 5. Curious how big a job is to access the air filter and spark plugs, anyone changed them yet? I tend to do all the maintenance myself... Any comments will be appreciated. 1. The shock absolutely sucks on bumpy, frost heaved roads - the bumps were extremely jarring until I installed a K-Tech Razor Lite rear shock. I love the ride, now. 2. Sixth gear is pointless below 75 mph, but you'll be fine at lower RPMs no matter what gear you use. 4. The seating is rather upright, so I imagine you will find it pretty comfortable. 5. Haven't tried it yet, but probably not much worse than most other modern bikes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member duhg Posted January 20, 2019 Premium Member Share Posted January 20, 2019 58 minutes ago, Luma46 said: Here are some questions: 1. The bumpy secondary roads are better half of my riding. How is the GT on less then ideal paved roads, mind you doing a conservative riding. 2. Can the engine handle lower rpm, say going 80 km/h (50 mph) in 6th gear, or at least in 5th? 3. What are the rpms say at 100 km/h (~62 mph) in 6th gear, possibly going by gps? If you have rpms at other speeds it would be just fine. 4. Being 5 10 and 31 inseam, can I expect to reach safely the ground with my feet? How will be overall riding comfort for a senior like me? 5. Curious how big a job is to access the air filter and spark plugs, anyone changed them yet? I tend to do all the maintenance myself... Any comments will be appreciated. 4 Reaching the ground is not a challenge for me with a 31" inseam. The bike is narrow. Getting on and off is a pain, as the pillion seat is high and the sidestand tips over when I try the stirrup method. https://ridemsta.com/oh-tmr/ Riding makes me happy. "Do it or don't do it - you'll regret both." - Soren Kierkegaard 2015 FJ-09, 60k miles, Hord Power ECU, K-Tech suspension, MC Cruise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjrpittsburgh Posted January 20, 2019 Share Posted January 20, 2019 I'm the same height and inseam as you. I find when I turn the handlebar all the way to the right and then mount, it goes much easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member sirepair Posted January 21, 2019 Premium Member Share Posted January 21, 2019 The shock on the GT is supposed to be a bit better than that on the older FJ (mine is a '15) so I can't vouch for it. I will also confirm the "choppy" shock, not terrible, but not great. I am in the process of replacing my rear shock, hoping to improve the ride. I often cruise along in 6th gear on the secondary roads, 50-60mph, engine has lots of low end grunt, but if more giddy-up is needed, a quick drop of a gear or two will liven things up. Never really checked RPM at speed. There is a slight buzz in the bars and pegs, but not annoying (at least not to me). Air filter/plug access requires removing seats, plastic around the tank and the tank. Most of the fasteners are 1/4 turn, like a dzus (sp?) fastener. You'll have to do most the same on any modern bike. Releasing the fuel lines is probably the most annoying part of the process. I've changed the rider seat to a Russel, and it makes the reach to the ground a bit more demanding. I have a 30" inseam and find myself tippy-toed at stops because I prefer having the seat in the high position for knee angle while riding. I deal with it! I do have to pay attention to where I stop and mounting the bike. Throw a leg over one and see if it flips your switches! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gv550 Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 I've had my new GT three months and riding every day. 1. The GT has a longer swingarm and much improved suspension compared to earlier models, for bumpy roads you can reduce preload, damping and rebound to smooth the ride. 2. I find the engine to be very tractable, it runs smooth without chucking even when slowing through a town without downshifting, and then add throttle to accelerate back up to speed. Obviously, not much power on tap when revving that low but the engine never bucks or complains. At 100 km/h in 6th it is likely revving 4500 or so, it runs just fine but not much power available. 6000 to 11000 is the happy zone. 4. I'm 63 with 32 inseam and find it quite comfortable. I did add 25mm bar risers to take some weight off my wrists. 5. The fuel tank needs to be removed, along with some plastic panels. 2019 Tracer GT, Ontario, Canada Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tripletrouble Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 I rode the Africa twin, but bought a tracer. Please wait and demo / ride before you buy. Were all different, what's comfortable to some is a plank to others. Having said that, the suspension is adequate, no better or worse than your A T. I upgraded my rear shock, but again, that goes for a lot of my previouse bikes. I found the AT to be a bit more comfortable and more upright, and the engine a little smoother/calmer. The Tracer is more exciting, feels like it's a bit friskier and more alive. Air filter and plugs are a pain in the arse, but they are on most new bikes with bits of plastic attached to tank. A twin has nice linear torque, but so does the Tracer, and if you drop down a gear it takes off. I absolutely love my Tracer, it suits me, but you may already have the better bike for your needs in the AT. Be patient, your not exactly slumming it with your AT, and wait for that elusive dry warm sunny day and try em back to back. Oh, and the AT is better off road IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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