How is such a great bike so unpopular!?

[Zach26]

I have been wondering why I dont see any other FJ-09/Tracer 900s in my area. It's such a great bike, especially for the price. I dont get it. The only reason I even found out about it is because I spotted what was apparently the only other FJ-09 in this city and liked the looks so started researching and now I have one. Nobody i know that rides had heard of it before seeing mine either. I bought it last September but I deployed a week later and didn't get back until January to really put it through its paces but holy cow I freaking love this bike. So did Yamaha just not market this bike very well in the U.S. or what? What do you guys think? 

[Wintersdark]

1 hour ago, Zach26 said:

I have been wondering why I dont see any other FJ-09/Tracer 900s in my area. It's such a great bike, especially for the price. I dont get it. The only reason I even found out about it is because I spotted what was apparently the only other FJ-09 in this city and liked the looks so started researching and now I have one. Nobody i know that rides had heard of it before seeing mine either. I bought it last September but I deployed a week later and didn't get back until January to really put it through its paces but holy cow I freaking love this bike. So did Yamaha just not market this bike very well in the U.S. or what? What do you guys think? 

Not marketed really at all in North America.  It's a killer machine at a really reasonable price - it's only serious competitors are substantially more expensive or have far fewer features (particularly considering the GT).

I've only ever seen one "in the wild" in North America.  One.  Owned, incidentally, by the lead Yamaha tech at a local service shop.  

But yeah they're REALLY rare here, which is imho very strange.  They're basically made for north American riding, too; long road trips, lots of fast twisty roads, etc.  Meanwhile there are a million Tigers, 1200GS', and KTM Adventures that *never* see dirt.  They're all bought for comfortable sport touring.  They're all better bikes if adventure riding is your goal, but you pay a LOT for that.  If you're just street riding, the GT is a very comparable machine at almost half the price.

[Zach26]

I guess it's a good thing for me. That's how I found my 2017 still brand new left over at the end of 2019 for a steep discount. 

[johnmark101]

9 hours ago, Zach26 said:

I have been wondering why I dont see any other FJ-09/Tracer 900s in my area. It's such a great bike, especially for the price. I dont get it. The only reason I even found out about it is because I spotted what was apparently the only other FJ-09 in this city and liked the looks so started researching and now I have one. Nobody i know that rides had heard of it before seeing mine either. I bought it last September but I deployed a week later and didn't get back until January to really put it through its paces but holy cow I freaking love this bike. So did Yamaha just not market this bike very well in the U.S. or what? What do you guys think? 

Not really sure why this is.  However in my neck of the woods it appears that most folks want either a Harley Davidson or a sport bike.  Anything else is looked at as somewhat of an oddity, especially it seems, by the Harley folks.  Sport touring bikes just don't seem to be popular or well known of where I live.  I have two bikes in my garage and both are sport tourers.  My first bike was a sport tourer.

I pulled into a gas station with my Tracer GT one sunny afternoon, had the bags mounted on the bike, and a tailbag, as I was prepared to be gone for a few days.  There was a guy standing next to his Harley about ten feet away.  When I removed my helmet he said, "Aren't you a little too old to be riding a crotch rocket?".  

Good grief.  🤨

[Zach26]

Yeah it's pretty much all cruisers and sport bikes here too. I think it's funny when people call my FJ a crotch rocket. When I bought it my dad asked me why the hell I bought a crotch rocket. I had to explain to him that there are more types of motorcycles than just Harleys and crotch rockets. I think he was surprised because I also have a Harley and he thought I was a Harley or nothing guy like he is. 

[Coop]

I stopped in a little farming community for some bbq and a young man who said he had never seen one proceeded to tell me everything about my bike.  Not every dealer got one in 2019, my dealer went to Dallas to find mine.  My last bike was an ST1300 Honda and when I stopped at a dealer in Virginia for an oil change they had never seen one and the ST had been out a long time.  After everyone had ridden it I was back on the road. 

[betoney]

3 hours ago, johnmark101 said:

Not really sure why this is.  However in my neck of the woods it appears that most folks want either a Harley Davidson or a sport bike.  Anything else is looked at as somewhat of an oddity, especially it seems, by the Harley folks.  Sport touring bikes just don't seem to be popular or well known of where I live.  I have two bikes in my garage and both are sport tourers.  My first bike was a sport tourer.

I pulled into a gas station with my Tracer GT one sunny afternoon, had the bags mounted on the bike, and a tailbag, as I was prepared to be gone for a few days.  There was a guy standing next to his Harley about ten feet away.  When I removed my helmet he said, "Aren't you a little too old to be riding a crotch rocket?".  

Good grief.  🤨

I think its funny when I get into a conversation with someone and I might mention I ride or talk about a road trip I took and they say "Oh you ride? what model of Harley do you have?"...🙄 

[keithu]

This seems to be regional. Here in Oregon I see FJ-09s and Tracers all the time. If I'm out on weekends and the weather is nice I always see at least one riding around, sometimes more. I've seen at least two others just in the parking lots at my work.

[tktplz]

There are a few FZ's around but I've only seen 1 used FJ in the area. I had to drive 400 miles to get mine when I was ready to buy. 

[racreative]

2 hours ago, keithu said:

This seems to be regional. Here in Oregon I see FJ-09s and Tracers all the time. If I'm out on weekends and the weather is nice I always see at least one riding around, sometimes more. I've seen at least two others just in the parking lots at my work.

Here in Southern California, there are not a lot of FJ09's or Tracers on the road... but I do typically see at least one or two when we are riding Angeles Crest or Rim of the World. 

In the IE we are surrounded by 1%'ers. They tend to be more visible on the freeways and surface roads, not too often on the twisties. I see more sport bikes, adventure bikes and a sprinkling of cruisers in the mountains. Not to mention the LA hipster "squads" on HWY2 coming up from the valley riding their custom vintage bobbers and choppers wearing original 1980's open face helmets with sparkly racing stripes, scraggly beards, and wallet chains blowing in the wind. I was unaware converse made riding boots? Who knew?

Yet, every time I see an FJ or Tracer, I wonder if they are members of this forum. I agree with @keithu, and their popularity is regional. I am thinking there are more in my area because Chapparel Motorsports had a robust non-moving inventory and started blowing them out a few years ago. I know my first choice was a Triumph Tiger, but it was a lot easier to get the green light from the wife on a 6K bike over an 18K one. I couldn't be happier with my purchase, either. I love my FJ. It is an awesome bike on the mountains, freeways, and is spectacular when loading up for multi-day travels with my wife.

[duhg]

Speaking as the former owner of a Yamaha Vision, Honda Hawk GT, Kawasaki KLX650 and GPZ1100E I do not see the FJ-09/Tracer as unpopular.  It has already had a major revision and been in the Yamaha line up for twice as long as those other bikes.  Maybe that's a skewed perspective.  😉 

 

[Zach26]

2 hours ago, duhg said:

Speaking as the former owner of a Yamaha Vision, Honda Hawk GT, Kawasaki KLX650 and GPZ1100E I do not see the FJ-09/Tracer as unpopular.  It has already had a major revision and been in the Yamaha line up for twice as long as those other bikes.  Maybe that's a skewed perspective.  😉 

Yeah I guess if you look at it that way there are many other more rare or unpopular bikes. But compared to Harleys, GSXRs, CBRs, and R6s this bike is like a needle in a haystack in my area. 

Edited April 18, 2020 by Zach26

[Wintersdark]

17 hours ago, Zach26 said:

I guess it's a good thing for me. That's how I found my 2017 still brand new left over at the end of 2019 for a steep discount. 

I think "unpopular" isn't the right term - it's not that people don't like it, it's more that for many regions people have simply never seen or heard of one, so they don't even consider buying one.  Places where a couple do exist they become much more popular - presumably because the owners cover the total lack of Yamaha marketing.

 

[new1709rider]

I've had mine for a year and a half and have not seen another one in that time here in central North Carolina. When I picked it up in Charlotte it was the only one they had on the floor, don't know if they had any more in the back.

[roadrash83]

 I have not seen another Tracer GT where I live (Eastern PA), but I see a lot of FJ, FZ , XSR and MT on the road. My local Yamaha dealer still has his original Niken sitting on the floor unsold.