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Traded my Tracer 900 GT.....happy and sad.


Michiel900GT

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8 hours ago, Michiel900GT said:

There are a few reasons why I personally find the Tiger to be more touring oriented.

The main reason is the riding position. With a more upright position and a bigger leg/knee angle it is just more comfortable to ride for longer periods. 

The second reason is the comfort the seat provides. I find there’s less tendency to slide forward on the seat and it’s more supportive than the stock Tracer seat. Of course, when riding long enough one starts experiencing some saddle pain (not sure if that term translates well from Dutch), but for me I was able to ride for several hours (5+) before I was getting a bit of a numb behind.

Another reason is the fact that the Tiger has a torque characteristic that is a bit less sporty than the Tracer. The Tracer really comes to life from 5000 rpm and up. And from 5000 to 10000 rpm the Tracer is so much fun to ride. But I’m not a big fan of high revs for prolonged riding. The Tiger behaves more like a big twin, inviting the driver to relaxed riding by providing torque from low revs. It’s just a personal preference, but for me I like to drive rather more relaxed than I like to ride sporty.

The final reason (again a personal one) is the fact that the Tiger has a very different frame and wheelbase geometry when compared to the Tracer, resulting in very different cornering behavior. Yes, it does take more effort to let the Tiger “fall” into a corner than a Tracer. But the Tiger is tends to be more steady in corners. It follows exactly the line you planned for it to follow.

It does hav a drawback though: the Tracer allows you to “throw” it from one corner into another very easily. It’s steering is more agile and great for very tight turning. That being said, the Tiger is not slow in cornering either, but just not as sporty and agile like the Tracer.

I can think of a lot of comparisons to express the difference between the Tiger and the Tracer. But if they were dogs, the Tiger would be a Labrador: friendly, calm, willing to play but at the end of the day just a relaxed dog that wants to serve you. Where as the Tracer would be more like a Husky: full of energy, challenging you to push it to the max and with more attitude. 

I’m more the Labrador owner.

Why I choose the Rally Pro over the GT Pro? I did like the riding position of the Rally Pro better. It’s higher and the steering bar is wider and more forward resulting in a better position for my back. Another reason was the fact that I found the suspension better. It has a longer travel. The GT Pro has electric rear suspension but I had to put its preload into at least “ rider + luggage” mode and the damping into sporty. Otherwise I would hit the end of the travel when riding over speed bumps at moderate speeds. And I’m not too heavy (83 kilo). 

To be honest, the steering bar of the Rally Pro is a bit far away from your body. It is meant to be, as it should also be in a good position when standing upright during off-road riding. But after a riding it for a whole day I do tend to feel a bit of a burning spot between the shoulders. I will be putting 2” risers on the bike anytime soon as I think that would solve this.

@Michiel900GT - Thank you for the explanation, that all makes perfect sense. Enjoy the new bike. 😎

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***2015 Candy Red FJ-09***

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I'm in the UK and went the other way, traded my Tiger 800XRT in for a new 2020 Tracer GT.

Before doing so I test rode the Tiger 900GTP with a serious thought to buying one. Lovely bike, as was the 800, but I found two negative points. The engine was a bit rougher than the creamy smooth 800 and the screen was smaller, giving less weather protection and increased wind blast. Since comfort is a priority at my age, I voted against the new Tiger.

Helping me to reject the Tiger was the fact that the Triumph dealer offered me a lousy px deal. The new Tigers were in very short supply then, back around June, so they had no need to make bargains. So I went to the Yam dealer, tested the Tracer 900GT and was blown away by the engine performance, the looks of the bike and its overall appeal. Sure the stock screen is crap as everyone says, so I've replaced it with an MRA Vario and the comfort is now there. And what clinched the deal was the decent px offer so I went with the Yam.

Edited by Anon E Mouse
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