HALF-PRICE HEROES
2021-on 117bhp 69lb·ft 810mm-835mm 220kg
Real-world performance, chassis excellence and class-leading specification for a fraction of the new price
NEW £13,110 USED £9743 -26%
If Ducati’s SuperSport S is that rarest of beasts – agood-looking sporty sports tourer, as at home on the track as on tour – then Yamaha’s Tracer 9 GT is almost the polar opposite, coming at sport touring from a distinct road-biased point of view… and it’s got a face only Mrs Groucho Marx could love.
Yamaha admitted it was disappointed with the initial sales reaction to 2021’s Tracer 9 GT, coming on the heels of the Covid pandemic and hit by supply issues as global events impacted the world of motorcycles. And it may have had a point – the Tracer arrived mid-glut of sports tourers, with Suzuki’s GSX-S1000 GT and Honda’s NT1100 rivalling Kawasaki’s evergreen Ninja 1000SX, and it got lost in the noise. Which is a shame, because the Yamaha out-specs them all and, arguably, outperforms them on modern roads.
The inline triple motor is an enlarged version of the previous-generation powerplant, stroked up from 849cc to 890cc and maintaining the same 117bhp peak power, adding a small increase in torque but doing it all at lower revs. It’s a reactive, responsive motor, eagerly gunning forward with surging midrange acceleration – the way the Tracer decimates overtakes and point ‐t o‐point squirts sends satnav arrival times into reverse.
Part of this generous midrange performance is because Yamaha has mapped the throttle to deliver more acceleration than you ask for – so in fifth gear, say, if you ask for 60% throttle between 5000rpm and 10,000rpm, you actually get nearly 80%. It’s a sneaky trick, but boy does it make the engine sing.
Combined with the Yam’s slick up/down quickshifter, few bikes feel as snappy and lively as the Tracer 9. Gearing the bike down with a larger rear sprocket is probably not top of the aftermarket modifications list.
The Tracer’s chassis – also completely redesigned in 2021, replacing its predecessor’s slightly awkward supermoto-style stance with a more conventional, lower headstock – delivers acute roadholding, too. Steering is light and accurate, and combined with supple semi ‐active KYB suspension there are no road scenarios the Tracer 9 GT isn’t completely at ease on. The semi ‐active has two settings – one slightly firmer ride quality but less chassis movement, the other with softer ride quality but more pitching under acceleration and braking. They’re quite distinct, but either feels comfortable in use.
The most controversial part of the Tracer 9 GT – and possibly one of the reasons it was less than a sales sensation – is the view from the seat. The square twin dials are unconventional to say the least – and with the odd ‘nose’ cover in between, loo
