As the Tracer 9 sells much better here in Germany maybe they dont see a worthy market for the smaller version over there, where big touring bikes still rule. Just speculation tho Would love to hear an official reason from the team tuning fork as well.
I bought a 2024 Tracer 7 GT in Phantom Blue 2 weeks ago as my first bike after passing my test 3 weeks ago... I bloody love it. Did a 200 mile round trip on it yesterday and it was comfortable, pokey around the back lanes and cruises along at 75 when you need it to no problem. I also test rode the Tiger 660 which was also amazing but this just had a little bit more character for me. EDIT: The only other thing i wanted to mention is that the suspension feels great at first but I do think you need to tweak it slightly because it can become a little wallowy when pushing on around the back roads of the UK. I'll be reading up more on how to adjust to get it right for me.
Had the 2021 MT07 GT Tracer, Loved the Engine and the Handling was Fantastic with them Michelin Road 5's, Comfort was Good as well. Dropped a Tooth on the Front Sprocket which allowed me to use 6th Gear more often and it Improved Fuel Consumption. Things I Hated was the Throttle was Snatchy with that Decel Cut, ECU Flash Could have Soughted that, Screen was Useless as were the Handguards and not only that, the USB Plug and the 12 Volt Plug had to be Purchased Separately and I fitted them myself, unless that has changed I would thought they would have fitted them at the Factory as they weren't Expensive but a Faff to do for me. Sold it back to the Dealer but i'm now Looking for another one to be Honest.
I’ve the non GT 2020 model. Really great little bike with a few niggles. 1. A bit cramped if you’re taller than 6’4” but so are most bikes. 2. The wind deflectors for the hands are pretty useless and make mounting proper hand guards harder. 3. No remote preload is a bore. 4. Screen is rubbish (both original and touring version). Apart from that I’m a very happy owner. Use it for commuting and the odd tour. Longest one so far was about 1500 miles in the Baltic states. Handled everything including a lot of Latvian gravel without any fuss. If I’d get a new one I’d get the GT even if I don’t love the panniers.
@@Mason_van_Bike It’s on the list for sure. But at that price point there are a lot of great bikes (Vstrom 1050, Guzzi V85, used GS, Versys 1k, lightly used Africa Twin). So far I’ve tried the Vstrom 800 and while it was a great bike it did roast my gentleman area. No rush to change. In fact, every bike I try that I don’t love saves me thousands of pounds 😆.
@@Yazmir-en7lq I live with the ruvning touring screen in the lowest position. As long as I don’t slouch my head is in clear air and it takes a bit of pressure of the shoulders when going at speed. Going to play around with a cheap deflector whenever I get around to it:
I got the standard 2024 Tracer 7 in late May. Went for the 7 instead of the GT simply because Yamaha was offering the top-box as part of a campaign, and for my particular daily use of the bike, that was more important than the side cases. For 2024, both the 12V and the USB sockets come as standard in the regular Tracer 7. On the downside, the lower windscreen on the 7 is nonsense. Will be getting a taller one in the near future. Maybe a Puig tinted one.
Sounds like the GT is the version to go for. Epsecially if you want the panniers. A little gutted with the absent of TC but I appreciate that it would've come an extra cost. Wonderful review Dan! Thanks for sharing! I love listening to your perspective. 🙌
Bought my non GT version 2nd hand. Came with the 'heavy' Yammy panniers and Givi top box. Added frame sliders, bar end mirrors, larger front screen front fender/beak etc (cheap from China) - she looks lovely.
This one offers a great balance between the money spent and what you get. Never rode it. Have the Tracer 9 and I am happy with it. Great test ride Dan. Cheers.
Great review Dan As I’m looking for something light to do distance on this Yamaha fits the bill nicely will be watching your next video closely so thank you 👍
Yamaha have no reason to update this platform, despite the competition the 700 platform sells. Stick them in all the driving schools and all the new riders are hooked by the fun factor. Hats off Yamaha
I don't know the sales figures, but I think they are lagging a bit now. I wouldn't be surprised if we see an updated CP2 platform next year or even late this year.
@@Englishbikerdan in France, MT07 always top 5 motorbike/scooter sold each month. 3x more than the Trident. only Suzuki in to 50 is the vstrom8. Ténéré and the Tracer7 all feature in top 10. going strong!
Yamaha is updating the Tracer 7 for 2025 Recently released patents show Ride by wire throttle which will offer traction control and rider modes Upside down front forks to decrease weight on the front wheel improved front end rigidity. Radial mounted front calipers and the option of Yamaha's new automatic gearbox! 😊
Nice video, i was disappointed that they didn't bring this to the US, but after a good review like this, i dont care about it anymore. Missing a lot of basics for what it is.
Did you find that the 7 seat was different to the gt seat ? When i test rode the 7, i felt the seat was ever so slightly leaning me towards the tank, which kind of put a kink in the all day sat up seating position i was hoping for. My onky hope now is that the comfort seat doesnt lean you in and is more flat
Quite different due to the smaller front wheel on the Tracer. V-Strom is not as nimble to turn in. Tracer also feels quite a bit smaller and lighter, as it is. V-Strom definitely feels more like a road based adventure bike like the Tiger 850.
@@Englishbikerdan cheers Dan. Did you consider any of the two when you changed from the sv650 to the tracer 9? And which of the three do you think is the most similar bike to the sv650, based on engine characteristics and manoeuvring in corners?
Nice vid, but you mentioned you would purchase the stiffer spring for a better preload. If you think the preload is not good, why did you not adjust the spring preload with the knob on the fork and ad some rebound damping?? I am 95kg and have everything in the middle and it works just super. Even a bit stiff now and then. But enough spingtension and damping left too adjust even higher. The standard seat is just as good as the previous comfortseat. I have no complaints when I drive all day. Comfort is great. As is steering and agility.
Thanks! I wouldn't purchase a different spring for better preload, it would be for it being a stiffer spring rate. Preload doesn't affect the stiffness of a spring. And while you can compensate for a spring being too soft or too harsh with preload, it's much better to start with a stiffer spring and get that spring working in the desired range of operation. Adding loads of preload is just mechanically compressing the spring when it's fully extended. Glad you are enjoying your Tracer, solid bike!
would be cool if you did a pillion review, Ive got a vfr atm which makes enough power for 3 boxes and gf but i dno if something with 70 would struggle a bit? although people do 2up on 600 stroms so assume it would be ok?
Thats all it need bud, to be honest 50hp is all you need in the real world if your bike weight below 200kg and if you never thought about breaking the law either single or with pillion, but if you bring pillion with 3 box it may not satisfy your need, but for 70hp, it will
Aprilia does it since they only offer one adventure bike, so they can put everything they got in it without worrying it will interfere with the sales of bigger bikes. Other manufacturers who have more bikes in their lineup in the same cathegory will not do it.
@@Englishbikerdan Espcially the ones that already have ride by wire, at this point all it costs is the price of a button. They have it on other bikes its just a matter of doing it, esp Triumph.
It's fine. I have the stock screen in the lowest setting and use earplugs and an arai rx7 Evo helmet which basically is a very quiet helmet. There is clean airflow, I've sat on motorways for 2 hours, no issue. This is coming from someone who's just switched from an MT09
imo this bike kinda get left behind by mt/xsr and tenere since those three could reach the similar or same requirements for what rider need while being able put back the stock style
@@Englishbikerdan A friend recently bought one, got to admit it did look better in the ‘flesh’, not really a fan of the lights at the front but then you can’t see them when you’re riding and I’m a bit biased as I ride a Ducati😀.
I bought the base model to ride to work. Two things you got wrong are: Suspension is absolute trash. I replaced the rear shock before the first service with a YSS shock. Even now it still rides worse than my old VFR. Forks are not as bad as the shock, but still it's like going back to a bike from the 60's. Clutch is not 'light'. It's not heavy by any means but this bike does not have an assist clutch like most other bikes these days so it's still a heavy lever compared to the competition. Other things worthy of note: Pegs scrape the ground pretty early. Maybe it's just because I'm used to more sporty bikes but I would scrape the right peg constantly on round abouts at very moderate speeds (50kph). I ended up removing the feelers I bought the centre stand, which was a mistake. The stand scrapes the ground before the pegs! Overall it's a budget bike with a premium price tag.
I didn't get anything 'wrong'. I just have a different opinion than you do. Suspension all depends on your weight, riding style and what you're expecting. I'm not expecting this to handle like a supersport bike, so I set my expectations accordingly and from my experiences, it handles well consdering the price and where it's placed in the market. Sure, aftermarket shocks will be better, that's pretty obvious tbh. Clutch is light, compared to my V-Strom which is like it wants to take you out back and wrestle you. Again, depends on what you're used to. Sounds like you should be looking at a proper sports bike, not moaning that a sports tourer doesn't handle like a CBR600RRRR-SP. Just my opinion of course! Thanks for your comment.
@@Englishbikerdan Nope. Both the forks and shock suffer from a classic and well documented problem of poor compression damping, causing hydrolocking when subject to fast movements. This causes the harshness felt when hitting a particularly nasty bump. Many aftermarket solutions exist from the drop in fork cartridges to complete internals and shock replacements to address the issue. It has nothing to do with the expectations of the rider, their weight or riding style, other than the expectation that a bike with a price tag that is premium compared to the competition at least use modern suspension components. The reason the bike seems fine to you is down to the roads and speed you are riding. You won't notice the bad suspension until to get on a properly unmaintained road or you ride at a fast enough speed that a seemingly smooth section of road begins to shake the bike like a jackhammer. Also I seriously doubt the ability of any RU-vidr to be impartial when their business model relies on promoting bikes for manufacturers and dealerships.
Yeah, it's just cheap suspension. The bike is built to a budget. Sure, you and I may want suspension to be better on this bike but that would drive up the price. Also, the rider this bike is aimed at is a big factor. Many new bikers won't notice the issue or even care and just ride around it. As wrong as that may be, it's the reality. Many other cheaper bikes have the same issue. Solution, buy better suspenion as you suggested, or a more expensive bike. As for the last comment, I realise you are just trying to get a rise but sadly, it's something I've heard a few times. I get it from many people who don't know what they are talking about when it comes to how relationships work with creators and manufacturers, so I just nod and say hey if that's what you beleive that's up to you. I know different. I also owned a MT07 for 2 years, so yeah the suspension is not great. I mentioned this in plenty of my vids.
I recommend staying away from this motorcycle. I bought mine in May of this year, and the clutch failed within the first 1000 km. The dealer here in The Netherlands reported that other owners have the same fault, and they are at the moment clueless when we get the warranty claim. It is such a nice machine, but the clutch issued killed it all.
@mickleblade I haven't the foggiest. I bought it here in The Nederlands. The dealer says thst they have similar issues with other dealers here. I am going to verify that. I have been asked to wait somewhere between 3 to 6 weeks.
I had some clutch issues with my 2026 MT07. Changed the clutch basket and plates and the issue went away for a few months and then came back. Turned out to be just cold clutch plates were rather grabby. Hope you get your issue sorted!
To be honest, for me it seems to be something similar. I took her for a ride yesterday and after a few kms, the shifter was easy to operate. Rode about a 100km to check and it did not get stuck anymore. I think this is how they designed these wet sump cluthes
