YAMAHA MT09 Tracer (Tracer900) - Fun Factor vs Rider Customization

Picture: Emanuele Burato 

I have recently bought a Yamaha Tracer 900 and I love her to bits, If I could describe this motorcycle in one word: FUN! ..however there are some issues I need to address. None the less this motorcycle is a great bike for the Specs/Price tag with its downsides. 

At first I got extremely angry with Yamaha how could they pass this in QA, why wasn't this done, why did they changed that, why this why that, First of all, one should realise that this is Yamaha's "other" answer to sports touring, not everyone wants to ride a boring and comfy FJR so people should keep this in mind, before they start cataloging this bike as a Sports Tourer (like the FJR). 

In my humble opinion Yamaha has made a big, big mistake when they labeled this bike as another Sports Tourer... (I would have called this segment Road Adventurer or something of those sorts) I believe this would have made it more appealing to the correct end user, but hey The MT09 Tracer is A M A Z I N G L Y FUN! I'm no genius in Marketing so who cares...

My small first conclusion the bike costs less than any other competitor (within the same category, best example the Triumph XC, or one of those NC Xover models from Honda ).



This Decepticon type of design has launched the Tracer to the Stratosphere of sales plus it comes with a CP3 Engine which is AMAZINGLY FUN and RELIABLE!!! therefore budget wise, Yamaha had to leave some things "a side" for the user to dial in or improve/remove. Yamaha for my taste has left things open, such as:

Windshield - the format of this windshield is beautiful but not efficient, because it causes Turbulence in riders helmet.. you can literally start to go deaf. 

The Seat - Could be dis-comfortable for some people. I find it harsh and that I have to stand up sometimes, so that my bum doesn't become a plank of wood. Now I got used to it, with time it improves a bit. There is a Comfort Seat from Yamaha, a lot of folks say the difference it makes is not worth the money and that the best option would be to have a custom made seat. If I think about touring I guess it makes sense.. however I am willing to try with the OEM as I heard you can get used to

Suspensions - they are very soft and tend to bounce on irregular roads and I believe that they could actually be one of the main contributors for the "famous Tracer900 speed wobble) users report the bike wobble others dont, so it can all be related with weight and shocks settings.

Rust in Rear Shock - (FIXED)This has been fixed by the dealer Arie Molenaar where I bought the bike because this falls under warranty, other users got a new shock installed, I might as well do it if I see rust again.

Speed Wobble - I am convinced the origin is a conjunction of elements, suspension not set up correctly /screen/handguards)


OEM Tire Selection - Yamaha has decided to equip the Tracer with Dunlop's 222, these tires are ok, but the grip provided . let's say it's not the most efficient and the front can give you a false feel. Yamaha's are notorious for their light front end (wich ultimately provides amazing feedback to the rider), with such a light front end you should be able to trust your front tire like you trust your parents, so I cannot understand why these tires were selected at all, I believe again it all falls to budgetting.

TESTING TO SOLVE ISSUES

I started to realize that I needed to test all the different bits, reading the internet over was turning everything into one big confusion, so to see if I could determine the main reasons for my issues, I am doing these little tests in steps and taking my conclusions. (For your info: I am 1,74m and 69kg, ride solo most of the times)

- Windshield -

1. Different positions - All three different positions tested.
RESULT: I could only get rid of turbulence if I really got low on the bike like if I were riding a supersport Motorcycle.

2. Removed the windshield - I am still driving like this, I love how it looks as well (the OEM windshield is IMHO the (main) cause of the turbulence in the helmet but also in the steering I say this because the way the air was being routed through underneath the hand guards covers and in between mirrors and sides of windshield,
RESULT: The front end is much more reliable, feels more connected to the ground

3.Taller Windshield - For Touring comfortability , I need to have wind protection without turbulence, as a result I looked over fora lot of different options and I believe the shape of the windscreen I Ordered, a FABBRI Touring X Windshield will give me peace of mind and allow me to listen to songs and not get tired so easily.
RESULT: I have literally been able to remove at least 85% of the direct wind turbulence from my body to the top of my helmet with this screen. I defenitely advise you to test different screen shapes and sizes, they all have their good and bad points.

- Handguards -

1.Top covers removed- This test for the Hand guards covers was with OEM windshield on, before going to work, I removed only the extra covers on top of hand guards because they cause movement in the steering, they act like little spoilers which I believe were affecting the stability of the MT09 Tracer (Tracer900) Steering.
RESULT: the flighty feeling of the steering is for me literally gone even with crosswinds and turbulence winds from cars trucks next to me and in front of me etc..,

2. Removing covers completely- I want to see if the handguards are directly connected with the wobbly steering, before I start messing around with Suspension.
RESULT: t.b.a

- Suspension -

1. Dial In the OEM settings- starting from there, so that I don't get confused.






2. Settings for 69kg rider- I will then try to use some settings I found on a internet forum, from a guy that has the same stature I have, eventually tweak them a bit to my own taste :
RESULT: t.b.a

For your info and for my practicality I will leave the settings here:

1st attempt setup:

Setting your SAG:

FJ09 / MT09-Tracer Front Travel Suspenion: 137 * 30% = 41.1mm
FJ09 / MT09-Tracer Rear Travel Suspenion: 130 * 30% = 39mm


weight of rider: 152 lb / 69kg
single/2-up: single
tyre psi: 34 / 36 (factory recommend 36 / 42)

FRONT:
front preload: 6 lines (towards soft)
(standard 16 mm; 4.0 mm ~ 19.0 mm; 4.0mm being hard ~ 19.0mm being soft)

front rebound: 9 clicks (towards soft)
(standard 7 clicks;1 ~ 11 clicks;1 being hard ~ 11 being soft)

REAR:

rear preload: 3 (towards soft)
(standard 4; 1 ~ 7; 1 being soft ~ 7 being hard)

rear rebound: factory stock

Want to adjust your suspension? Check this article from MCN where they teach all the steps to do it the correct way.

- Tires -

This is a question of Taste obviously, Originally the bike comes with Dunlop D222 Tires, the specs are:

120/70/17 Front
180/55/17 Rear

These tires aren't the best, just like Andy Downes mention in his MCN Tracer long term review, they can give some false feelings and aren't very quick to warm up. That being said, if you get this motorcycle you have two options, one go through the set of tires and upgrade later on for something that gives you the confidence (that is if the Dunlops dont fit your taste), or alternatively you can sell them in second hand and invest a couple of quid to get some nicer tires. 



I will continue to update this post as I go along. by the way, I love my Tracer a little but more everyday ;)... not everuyonwe can say: I own a Decepticon!