FEATURE YAMAHA TRACER 9 GT+
I slumped down in my seat, wiping the sweat from my head under the baking Sardinian sunshine. It had been a good day. A very good day, and surprisingly so. Being honest, when the invite came through to test Yamaha's Tracer 9GT +, it didn't exactly set my heart racing, but that's the state it had left me in after nine hours of hammering switchbacks, coastal roads, and a smattering of goat trails. It had transpired to be the consummate wolf in sheep's clothing, disguised so subtly behind its tall screen, broad panniers and high-rise handlebars that it seemed the only thing missing was a pipe and some slippers. In reality, it was me missing the point behind this head-banging mile muncher. It's time to backtrack a bit…
The Tracer is nothing new. It's been one of Yamaha's bestsellers since its inauguration back in 2015, built around the foundations of the brand's now sacrosanct MT-09most of you), the 2023 GT + version is, predictably, the best yet. Why so? Well, despite carrying over the same wheels, frame, engine and a whole load of other parts from the previous GT version, this latest iteration has been dipped in glue and rolled in techno goodness. Sitting in the model's presentation, the feature Yamaha seemed most proud of was the machine's radar linked unified braking system, which is another way of saying the GT + is equipped with an adaptive cruise control function that knows when to anchor on the brakes if and when it detects a collision could be imminent. It's clever stuff, and a first for Yamaha. Another new addition is a 7-inch full-colour TFT dash, accompanied by a five-position multi-position joystick. With a few touches of the stick, you can go into the fancy new screen and alter a whole host of characteristics, such as traction control, rider modes and the connectivity of the bike, which is supported by Garmin's Motorize app as well as Yamaha's own Myride app. As per the last GT, the bike is kitted with electronically governed Kayaba suspension that can be altered to suit rider preferences, and there's also scope to change the temp of the heated grips, lif control, and a multitude of other preferences with ease.
