Photo/text:OAI

I usually spend a lot of time on the tests with the models I ride but sometimes I get further frames and more time, which is always good. In the case of the Yamaha Tracer 7, this was the case and I have so far had a full day of “getting to know” or getting used to the bike, a full urban day of riding in the city and surrounding areas, i.e. typical everyday use, and then going on a real long trip with daily stages of up to 60 miles. In short, this is probably exactly what a Tracer 7 GT should be used for and is designed for.

In such a scenario, you get to know the model very well and you really get under its skin. Over the course of a week and so many miles, you come into contact with so many situations and aspects of the model that you eventually form a very complete and not least good picture of its strengths and weaknesses. In addition to this, in this case I have had a solid backdrop with about 2000 km on the new Tenere 700 (T7) this year alone. A technical platform that is very similar to the Tracer 7 GT, representing the same mid-range, but different segments – the T7 is an adventure model, the Tracer 7 GT is a touring model and it has therefore been fun to take a closer look at how they extract and utilize the technical capacities in different segments. The technical platform is much the same in terms of engine, brakes and electronics.

Design

Tracer 7 GT is significantly better than its predecessor, it’s a little more expensive, but it’s worth every penny. The design is now in many ways landed and the lines and proportions fit like a glove. As you know, I’m not particularly enthusiastic about hard side bags, but here it looks good thanks to the right proportions, function and design language. I don’t like them, but they don’t impair driving performance to any great extent and that’s important to me. But side bags are side bags and even if you don’t drive with a lot of weight, you’ll notice a significant difference in handling if you take them off.

“Yamaha is creative in many areas and I think the placement of the front indicators is really nice. Incidentally, these turn off as a “fire and forget” system and we like that.

The details on the new handlebars where it says Tracer GT are also cool and create a nice sense of quality. Very nice. The same with the seat itself and the seams that create the same experience of good quality.

Successful facelift

Finally, Yamaha has made sure that all the inserts have lights, as you can see in the picture above. This simply looks cool and is sooooo much better than what we have previously been presented with in the form of one-eyed bandits. Thank you very much Yamaha, this was sorted out so keep it up.

 

Excels positively in several areas

Luggage and load carrying

I may not be a traditional touring dude and you must know that when you read this test, I’m not a fan of bringing two rooms and a kitchen on a trip and my primary interest on the trip is driving performance and experiences. The rest can and should be bought. Weight is my biggest enemy because it poisons the bike’s handling and especially weight and balance. If you’re camping in a glamping format, you’d better drive a car, I think.

But given my somewhat quirky opinions on this particular matter, the loading arrangement on the Tracer 7 GT works well. The luggage rack and attachment hooks are sturdy and easy to operate, i.e. easy to remove and replace. The lockable bags are loaded from the side, which is a little inconvenient, but you get used to it. The loading systems are perfectly acceptable and practical, even for me.

Frame, swing arm and dampers have been greatly improved

The dampers at both the front and rear have been improved compared to the previous model, and these probably also account for a significant part of the model’s cost increase. The price of dampers has risen significantly. The new up/down dampers at the front are more powerful and adjustable, as is the mono damper at the rear. Together with the frame and swingarm, these deliver really well and deserve a significant part of the credit for the bike’s excellent handling. Even though the model has 17-inch wheels at both the front and rear, the dampers swallow up a lot of bad Norwegian roads. They do so firmly but at the same time softly and comfortably and at some speed the dampers push the front wheel quickly and firmly back to the asphalt so that I hold my turns without disturbing or bumping the front wheel. This impresses me a little actually.

But what was the Tracer 7 GT like on a long journey?

I’ll tell you, the steering angles, weight and balancing, wheelbase, ergonomics, mapping choices and power deliveries and not least the brakes have all been optimized. The Tracer 7 GT is incredibly agile and with such a good seating position and such good lateral mobility, almost 600 km was literally a breeze. I’m fascinated by its cornering ability, which is one of the best I’ve ever ridden, regardless of class and price. Very few bikes have such good cornering characteristics and with the lively CP2 engine in the “sport” mapping option, this bike is simply a party. Sometimes so much fun that it can compromise your driving license, so you have to be careful. Because this motorcycle wants a lot.

Fortunately, the model has cruise control and that helps a lot, but you have to remember that it doesn’t have distance control so you have to keep an eye on it yourself. But the system works really well and therefore has an important function in terms of comfort and speed.

The windshield is manual but also well-functioning and provides good protection against wind and weather. The throttle response is smooth and fine in all mapping choices and the power delivery is absolutely brilliant. Some may think that 74 hp and 68 Nm sounds small, but for single pilots this is more than enough. Yamaha is coming out with a quick shifter and blipper solution very soon and that will lift the fun factor even higher. Here you can only work on your own skills, be aware of gaze use, push technique, placement, track selection and balancing yourself and the bike and you will hardly get anything better than this. The riding and touring characteristics are so good that I can easily compare this with the BMW F 900 XR, however, it is lighter than this and that also goes in Yamaha’s favor. Reduced weight is always good.

The tires are from Michelin (Road GT6) and are soft and fine. The tire sipes are soft and fine and melt into the surface. The contact with the front wheel is very good and creates a rare and trust-based relationship between man and machine (or woman and machine). All in all, this means that you will feel the G and cornering forces in your body in sharp curves with good flow, it is a wonderful experience that actually contributes to at least me losing a little control of time and place.

So in terms of touring characteristics, this could hardly have been done much better. I reiterate that the price increase I talked about in the introduction is therefore perfectly acceptable, taking into account the improvements and driving characteristics. This has improved significantly. Yamaha now has a strong portfolio in the mid-range and if we look at the 07 class in isolation with Tenere 700, MT 07 and now Tracer 7 GT, these are so complementary and cover a large and broad target group. These models are now so strong that they can be very difficult for competitors to match.