30-08-15, 10:11 PM
I have been on two test rides of the Tracer it is the first jap bike I have been interested in for 5 years plus. My circumstances are a little unusual as I have a Superduke R for hooning around on and a Fazer 1000 Gen 1 for commuting and touring. I dont want to part with either bike so it is a case of buying another bike that can justify its place alongside them.
The Superduke is good fun on twisty roads and for blasting around country roads with my mates. However it is too uncomfortable to ride more than a hour at a time.
The fazer is a brilliant do anything bike but it is a touch heavy and lacks a little braking when really getting a move on. Plus it feels a little long in the tooth, it isnt but analogue clocks and right way up forks date it somewhat.
I tried a KTM990 SMT which was great but too much like the Superduke. Then tried a Triumph Tiger and Sprint 1050 which were nice to ride but felt heavy and poor build quality. A Z1000SX too vibey. A S1000XR too tall, too revvy and not enough wow for 14k. Both a 2013 and 2015 Multistrada I really want to like these and they are getting better but I just cant love it enough to pay 16k odd for one.
The MT09 Tracer is an absolutely brilliant bike it weighs nothing and encourages hooligan behaviour. I was straight onto gravel strewn single track roads which I would have hated to take my other bikes on and loved getting it sideways on them. I found it all day comfortable and the crossplane triple was a brilliant torquey motor than loves to rev. It can tour, commute, plod around town or rip around backlanes. You can take one offroad far easier than a KTM Adventure or Multistrada.
I havent bought one yet as they are only 9500 euros in Germany which works out 6500-7000 pounds at current exchange rates. I will wait until the new reg next week and then head over and buy one as soon as 1 pound gets back to 1.4 euro.
I am happy to shell out for steel brake hoses, a 700 quid Akrapovic full system (from Europe, 900 odd over here) plus a Nitron rear shock and a fork cartridge kit, plus an ECU reflash to remove the limiters in the top 2 gears. I reckon I could easily gain 5bhp anf shed 5kg in weight perhaps more. Especially if I chuck some carbon wheels on it. I reckon it will then be a match for any advebture styked bike on the market and close to a supermoto on tiny B roads.
The Superduke is good fun on twisty roads and for blasting around country roads with my mates. However it is too uncomfortable to ride more than a hour at a time.
The fazer is a brilliant do anything bike but it is a touch heavy and lacks a little braking when really getting a move on. Plus it feels a little long in the tooth, it isnt but analogue clocks and right way up forks date it somewhat.
I tried a KTM990 SMT which was great but too much like the Superduke. Then tried a Triumph Tiger and Sprint 1050 which were nice to ride but felt heavy and poor build quality. A Z1000SX too vibey. A S1000XR too tall, too revvy and not enough wow for 14k. Both a 2013 and 2015 Multistrada I really want to like these and they are getting better but I just cant love it enough to pay 16k odd for one.
The MT09 Tracer is an absolutely brilliant bike it weighs nothing and encourages hooligan behaviour. I was straight onto gravel strewn single track roads which I would have hated to take my other bikes on and loved getting it sideways on them. I found it all day comfortable and the crossplane triple was a brilliant torquey motor than loves to rev. It can tour, commute, plod around town or rip around backlanes. You can take one offroad far easier than a KTM Adventure or Multistrada.
I havent bought one yet as they are only 9500 euros in Germany which works out 6500-7000 pounds at current exchange rates. I will wait until the new reg next week and then head over and buy one as soon as 1 pound gets back to 1.4 euro.
I am happy to shell out for steel brake hoses, a 700 quid Akrapovic full system (from Europe, 900 odd over here) plus a Nitron rear shock and a fork cartridge kit, plus an ECU reflash to remove the limiters in the top 2 gears. I reckon I could easily gain 5bhp anf shed 5kg in weight perhaps more. Especially if I chuck some carbon wheels on it. I reckon it will then be a match for any advebture styked bike on the market and close to a supermoto on tiny B roads.