The touring bike that manages to find the balance between affordability and a high-end feeling

Touring bikes are great. They have comfort in spades, powerful engines, and if you get the right one, you’ll have a lot of fun in the corners too. However, they do require a major financial commitment from you. And with the size that the premium ones have become, they will certainly not be ridden often. It’s a shame to have to invest so much hard-earned money in something you don’t ride often.

It can be difficult to find the balance between the premium feel of a motorcycle that is well put together and something that is good for your wallet. But there are more customers who want something like this, so manufacturers have been looking for solutions for some time. They’ve come up with quite a few, and there’s one we really like for its ability to meet these two seemingly opposing demands. This is the touring bike that manages to find the balance between affordability and a luxurious appearance.

The Yamaha Tracer 9 is the touring bike that manages to find the balance between affordability and a high-end feel

There is a wide choice of touring bicycles. Some of the more affordable ones cost less than $5,000, while the most expensive ones can cost you ten times that. But finding the sweet spot between the two can be a daunting task. However, the Yamaha Tracer 9 comes close. It’s a touring bike and a great city bike, all in one motorcycle. It all depends on what the rider needs on a given day.

An aggressive MSRP makes the Tracer 9 a value purchase

The Tracer 9 costs $12,599, which makes some question its “affordability” aspect. This is a fair question, as the Honda NT1100 DCT retails for $11,899, and it also has a dual-clutch automatic gearbox. However, for the extra $700 you get a six-axis IMU and a full electronics suite, including features like slide control. You also get 17 hp more and an extra cylinder, which makes the premium completely worth it. And that makes the Yamaha Tracer 9 the touring bike that manages to find the balance between affordability and a luxurious feeling.

Yamaha Tracer 9 engine

The engine of the Tracer 9 is now quite old, but remains one of our favorites when it comes to the fun factor. This is the CP3 crossplane engine that has inspired other manufacturers, such as Triumph, to also create their own version of a crossplane inline-three engine. You get a great mix of low-end torque while still offering exciting horsepower. Things get even better with a by-wire throttle and six-axis IMU, with Yamaha offering riding modes, including two whose parameters can be individually adjusted.

The Quickshifter and Blipper are optional

A six-speed manual transmission is the only one offered in the US, although an automated manual transmission is available in other markets worldwide. The manual gearbox gets an assist and slipper clutch and an optional two-way quickshifter as standard, while a chain drives the rear wheel.

Yamaha Tracer 9 chassis

Yamaha has used component sharing here; the Tracer 9 shares its chassis with the MT-09. This is a Deltabox frame, but the subframe is stronger to support the weight of a passenger and luggage. However, the suspension has more travel than the street bike (5.1 inches in the front and 5.2 inches in the rear). Both ends can be manually adjusted for preload and rebound damping. The wheels are 17-inch alloy rims, shod with asphalt tires. The front brakes feature a four-piston radial fixed caliper, while the rear brakes have a single piston.

Yamaha Tracer 9 Dimensions

The Tracer 9 has a decently sized fuel tank, which should give it decent range when driven leisurely. The weight is low enough to be easy to handle, but the width and slightly high seat height can make it difficult.

Yamaha Tracer 9 features

The Tracer 9 gets a number of useful features, such as a large 7-inch TFT instrument display equipped with Bluetooth and navigation. The matrix headlight has cornering functions. The height of the windshield can be adjusted manually. The turn signals are self-deactivating and also have a lane change function. Yamaha has also thoughtfully provided a storage space for your phone with a USB charging socket. This is all on top of the extensive electronics package via the IMU.

Yamaha Tracer 9 Competition

There are quite a few touring bikes in the middleweight category vying for attention. The Ducati Multistrada V2 ($16,595) may have a 17-inch wheel, but the price is super steep for a middleweight. The BMW F 900

The best tourer that fits the Tracer 9 is the Honda NT1100 DCT. This is a larger motorcycle, which means more comfort for the passenger, and it’s also a more open riding position for taller riders. It doesn’t have the sportiness of the Yamaha, but it certainly has the premium feel and affordability, with its large touchscreen TFT with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, automatic gearbox and a six-axis IMU, and all the benefits that brings.

Yamaha Tracer 9 vs Honda NT1100

Source: Yamaha Motorsports