The first bike out was the brand new MT-09 Tracer. Based on the popular MT-09 (as the name unsurprisingly suggests) Yamaha has obviously thought long and hard about how to use the 900cc engine in a more upright adventure style bike. Some bike makers would bolt bits on to an existing model but this is well put together piece of kit.
I'm used to riding a sports bike. It took me about half of the test ride to get into the bike. That's not a criticism of the bike, just a reminder that this old biker is stuck in his ways
Yamaha Tamworth took the time to wash the bike for me before letting me have the keys. The tank was half full of fuel, all they asked was I replace what I use.
The seat is tall, wide and very comfortable. The mirrors are well place, being close enough to make it easy to change them on the move, not so wide as you can't filter but not obstructive. The dash is nice and simple which makes it easy to read on the move. The controls on the handlebars for the dash are easy to use without being so close you hit the wrong one. This bike has 3 modes: rain, normal and sports. I used the standard mode for most of the ride. You can change modes on the move without having to throttle off or dip the clutch. The dash shows the usual including fuel, revs, gear and temps. You can cycle through the displays for trip, fuel range and economy.
What an engine. The sound through the standard can is pretty sweet. You've got that nice triple rasp and burble. It's very responsive. I did a few roll on tests and the bike got on with it without a shudder. Fueling was spot on, I really struggled to get it to play up.
Handling is what you would expect from a tall bike. The weight does feel high up and that shows when you tip it into a corner. These come with Roadsmarts which are decent but not something I would choose. The suspension is on the soft side but that can be firmed up a bit. Cornering was neutral but there was a sense of the bike trying to push outwards so you had to hustle it. That said when I found some traffic I could weave and filter without any issues or worries.
You could sit all day on the motorway on this thing. The engine sings, the screen protects, the seat makes you feel like you're in your favourite sofa.
It's a nice bike, well put together. I couldn't really find any faults with it apart from the side stand, which sits too closely with the rearsets so you have to hook your foot at a certain angle to get to it.
Would I have one? Yes. Am I going to get one? Probably not. If I was going to use a bike just for commuting or long journeys then this would be it. But I don't. If I see a series of bends I have to have fun. I want to throw a bike around. I'm not saying you can't with this bike but seeing as it was cold, on tyres I'm not fond of and as it was brand new I just didn't have the confidence to try and scrape the pegs.
This bike will sell by the bucketload and so it should. Hats off to Yamaha because this bike with that engine and the high level of equipment as standard, not to mention being about £1,250 cheaper than the next bike, has set the bar for the others.
Its a refined street fighter 
