Yamaha MT-09 Tracer
The three-cylinder adventure-styled Yamaha is one of the hottest properties on the 2015 fleet and I’m looking forward to seeing how much life it can inject into my 60-mile daily commute.
Long term update: Farewell faithful friend
29 March 2016 by
My time with the Yamaha MT-09 Tracer has come to an end and I’m already missing it. The term ‘all-rounder’ can often paint a picture of a bland bike that’s alright at most things but doesn’t...
Long term update: Can a 'budget' bike keep winter at bay?
11 March 2016 by
The Tracer is a big seller and is the kind of bike that will happily work through all seasons of riding but just how well does a bike costing just over £8000 really hold up against winter? Preparation...
Long term update: That's screwed it up
16 February 2016 by
Perhaps I spoke too soon about being ready for the winter onslaught – things have not gone to plan recently. First of all the weather changed from the mild and wet pre-Christmas climate to a much...
Long term update: Ready for anything
21 January 2016 by
Half a winter’s worth of commuting on the MT-09 Tracer is providing some forensic analysis of the bike’s talents – and almost all of them are providing even greater proof of how good the Yamaha is. I...
Long term update: Service reveals chain pain
26 December 2015 by
I was almost caught out by the rate with which the 6000-mile service approached, and only just managed to get the Tracer booked into a dealer in time for it to go on an MCN group test. Our road test...
Long term update: Sorting the Tracer's suspension
17 December 2015 by
The Yamaha MT-09 Tracer is one of the UK’s best-selling bikes of 2015 and criticisms are few and far between, but one element of the bike that needs improving is the suspension set-up. My biggest...
Long term update: Ready to face salt onslaught
14 November 2015 by
Britain is heading for salty roads and freezer-box conditions but that doesn’t mean it’s time to stash the Tracer in the garage – I just need to make sure the Yamaha is properly prepared. There are...
MCN Fleet: Can I sort my MT-09 Tracer's harsh suspension?
30 September 2015 by
The Yamaha MT-09 Tracer is one of the UK’s best-selling bikes of 2015 and my criticisms are few and far between – but it could definitely benefit from some work to the suspension. My biggest issue is...
Long term update: Starry-eyed over Tracer
22 July 2015 by
It was 1.30am and still not completely dark, but the sky was clear enough to see a satellite tracking silently across the sky, followed a few moments later by a streak of light from a shooting star.
Long term update: 250 miles of B-road heaven
06 June 2015 by
Days off work during the week are so commonly greeted by sideways rain that I’ve stopped making a plan involving bikes. Instead I’ve started going with whatever the weather is doing when I wake up. A...
Long term update: Tracer faces a hectic schedule
08 May 2015 by
The Yamaha MT-09 Tracer is already one of this year’s best-selling bikes and Yamaha UK are searching for another boat load to fulfil orders placed. The first week of riding the Tracer has been fairly...