Tracer 700 - thoughts

[Deadpool2]

I know someone here was running one - what are your thoughts on it?

I am tempted by one of the Yamaha CP engines, its just the smaller one is much more affordable

cheers

[Supermofo]

My mate bought his wife a brand new 21 model in the matt blue colour. Really nice looking bike IMO and fairly small and light with a comfy seat. I've not ridden it though so can't comment on that and so far she's only done 120 miles on it since March!

I suspect it'll probably make more sense as a roadbike for me than a XSR/Tracer 9, but I think I'd rather stretch to one of those for the odd nutty moment.

[weeksy]

Dodgy knees owns the Tracer 900

[Couchy]

Dull, MT07 good fun and tenere 700 good fun both wheelie off power in 2nd and feel lively. Tracer I demo’d felt dull and nowhere near as lively as the other two. Can only think it’s the weight over the front making the difference. Buy either of the others

[G.P]

700 Tenere for the win I reckon. a neighbour has one ans did stellar mileage on an 660 Tenere before he got this 700. He doesn't stop raving about it.

[Deadpool2]

blast, back to the drawing board lol

[The Spin Doctor]

The MT-07 is a bit of a hoot to ride. With 70-odd hp, it's never going to rip up the tarmac behind you, but it'll launch off the line and out of corners with a fair degree of gusto. Here's my review.

https://survivalskills.wordpress.com/20 ... has-mt-07/

I've not ridden the Tracer 700 but I have put 3.5k on the 900 and liked it very much. It's heavier and more powerful than the 700 (and consumes a lot more fuel), obviously, but the riding position just 'works' for road riding, and the bigger seat helps two-up. I would like to try to Tracer 700 to see if it's as nice as the 900. I don't really need the extra expense of the 900, but the 700 would in theory tick a lot of boxes for me when it's time to replace the XJ6 instructor bike.

[Dodgy69]

Had my 900 in for a service last year and this 700 was parked outside. I think they look pretty tidy and would imagine they would go well enough.

[Supermofo]

Had my 900 in for a service last year and this 700 was parked outside. I think they look pretty tidy and would imagine they would go well enough.

That's the colour of the Tracer my mate bought for his Mrs, really smart looking thing. The matt finish is a little of a bugger cleaning wise as I found out Sunday when I cleaned it for her. In the end had to Mr Sheene it which worked a treat but before that couldn't stop the water marks.

[Taipan]

Had my 900 in for a service last year and this 700 was parked outside. I think they look pretty tidy and would imagine they would go well enough.

That's the colour of the Tracer my mate bought for his Mrs, really smart looking thing. The matt finish is a little of a bugger cleaning wise as I found out Sunday when I cleaned it for her. In the end had to Mr Sheene it which worked a treat but before that couldn't stop the water marks.

I asked a guy with a matt black wrap on his Rangey how he kept it cleaned and he said most detailing companies do a specific wipe for matt/satin finishes. He reckoned it was easier than keeping water marks off of normal paintwork?

[Supermofo]

Will let my mate know that. I'm hoping I never clean it again!

[Scootabout]

I've had my Tracer for about 9 months now. I've just realised I've only put about 2k miles on it in that time. Not because I don't like it, just lockdown. I've come from 7 years of ownership of an NC700, with only 47 bhp, so to me the Tracer is a lively and responsive bike. The engine gives the best of both worlds, compared to the NC - pulls from low revs cleanly and smoothly, but keeps going up to 10k if you want it to. The fuelling is really smooth, too.
It's a slightly smaller, more compact bike than the NC. It fits me quite well, at 1.76m / 5ft 9, but might be a squeeze for taller riders? Handling's good enough for me, not that I'm hugely demanding on that score, and I find the bike stable overall. It's nicely flickable, thanks to the shortish wheelbase (albeit longer than the MT-07?) and low weight of 196 kg wet.
The suspension is perhaps the one thing I'd like to see improved, as it can be a bit harsh over poor surfaces (ie much of the time...). I keep toying with fitting a new shock, but haven't got round to it yet. Someone I know who's a better and more demanding rider than me - he also has an MT-09 I think - said a Hagon shock improved the bike significantly. I see the new model has adjustable suspension, so that might be better.
It's pretty economical to run, with good consumption and 7k service intervals iirc.
I'm not sure it's as robust as the NC, but I've become a bit of an FWB these days, so that's not as critical for me as it used to be.

Overall, I'm pleased I bought it. It achieves what I wanted, which was similar practicality to the NC, but a bit more fun. My Tracer was three years old with lots of accessories and in very good condition. It's a popular bike, so there should be plenty on the market, mark ones at least.

[Deadpool2]

After all that, I thought I may try a Tracer 900, although I could not find Kevin's blog on it.

Thanks for all the feedback

[MrLongbeard]

I asked a guy with a matt black wrap on his Rangey how he kept it cleaned and he said most detailing companies do a specific wipe for matt/satin finishes. He reckoned it was easier than keeping water marks off of normal paintwork?

I recommend Motul 102992 M1 Helmet and Visor Clean and an old t-shirt for matte paint.
OK so I never take mine out in the rain but it works well on my matte helmet and my 'denim' paint on the Fat Bob

[Scootabout]

After all that, I thought I may try a Tracer 900, although I could not find Kevin's blog on it.

Thanks for all the feedback

I thought it might be on his Wordpress blog, but it seems not.
However, there's a review of the MT-07, which gives a good description of the engine, which is the same one as in the Tracer 700. (And some features of the MT-07 that he didn't like, eg instrument panel and mirrors, are better on the Traver, I think.)
https://survivalskills.wordpress.com/20 ... has-mt-07/

[Scootabout]

Quick update. I've fitted a Nitron R1 shock to the Tracer. At £500 it cost me 11% of what I paid for the bike 2nd hand, but it was worth it. The ride quality is much improved. The Nitron is built for my weight and riding needs. The OEM shock was too harsh, probably because the spring was too stiff for my weight but maybe the damping wasn't ideal too. The Nitron is set at 10 clicks back from fully damped, and I haven't changed it. The adjuster deals with both compression and rebound at the same time.

The only thing I would say is the handling isn't yet quite right. I've been told the forks have been lowered by dropping them through the yoke about 15mm, and this may be why the steering is a bit imprecise. It's actually slightly less good than it was with the OEM shock. I'll get the forks reset to the original position at the next service, and see how that affects things. If need be I'll fiddle with the preload &/or damping too. But I'm happy already: I rode 360 miles earlier this week on roads around East Anglia that would normally have been pretty uncomfortable, but they were fine.

[Bustaspoke]

I was thinking about buying a first generation 700 Tracer last year. found a few good owners reviews on YT.
The owners seemed happy but the as with every bike things could be improved or upgraded.
Here you go..

and

[formula400]

I rode a mates 900 with K-tech front and back, liked it, was quite fun being that upright, was vibey over 80, much prefer the MT 07

[The Spin Doctor]

My impressions of the 2019 Tracer 900.

https://survivalskills.wordpress.com/20 ... km-update/ Tracer 900 2000 km update

https://survivalskills.wordpress.com/20 ... km-update/ Tracer 900 4000 km update

https://survivalskills.wordpress.com/20 ... -handback/ Tracer 900 5000km & handback

LINKS NOW CORRECTED

[weeksy]

My impressions of the 2019 Tracer 900.

https://wordpress.com/post/survivalskil ... .com/13360 Tracer 900 2000 km update

https://wordpress.com/post/survivalskil ... .com/13434 Tracer 900 4000 km update

https://wordpress.com/post/survivalskil ... .com/13452 Tracer 900 5000km & handback

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