Index:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
In 2018, my marriage was getting worse. I was still trying for the first half, but if I’m honest, I knew it was over by February of that year, it just took me until December to figure it out. I kept riding as much as I could. Any where I could. Any time I could. Mostly solo, mostly short 20 minute to 40 minute jaunts. I would get the odd long run in, but mainly short hops. I became bored with the V-Strom. I don’t know why exactly. It felt under powered. Sluggish. Slow. I had my dad take it for a little spin, and he told me I was crazy, it runs great, and performs great. There was roughly 38,000km on the clock by then, and 7 years. Nothing wrong with it, just boring. That wasn’t a good sign. This feeling was probably my mid-life crisis. All things considered, I got off reasonably easy.
That same year, I learned about demo days, put on by some manufacturers, and hosted at dealerships. I managed to get into a day at a dealership in Trenton, nothing closer to home, since I was late to the party, so to speak. The day rolled around, and I rode the V-Strom out to the dealership on a lovely warm June day. When I got there, I was greeted by the full Yamaha lineup. Cruisers, sport bikes, naked standard bikes, sport touring bikes. Oh joy. I was after the brand new for that year, MTT09 Tracer 900.
The one available had been dropped a few times. Had some cracked body work, but was mechanically sound, and less than 4000km on the clock. The picture above is of the bike I rode that day. Rough life being a demo bike apparently. It didn’t matter. I hopped on, and off with the group we went. Going from the KLR650 to DL650 has been interesting, because of how much more modern the bike seemed. Well, going from the DL650 to the Tracer 900 was a bigger leap. ABS, multi mode traction control, multi mode performance modes, digital dash, fully computerized. There was fuel consumption, instant and average. More trip meters than I knew what to do with. Engine temps, oil temps. So many features, and buttons, I wasn’t sure what to do at first. Thankfully the fellas running it set it to the most aggressive traction control mode, and the lowest power mode. They tell you how to change the power mode, but not the traction control mode. Probably a good idea, if I’m honest. Pulling away I learn two things. B mode, or the low power mode, feels pretty similar to the DL650, but with a little more pep. The clutch is very different from the Suzuki one, and I don’t like it. I end up revving the engine quite a bit trying to find the friction point on the clutch, and look like a total noob, as opposed to someone with years of experience and over 50,000km under his belt. Oh well, once I’m moving it’s all gravy.
Off we go, a group of about 10 riders, all on new and unfamiliar bikes. After the first couple of km’s, we hit a stop. I hit the engine mode switch, and bump it over to standard mode. B mode drops the horsepower to roughly 80hp, and has a fairly anemic throttle curve. Standard mode on the other hand has a linear throttle curve, and grants you access to the full horsepower, ~115hp. It’s smooth enough pulling away, but you have a lot more to play with in the mid range of the throttle travel. From single, to V twin, to inline triple. I keep adding cylinders. Yamaha’s CP3 engine, the same engine found in the FZ-09 / MT-09 naked sport bike, the XSR 900, and even the new for 2019 Niken, is one hell of an engine. The V-Strom has 645cc actual displacement. Makes sense to call it a 650. The CP3 engine is actually 847cc of displacement, not 900. Not sure why they called it a 900, when it’s an 850. Marketing, I guess. Who cares, doesn’t mater. The power, the torque, the sound; all of it is a massive departure from the venerable Suzuki V-twin 650 engine found in the DL650 and the SV650’s. Suzuki’s engine is excellent. It makes good power, it’s really smooth, and it’s really reliable. Yamaha just makes a better motor. It’s smooth, power delivery is fantastic. All of it, is just outstanding. Except that damn clutch. Fuck that clutch. It’s a high tech, slipper assist clutch. Makes down shifts and engine braking much smoother. Where, if I was too aggressive on the DL650, it would lock the rear tire for a moment, the same does not happen with the Tracer. It’s also fairly light, thanks to being a slipper assist clutch. Not sure what a slipper assist clutch does? Take a look at this picture:
It basically uses ramped or cammed surfaces to either increase the clutch force, or lighten it, depending on what rotational force the clutch is under. It’s simple, and all bikes should have one. That isn’t my problem with the clutch on this bike. The clutch lever has a lot of travel, and the friction zone is way out at the end, and really narrow. Worse, the friction zone is so tiny it makes stalling the bike very easy. I stalled it several times on this demo ride, but forgetting that, I loved the engine. The ergonomics are okay, standard riding position, tall seat height, adjustable wind screen. Suspension is okay, but soft. No show stoppers. We stop midway through the demo ride. The Yamaha guys ask us questions, offer to answer any we have. Basically making sure we’re all good, and enjoying the bikes. I complain about the clutch, because I hate it. The guy scratches his head, shrugs, and sets it into A mode. He explains it’s a sharper throttle curve, and should make getting off from a start easy. I feel like that doesn’t make sense, but whatever. After a quick stretch, which my shoulders need, we’re off again. “A” mode is bonkers. The throttle curve is almost not there; it’s more like a throttle vertical line. They should call it race mode. The throttle response is so sharp it feels like it might cut me. What I am most absolutely not, is bored. I’m thrilled. It’s exciting, and fun, and playful. The Tracer 900 weighs the same as the DL650. They’re within a couple of pounds of each other. With the Tracer, I have 40 more horsepower. The KLR 650 didn’t have 40 horsepower, for perspective. That 200cc difference added more power than the KLR 650 mill could produce. Why, yes please.
Before I knew it, the demo ride was over, and I had to ride home on my DL650. I briefly talked to the sales guy at the dealership, and he would send me an out the door quote by email. My whole ride home I was missing that extra horsepower. 74hp is enough for any sane person. It’s an advanced beginner bike, and a solid intermediate bike. The tracer on the other hand is an advanced intermediate bike. You need some time in saddle to ride it. Oh sure, a noob could jump on one and go. Put it in B mode, TC 2, and they’d probably be okay. Put it in A mode though, and TC1, or TC off, and they’re in trouble. After a month or so of introspection, I put the Wee-Strom up for sale.
I loved my DL650. It was a good bike to me. I spent a lot of time in the saddle. More than some riders do in a lifetime. It was time for something new though. The Tracer had hooked me. I looked at the new DL1000 V-Strom. I looked at the Versys 1000, which in 2018 had a new look. I looked at the lower end of the BMW GS scales, the FG800. I looked at the KTM 990 for about 3 seconds before the price scared me away. I checked out the Honda Africa Twin, but it’s way too dual sport. I even looked at a lightly used Multistrada. Yamaha’s Tracer 900, formally FJ09, was the best value for money, the most comfortable, and the sportiest. So, off to a new dealer 50km away from home, and time to work out the finances and buy one. Two visits, and it was done. I was the owner of a brand new 2018 Tracer 900. Yamaha promptly released a 2019 Tracer 900 GT about a week later, which annoyed the crap out of me, but oh well. I didn’t need the hard side cases, or the advanced suspension. It seemed excessive for an additional $2500, and I was already pushing it with the $13,300 out the door for the base model. I would regret that later, but not then.
It was delivered to me in August of 2018, where I promptly rode it as much as possible right in to October. I managed just over 2000km in that time frame, and had an absolute blast. I did find issues with it. I needed bar risers. The stock windscreen is bad at highway speeds, and causes buffeting. The seat gets uncomfortable after about an hour. The foot pegs are a little too cramped. To top it all off, I was having a hard time selling my DL650. I was asking $3500, and getting constant low ball offers, and tire kickers. Fall is a terrible time to sell a bike, which is a lesson I should have known. As October closed out, and the weather turned really cold, I put the Tracer away in the garage, beside the DL650. Both of them looking sad and lonely. As the winter closed in, I would catch myself in the garage, sitting on the Tracer, and sometimes the old Wee-Strom, making motor sounds. I had my excitement to ride back, and I couldn’t wait for the next year. My marriage fell apart completely. For me it had been over for months already. I’d grieved for it. In that same October, I met a woman by chance. Both of us saying one thing, and really wanting something else. Life has a strange sense of humor, but sometimes you get lucky.
2019 was the year of change for me. Divorce. My now ex-wife, moved out in January. With all of this came working out shared custody of my children, a week with me, a week with their mother; repeat. I missed my kids. The woman I met a few months before was now my girlfriend. We were building a solid relationship, both of us coming from lonely places, and just wanting companionship. In March, my girlfriend moved in. Well, more accurately, she came over in mid February, and really just never left. March was just a formality. With her came a daughter. I’ve always loved being dad, so having another daughter around was kind of great. Within that was introducing each other to our children, and then our children to each other. It was a process, but overall, I think it went well. Writing this from 2020, our daughters all love each other and get along very well. Back on the bike realm, I posted the DL650 back up for sale in late March. It sold without hassle about 2 weeks later. A gentleman from Niagara region came and picked it up, and paid me my asking price. I was happy. I made sure she still ran well, rode it up to the rode for him when he arrived, and said goodbye to my longtime mount. I never heard from him again, so I presume she performed well for him that year.
As spring rolled around, and the Tracer came out of hibernation, a strange thing happened. The entire time I’ve owned a motorcycle, it’s been a solo act. My ex-wife had no interest to ever go for a ride with me. She actively didn’t trust me to safely take her anywhere on the bike. It was just something I did on my own, which sums up the last half of my marriage to her. My girlfriend on the other hand, once owned a bike. She sold it, because she’s happier riding on the back of one instead. I thought she might have been humoring me, but no, she wanted to go shopping for a jacket and helmet, and start riding with me. True to that, we picked her up a helmet and jacket in April, and she started coming out with me on rides. This was all new territory for me. I wasn’t used to having a passenger, and more importantly, I was very used to being alone on all of my jaunts. It took some getting used to, but I started to really enjoy her coming for rides with me. This of course is where my regret over not getting the Tracer 900 GT comes in. Those upgraded suspension components would have been really nice to have. I’ve looked into a new rear shock to upgrade the suspension to, and it’s nearly the price difference between the two models. Damn. Oh well. We still go for rides together, and still have lots of fun doing it. In July I picked up a comms system for our helmets, which has made the experience so much better. I’ll say this, if you ride with a passenger, get a comms system. I picked up a cheap system from Amazon, which works on Bluetooth, and it has made the rides together so much better.
That same spring, I also spent some money on the Tracer. Bar risers, because I really needed the bars a little closer. Givi rear rack and plate for my top box. Givi short touring screen to replace the stock one. I mentioned the buffeting at highway speeds previously, well, it was really bad. The Givi screen completely solved that issue, and was relatively cheap. Tank lock ring, and tank lock bag. I tried an air hawk for the seat, and didn’t like it. Little creature comforts, that have made some difference. I still need to move the foot pegs down and forward some. I’m considering engine guards, and highway pegs. The seat needs something. I’m torn between the factory comfort seat, or a custom seat. Half the people say the factory comfort seat is great, the other half say it’s terrible. The dealers don’t stock it, so I can’t test it out, which is a huge fail on Yamaha. I still need to make some mods to make this bike comfortable for longer trips. As it stands, after an hour I want to get off. If I get a 20 minute break, then I’m good for another hour. After that, it’s just increasing levels of not good. It’s mainly the seat, and the foot pegs position, but mainly the seat.
Lots continued to happen that spring; remember demo days? I sure did. I took real advantage of them in 2019. I went to two Yamaha days, and a Suzuki day, and it was really interesting. Kawasaki, Honda? You need to get in on this. For the Suzuki day, I went with a friend looking to buy his first bike. He was interested in the new DL650, and the new SV650. I was curious about the 2019 DL1000. We went on two demo rides that day. I took the DL1000 out both times, and he switched between the DL650 and the SV650. The DL1000 is about $1000 more than a Tracer 900 GT. I can’t, for the life of me, understand why. It has less power, and way less features. Traction control? Yeah, sort of. It’s aggressive, or off. ABS is there of course. Variable power modes, and throttle maps? Nope. Trip computer? Nope. Dash that looks like a KLR’s 20 years ago? Yup. What’s it have going for it? Smooth easy power. Comfy. Like, really comfy. Handling is okay, but slow, sluggish. Similar to my old DL650, but you could feel the extra weight. Torque. I could role from a 80km/h zone, running at 95 in fifth gear, into a 50km/h zone, and just roll off the throttle. No down shift. Coming back out, just roll back on the throttle, and it picks back up no issues, just smooth. It all felt very soft, and comfortable. It was easily accessible power, with no edges. I actually did like it. It also made me feel better with my choice of the Tracer. The clutch though, god I love a Suzuki clutch; so nice. I was back to hating my Tracer clutch that day.
The next demo day was Yamaha at a new dealer in Peterborough. I was very excited for this day, because I was really interested in the Super Tenere. This is Yamaha’s big adventure touring machine. 1200cc V-twin engine. 110hp. Heavy adjustable suspension. Similar bells and whistles to the Tracer. What a machine. I’m going to be honest, I want a Super Tenere. I rode it that day with an open mind, and oh boy was it great. Much sportier than the DL1000 from Suzuki. Slightly nicer clutch than the Tracer. Not as much bonkers power, but more than enough to have some fun. The handling is odd. I don’t really know how to describe it. Ryan at Fortnine did a video review of it last year or the year before, and describes the handling. It feels top heavy almost, even though it’s not, which somehow translates into this effortless cornering. It’s a strange beast to ride, but enjoyable, right on the edge of boring. Crank up the engine, and you can keep up with a lot of other bikes easily. No, it’s not going to post a 0 to 100 time under 3 seconds like a Tracer can. It takes 3.2 seconds, apparently. Yeah, it’s still a really fast bike if you have a mind to ride it that way. The really impressive part is the jump from say 80km/h to 120km/h. It’s peppy. I’d wager a little peppier than the Tracer, which is down to the greater torque of that big V-twin motor. Unlike the Suzuki day, I had time to spare, and spent a good amount of time there. I rode the Super Tenere twice. I rode another bike I can’t recall, and I rode Yamaha’s newest creation, the 2019 Niken. I’ll be blunt, if you’re tall, don’t bother even looking at the Niken. It’s the same motor as the Tracer, the CP3 847cc beast. It’s heavier. It’s massively cramped. The seating position relative to the bars is something between sport and cruise. The foot pegs are in a terrible position. The design of the bike precludes any reasonable mods for taller riders. It’s all very disappointing, because the handling is wonderful, with pretty good performance.
Demo day number 3 was again for Yamaha, a month after the last, at the same dealership I purchased my Tracer from. I was a little more focused this time around, and specifically wanted to ride the Super Tenere again, as well as the XSR 900. I tried for the XSR 700, but no luck, I ran out of time. The 2 rides I took on the Super Tenere this time around just cemented that I want one. This year, I plan to attend again, and bring my spouse with me. I want to bring her along as a pillion on the Tenere, to see what she thinks. I liked everything about the Super Ten this time around, same as before. Really lovely bike. The XSR 900, I wanted to try just for fun. Take my Tracer, shave off some weight, any wind protection, and you have the XSR 900. Its small, nimble, and fast. It is so very fast. I thoroughly enjoyed riding this bike, with the only issue I had being stuck behind a complete noob riding a FZ09. The guy could not ride. The FZ09, if you didn’t know, is the same bike, but done up sportier, while the XSR 900 is retro styled. That’s it. Same motor, and electronics. Same weight. We hit our midway point, and this guy wouldn’t stop complaining about the bike not performing. The Yamaha rep on the ride actually took it for a quick hop up the road and back. There was nothing wrong with the bike, but if you’re granny shifting at 4000 rpm, it’s not going to go very fast. Peak horsepower is around 10,000 rpm. I should have got out ahead of this guy, but I was being polite. Never again. I will do my best to always be right behind the Yamaha rep leading the ride. The XSR 900 though, way too much fun. As a bike for a tall guy? For 20 minutes at a time, I absolutely recommend it. The combo of power and handling with the light weight, makes it the most fun bike I’ve ever ridden. After 20 minutes? No, I can’t. It’s too cramped. Too small. You could mod it some, raise the bars. Possibly lower the pegs. Custom seat. I’m not sure it’s worth that effort, when you get 90% of that performance with the Tracer, and it fits a tall frame much better.
The rest of 2019 was filled with change, and lots of rides. I managed to put 4000km on the Tracer this past season. More than I was doing previous years, though I could do more. I have mods I want to make still. My spouse and I have been looking at Goldwing’s, which the newer model is quite nice. Trimmer, comfy, and roomier than I expected. Heading into 2020, there are demo rides I want to take. I’m seriously considering trading my Tracer 900 in against a Super Tenere, but that depends on demo rides with a pillion to confirm if that’s a reasonable move.
My whole journey up to this point all started in my childhood driveway, riding circles on a little bicycle. It’s been a strange experience writing this all out, and thinking about all the little tangents, and offshoots, of my journey. This has made me examine parts of my life I had left alone. Aspects of my life I hadn’t considered. I hope you, dear reader, have found this at least interesting, if not entertaining. Thank you for sticking with me, and reading it all. If you read this entry first, you should really go back to the beginning, and read it all from part 1.