2024 Tracer 9 GT+ – First Ride Review

I’ve never considered myself an Adventure or Touring rider. Granted, I’ve ridden just about every type of motorcycle and have enjoyed every moment and memory made. But truth be told, I’ve always been a sportbike guy with an occasional fling with a cruiser. However, after some time well spent in the hills and canyons on the outskirts of Boise, Idaho, with the 2024 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+, I am reevaluating some of my life decisions.

The successor of the 2022 Tracer 9 GT is more of a leap in the Sport Touring evolutionary process than it is a replacement. Presented in a two-tone Storm Gray with a golden bronze accent trim, the GT+ looks solid, even on its side stand. As a Sport Touring machine, it has the right balance of sport versus touring, leaning more toward the sporty side in the aesthetics department.

Ergonomically, the Tracer 9 GT+ is comfortably neutral. All controls are within reach and manageable without stressing or stretching your limbs. My physics land me at 6 feet and 260 pounds, so I am not on the smaller side of the ridder spectrum. But it didn’t take long, from the first sit, to find that sweet spot in the saddle.

Upon startup, I am greeted by a mini iPad sized 7-inch full-color TFT dash. 7 inches! It’s awesomely huge! This mini monitor displays all your data, engaged by the new switches and joystick on the left and right bars. All of that real estate serves a purpose beyond bike data. Aside from smartphone connectivity, which is becoming standard on most models, the Tracer 9 GT+ offers Garmin Navigation integration, provided you have an active subscription.

Riding briefly through downtown Boise, the Tracer 9 GT+ performs the role of daily commuter well. The harmony of the lightweight frame, electronic suspension, and smooth 890cc triple-cylinder engine processed the stop-and-go of urban travel with no issues. Its balance makes it a practical bike for everyday coming and going. With the standard-issue saddle bags, it could be the daily errand-runner. But the Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ is much more than that.

Out of the downtown area and into the hills is where that CP3 engine came alive. Throttle by wire means power on demand, and the Tracer 9 GT+ delivers. The quick-shifter is impressive, offering upshifts and downshifts while decelerating and accelerating, respectively. Through the sweepers, switchbacks, and twisties, the bike’s balance, confidence, and performance are nothing short of an inspiration.

There is a load of technical and electronic aids that the GT+ offers, including some firsts for Yamaha. Two standouts are the Adaptive Cruise Control and the Radar Linked Unified Braking System; both are compliments of Yamaha’s Millimeter Wave Radar.

While Adaptive Cruise Control is becoming more a part of modern motorcycle manufacturing, the Unified Braking System is something to note of. It allows for the correct amount of stopping power to be applied from the front and rear brakes to help you avoid an obstacle in front of you. The UBS is top-shelf tech, and Yamaha is the first brand to implement it on a motorcycle.

Four ride modes include Rain, Street, Sport, and Custom, which can be accessed on the fly via a button on the left handlebar and engaged when the throttle is closed. Sport mode offers the most aggressive performance profile, with Rain mode offering the least. Custom mode allows you to dial in your ride how you want. The weather was wonderful for the press ride, so I played between Street and Sport modes.

The route for the media ride was over 160 miles and comprised a solid mix of highway, canyon, technical, sweepers, rural, and urban travel. I could have kept on riding. And that’s why the Tracer 9 GT+ has me thinking about adding a Sport Touring to my personal fleet. The GT+ is an impressive example of the fun factor in the ideology and actuality of functionality. It is the ideal introduction motorcycle to Sport Touring class.

The 2024 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ is a convincer. It might make a believer out of me.

Images: Joseph Agustin

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