When you’re looking at buying a touring bike, two brands will pop up again and again during your research: Honda and BMW. They occupy radically different positions in people’s minds (and the touring segment, if we’re honest), even though they offer more or less the same things. That’s consistency in quality and value. Where both differ is that Honda has a reputation for reliability, and BMW is known for its bikes’ road manners.
It can be a little tricky finding a touring motorcycle that exhibits characteristics from both these manufacturers, but with the sheer variety available today, it should be possible. And it is. There is one product that not only manages to offer Honda reliability and BMW-level road manners, but it manages to do it while being a middleweight. It then adds its own flavor to the mix, and boy, is it good!
UPDATE: 2026/03/01
We have updated this article with more context on the Yamaha Tracker 9’s reliability, along with some high-mileage examples.
The Case For A Middleweight Over A Full-Size Tourer
Full-size tourers, no matter what kind they might be, are absolutely enormous. They have to be, to be comfortable for two-up touring. And you need to factor in luggage capacity for two people, so the chassis needs to be stronger – meaning heavier – and the engine needs to be larger, meaning a bigger fuel tank. This vicious cycle continues until you’re left with something the size of a hippo.
While a full-dresser might be good for some, a middleweight is a much better choice if you don’t carry a pillion all the time or want to have some fun on the road. Its smaller size also makes it less intimidating, so you will be more confident riding it in traffic, on dirt roads, and more frequently, simply because of the lack of size and weight. The best kind of motorcycle is the one you ride the most.
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The Yamaha Tracer 9 Has Honda Reliability And BMW-Level Road Manners
The Tracer 9 was launched around the same time that the V-Max was discontinued. This was a time when Yamaha gave its entire motorcycle range a shakeup, and the Tracer 9 was one of the new concepts of the range. At the time, it was a relatively new concept: bring a touring rider triangle onto a sporty naked or sports bike, make sure the engine has enough torque to meet the criteria for touring, and give it the features needed to make for a good touring experience. Yamaha hit the nail on the head here, using the chassis and driveline of the MT-09, and giving it wind protection and a larger TFT display that make touring a much more enjoyable experience.
It Is Reasonably Priced For What You Get
The Tracer 9 is priced at $12,599, which is somewhere between the value-driven and premium middleweight touring motorcycles. Yamaha sells a few different variants globally, but the US market gets the base version with standard luggage. That means it doesn’t get high-tech features like radar-based adaptive cruise control, but as is, it still manages to deliver good value.
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CP3 Engine Remains Fun And Reliable Even Now
The MT-09 was announced to the world in 2013, and it exposed the world to the fantastic CP3 crossplane inline engine. It is now 13 years later, and we still marvel at how this engine still has what it takes to put a big grin on your face. In the Tracer 9, it generates 117 horsepower at 10,000 RPM and 68.6 pound-feet at 7,000 RPM. Its three cylinders displace 890cc and have a compression ratio of 11.5:1. A six-speed manual transmission and chain drive complete the driveline. Finally, the five-gallon tank, coupled with the claimed efficiency of 48 MPG, should easily net you over 200 miles to a single tank.
A Proven Powerplant Over The Years
The CP3 engine, as good as it is, has another side: it’s incredibly dependable and easy to maintain. Thanks to its relatively low compression ratio and the fact that it has been in production so long, the engine has earned a reputation for durability over the years. It just works, and all it typically needs is routine services and fresh fluids. Apart from that, the CP3 engine doesn’t have any major hiccups or risk of grenading itself when you’re out on your cross-country trip.
It’s not uncommon to find high-mileage examples of the Tracker 9 online, either. Many owners report over 50k miles, and some have reported nearly 100k miles from their motorcycles. We even found one owner who claims to have ridden the bike for 250k miles, which isn’t a small feat for a motorcycle. In fact, the only reason why you might find many unsold Tracers at the dealership is probably that it’s a bit of an oddball in the manufacturer’s lineup, not anything to do with its reliability.
Fun Chassis Complements The Engine Perfectly
Yamaha has retained the twin-spar chassis from the MT-09 but has given it different, long-travel suspension for better touring capability in the Tracer 9. It isn’t a complicated setup, but it promises to work really well for the purpose. It uses the engine as a stressed member and has a stronger subframe to deal with the stresses of carrying a pillion and luggage. Thanks to its MT-09 connection, it also promises to offer a sporty edge to this touring motorcycle, so you can still enjoy the twisties on your way to another state.
Conventional Suspension And Brakes Work Incredibly Well
Since the Tracer 9 is a middleweight, there is nothing fancy or electronic about the suspension. Simple 41mm inverted forks and a rear monoshock do the job. KYB provides the suspension, and it is adjustable for preload and rebound damping at both ends. Travel stands at 5.1 inches at the front and 5.2 inches at the rear. The brakes are 298 mm twin discs at the front, with four-piston fixed radial calipers, and a 267 mm rear disc with a single piston caliper. 17-inch alloy wheels shod with radial tires display its sporty intent.
Compact Dimensions For Its Purpose Make It Fun
The Tracer 9 is quite compact for its size, being 85.6 inches long and 35.4 inches wide with a wheelbase of just over 59 inches. It is quite tall, though. The seat height is 33.3 inches, with a ground clearance of 5.3 inches. Similarly, the 483-pound wet curb weight is slightly on the higher side, but it is understandable, given the twin-spar chassis and inline three-cylinder engine. Combined, the frame and the bike’s compact dimensions promise to make it quite a versatile and fun touring bike. It could be a terrific pick for your one-bike garage, too.
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Feature-Loaded Single Variant For The US Market
The Tracer 9 has a few different variants globally, but it gets a single variant for the US market. You get quite a lot of features in that variant, beginning with a large seven-inch TFT display. It has Bluetooth and navigation as standard features. The strange-looking ‘matrix’ headlamp has cornering functions, the windshield height is manually adjustable, there is a storage space for your phone with a USB charging port, and the indicators are self-canceling with a lane change function built in.
Complete Electronics Package Adds Safety And Fun In Equal Measure
There is a six-axis IMU and by-wire throttle in the Tracer 9, so you get everything you would get in a premium sport tourer, like ride modes, cornering traction control, cornering ABS, and cornering back-slip regulation. There is also anti-wheelie and slide control that Yamaha has very nicely left in from the naked and sport bike variants!
There are two ride modes that are user-adjustable, and each individual parameter can be adjusted as per the rider’s preference in these modes. One feature of note is that the two-way quickshifter is an optional extra here, for those looking for something more sporty. This is the current-gen one, which will shift either up or down, depending on whether the throttle is open or closed.
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Tracer 9’s Competition Is Fierce
The Tracer’s segment has some pretty good options. We’ve already mentioned the Triumph Tiger 900 GT. This has a very similar engine to the Yamaha, and it has also since got its own odd firing order. However, the real competition is in the brands in the title. Honda has the NT1100 DCT sport tourer. At $11,999, you get a full-size sport tourer with a six-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox and a TFT touchscreen display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Saddlebags are a miss here, though.
Then, the $12,695 BMW F 900 XR seems tempting. It is smaller and lighter than the Honda, but has more power. The lighter weight should also hold it in good stead when compared to the Yamaha. BMW has thrown in equipment like heated grips and adjustable brake and clutch levers at the base price. The options list is also deeply impressive. It includes items like electronic suspension, keyless ignition, cruise control, a center stand, and a titanium exhaust muffler.
Source: Yamaha Motorsports