control and I’d just nodded off during the
technical briefi ng and missed it.
At the fi rst sign of a corner starting to
open up, you can confi dently snap this thing
against the stop and revel in the way it picks
up speed. Obviously, 52hp is never going to
pull your arms off or get unduly hectic but the
Tracer only weighs 196 kilos wet, including 17
litres of fuel, and the performance is certainly
entertaining enough if you work the slick
gearbox suffi ciently. Above all else, the thing
that makes this bike such a blast to ride is its
fantastic handling. What weight there is feels
like it’s centred down around the level of the
axles, making the bike very well balanced.
The wide-ish ’bars help provide great control
and feel. The steering is light and the turn-in
fast, yet not intimidating or scary, and the
bike rolls to the edge of the tyre, accompanied
by some entertaining sparks from the hero-
blobs in a confi dence-inspiring way. Once in a
bend, the bike feels super-planted and in factWHAT ELSE IS ON
OFFER FOR YOUR LAMS
DOLLAR?
Well, perhaps not as much as you might
think. Honda comes close with the
CB500X but the reality is it’s not in the
same ballpark as the Tracer in terms of
performance or touring ability. It’s only
471cc for a start and is much more an
urban tourer than a sport tourer. The
BMW G 650 GS is also a tempting off er but
we’re hardly comparing apples with apples
at this point. The Beemer is defi nitely from
the GS mould and, even though its single-
cylinder engine makes similar numbers
to the Yamaha’s, this is much more a dual-
purpose machine than a long-distance one,
especially with its limiting 14 litres of fuel
on board. So what does that leave us?
Kawasaki Versys 650L: Not dissimilar in
appearance to the Tracer, the Kawasaki also
uses a parallel-twin motor. All the important
numbers are almost identical though the
Versys is signifi cantly heavier when fully
fuelled, mainly by virtue of the fact it
carries a very useful 21 litres of the stuff. It’s
renowned as a capable all-rounder and hard
panniers are available as an accessory.
Suzuki V-Strom 650: Perhaps starting to
look a li le dated these days, the V-Strom
is still a very capable machine. Suspension
has more adjustability and the twin-spar
frame suggests a sporty approach to
handling. It carries 20 litres of fuel and
Suzuki’s 90-degree, V-twin has always
been a lovely motor in any capacity. The
fact that it has a 19in front wheel gives
it a more dual-purpose feel as does the
available sump guard, although luggage
accessories don’t include panniers, just a
top-box and tank-bag. $11,790ra.AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 53ARR139_048-056_YamahaTracer.indd 53ARR139_048-056_YamahaTracer.indd 53 6/16/2017 9:47:13 AM6/16/2017 9:47:13 AM