Yamaha Tracer 700 | 35,000 Mile Owner's Review | Part 1 | Top 5 Negatives

[@Karunadu-Rides]

Eagerly waiting for launch in India ! Thanks for the honest review, I will wait for this for sure.

[@mickvincent7357]

You are getting the hang of this KZbin presenting, great

[@SamVBikes]

Thank you!

[@RP-zm9kh]

Really good review. Thank you

[@volt8684]

Bought a honda nc750 dct. Hated it anywhere other than town. Looking for used one of these. Thanks for the insight. The xsr and mt are too small for me. I loved the NC except the dct which a lot of people have the opposite opinion. Mine was a 21 plate with ecu flash. On hairpin bends or tight bends would change mid corner. I know u can control it on paddles but not the point. Regarding dealers, when I was trying to get a test ride they were appalling. Sales staff just sat around no interest whatsoever. At the NEC show there was a big push there at recruitment on the sector. When I had a service issue on my honda, shrewsbury honda were fantastic. Speak as u find. Also Newtown mcycle are fab too. One thing that puts me off these and the triple 900 is the plugs

[@SamVBikes]

Ahh thats a shame to hear! I know a lot of people used to complain that the Africa Twin DCT did the same thing, but sounds like they updated the AT but not the NC!! It still baffles me how different dealers can be. Some are great and will do anything to help, others just act like you are a nuisance to them! Thank you for watching

[@jimlane6884]

Given you've got an after market screen and MRA Vario(?) on top, I'm surprised you didn't mention the stock screen as your first negative. I've recently installed a Givi + MRA on my Tracer and the best defense I get from wind is by having to look through the top screen.

[@SamVBikes]

I didn't find the stock screen awful, but thats a good point! This one is the PUIG screen with matching additional screen which is pretty good at giving me some wind protection but not amazing. I think the MRA one is meant to be better!

[@MrWibbleman]

@@SamVBikes out of interest how tall are you? I have the new tracer 7 and the screen is very noisy (i am 186CM tall). Will be looking for a taller screen, right now I just leave the screen down to the lowest position.

[@SamVBikes]

Unfortunately I'm only around 5ft9-10 so around the 176cm mark? I find all the stock screens a little rubbish if I'm honest. Definitely worth finding an aftermarket one if you can+

[@chrisroberts1129]

Great review and clear vocals. What helmet have you got? The wind noise on my LS2 avant is pretty loud, even with ear plugs.

[@SamVBikes]

This helmet was a Shoei RYD which was nice and quiet. My partner has recently bought herself a GT Air 2 and that thing is incredibly quiet

[@chrisroberts1129]

@@SamVBikes Thanks for the info, ill try one out .

[@shaungrenfell189]

Nice balanced review.

[@SamVBikes]

Thanks Shaun!

[@nishnish9152]

I missed the sound of the exhaust in the background its actually very nice to hear while you’re speaking

[@SamVBikes]

I agree, its nice to hear it! It's odd that the microphone sometimes picks it up well, and other times you can't hear it at all

[@JC30indigo]

Nice video, Thanks for sharing. I don't know if it's a sure thing?. But about the bearings? I found that ud you wash the bike with a high pressure washer, it can press water inside the cover lipp og the bearings, causing an quicker wear?

[@SamVBikes]

Thank you! Yes thats definitely a thing! I try to avoid washing the bike with a pressure washer at all, but if I do, keep it away from any areas that have grease, or bearings! Thanks for watching

[@d207miho]

Hey Sam nice video pal. I have done most of those mods on mine as well and also got mine for just 5.5k with only 900miles on the clock what a bargain.. N1- I totally agree on brakes they do lack initial bite but they have good stopping power when you grab a handfull. Do you have a link for those Brembo discs as my rear one has reached the wear limit width. Also last week my ABS module seemed to make a strange noise when appling the rear brake , good a friend of mine with a MT07 he gave me a spare part ABS module. A[[arently it is a common issue on some MT07s N2- Front dives a lot changing the forks and oil is a must for anyone. the rest is subjective really. (Need to check my bearings as i reached 30k the other day..)

[@SamVBikes]

Hey! So much bike for the money isn't it! N1 - I'll see if I can dig out the link for the brakes. I got them on a discount at the time so they were so good for the money! The ABS on mine makes a high pitched beeping/squeal noise when it kicks in. Apparently it's a common thing and doesn't effect the ABS performance so haven't bothered changing it! It's pretty easy to check the bearings, got a video going up in a few weeks with a few checks to do while servicing. Will be in that if you're not sure!

[@d207miho]

@@SamVBikes It is like this kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqi5fql4n9iiZ80 It wasnt making that in the past.

[@SamVBikes]

That's exactly what mine does. Got it checked by yamaha and they said its just a faulty abs module but doesn't effect the actual abs itself. It's really annoying though!

[@d207miho]

@@SamVBikes I guess it's a 30k miles feature then 😂

[@SamVBikes]

@@d207miho Haha! A special feature for the dedicated bikers that keep the bike long enough!

[@neiljarvis8911]

Nice balanced appraisal!

[@SamVBikes]

Thanks!

[@ricksilver7398]

Nice review, but what model year is the bike in review?

[@SamVBikes]

It was a 2017 model, which I think ran from 2016 up to 2020

[@sett2899]

hey sam! wondering where I can get those mirrors for my tracer aswell :D Btw, Your review convinced me to buy me one.. :) second hand 2017 20k KM on it.

[@SamVBikes]

Hey! Glad you enjoyed it! The bike is awesome, you will love it! The mirrors were a cheap eBay special haha. I think they were from Ali Express but you can find them on places like wish.com. Type in Motorcycle CNC Mirrors into Google and you should see them. These one's have "innovative Components" written on them. I'll put a link in the description to this video for ones that look exactly the same! Hope that helps! and Thank you for watching!

[@sett2899]

@@SamVBikes Thanks a lot man I love it!!! If you can help me track some down they really do change the appearance of the bike so Im trying to find some that are atleast similar

[@SamVBikes]

@@sett2899 Awesome machine! I've just put the link to the Wish ones in the description to this video - Copy that and it should take you to the page! Let me know if it doesnt work

[@sett2899]

@@SamVBikes Theyre perfect man, Thanks a lot!!!!!

[@edmundradziewicz5165]

Why not a center stand ?

[@CompletelyBaked]

Man I wish I knew more about bikes

[@SamVBikes]

Keep watching and you'll get there

[@africanviolet4773]

Wonderful video - thanks. Just wondering, looks like this bike isn’t owned and liked by a lot compared to similar models. There seem to be very few reviews out there compared to even the NC750X. Do you think it’s an unpopular bike? If so, why can that be? On paper it looks like the unicorn bike most people are looking for, I really can’t understand why there isn’t any hype for it

[@SamVBikes]

Thank you! I used to think that too... seems like no many people go for it but they are very common in London. I think most people go for the normal MT07 instead of the Tracer. You're right.. its perfect on paper compared to its competitors. More power, less weight, better seat height, bigger tank and range, and less money!

[@JordanBurtonYT]

Hi Sam, getting on well with the tracer. I'm looking for the upgrade kit you got for the front forks. I get a slight knock feeling when compressing and releasing the forks with the front brakes on. Hardly noticeable but there. I assume it's inside the forks as no play in any of the bearings ect. Cheers!

[@SamVBikes]

The front springs I got were the hyperpro ones, I think I linked them before in one of my upgrades vids! 35k miles ones. Could be the forks bottoming out in heavy breaking, which still happens with upgrade parts when I hit a big pot hole or emergency brake but it definitely helps! Glad you're getting on well with it!

[@JordanBurtonYT]

It's not so much while moving. Only when testing on a standstill. I imagine it's not much to worry about as it's fine while riding. But the stock suspension isn't great at all. Thanks again!

[@SamVBikes]

Odd one... is it cables hitting the fairing? I had a similar thing years ago that I thought was a knocking but it was the clutch cable and other cables knocking on the inside of the fairing, in front of the tank! Haha. It bugged me for weeks!

[@JordanBurtonYT]

It definitely could be! I'm going to look into it a little more at the weekend. Hopefully it's something simple! Bikes only on 5k so I'm hoping it's nothing serious🤣

[@SamVBikes]

I highly doubt its anything serious. They all seem to make noises, it's just the ones you notice and then over think haha! Worst case scenario, it will be picked up at your 6k service if you can't see anything!

[@cd-tuber]

Hi, Another major negative point is the ground clearance, 140 millimeter 5,51 inches is not enough for a tourer bike.

[@Tonyx.yt.]

touring on the road didnt require much ground clearance anyways

[@cd-tuber]

I agree with you, but in the roads off europe, in other countries like mine there are obstacles witches exceed 140mm on the roads, even on the highway.

[@MauriceTarantulas]

Ahh am taking my test in Farnborough I think! Someone recommended that Shop. Also do you know Woking Yamaha? Am def going to Hatfields at some point. My Garage is in Horley, got my first service soon. Interestingly I mentioned a tradein on my Zontes G1 n got no real response. Yet. There's 350 GK coming out. P.s yeah I know Chinese bikes etc but my G1 been doing 300 miles on one tank n 600 miles not a squeak.... This vid got me thinking though re one thing my insurance would be prob a lot if was to get a tracer 7 so maybe a Himalayan/Interceptor might be a cheaper option.

[@SamVBikes]

Its a great shop! Lovely guys in there when I bought my tracer from them. Its worth doing insurance quotes on all bikes you're considering. It really surprised me how cheap some bikes are compared to others even if they are more powerful!

[@MauriceTarantulas]

@@SamVBikes Yeah if for example they want £1000 then I might be better off on a Himi for a few years...am not fussed really as long as I can get from A to B. (As it stands until can get my insurance down maybe).

[@TheFullBlazer]

hi there, im currently loking for my first big motorcycle and the tracer 7gt is high up the list. im just worried the bike might be small for my 190cm height. How tall are you and would you say i would fit on the bike?

[@SamVBikes]

Hi! I think you will be okay but you will need a tall screen. I am around 179cm but many people over 190cm have them too! Worth riding one before you buy!

[@TheFullBlazer]

@@SamVBikes im planning on. Debating btween the 7 gt or a versys 650. 650 is a bit teller, but the 7gt is way more playfull i think. Will be test driving both on the same day

[@SamVBikes]

Thats a good idea! Both are brilliant bikes and ideal for a first big bike!

[@exxon6005]

I wondered why I recognised that place, I work in Hertford

[@SamVBikes]

Haha! You'll recognise a lot of my videos then!

[@ddxmt07]

Please tell me which mirrors do you use🙏 Have the MT07 and would like to put handguards on, but need new mirrors. The Highsider don't fit anymore. Thx💪

[@SamVBikes]

Haha you're not the first to ask. They are cheap eBay specials believe it or not! Although I don't think they do them anymore from the website I bought them! If you Google "Motocycle CNC Mirrors", there are versions on Wish and a few other places. Around £25. I think I have a link in the description to the same ones on Wish

[@ddxmt07]

@@SamVBikes awesome thanks😁👌🏻

[@darrenfermer3593]

The motorbike shop,top guys,know Dean the owner quite well, 👍

[@SamVBikes]

Yeah they are a brilliant bunch round there!

[@garrychallinor2849]

Ive only watched 4.3 mins so far and I can already tell you are a new rider, riding 1 handed all the time is a complete no no, after a few crashes you will learn or may be its because I spent my youth full gas riding 2 strokes waiting for her to blow again lol OK I will watch the rest of your vid now

[@SamVBikes]

Haha riding full gas on 2 strokes would cause a lot of concern, I'm not surprised! I spent my youth riding motocross bikes and trials bikes so I'd like to think my control is better than most newer riders! Having said that, the majority of my riding is both hands, but think the edit probably makes it look worse than it is!

[@volt8684]

Don’t tell you are IAM. People ride how they ride. Wasn’t going fast and was presenting

[@markgr1nyer]

I'm getting a newer model tracer7 in a few weeks. What top box do you have? I could do with one and don't want to pay £400 for a top box and USB charger from yamaha

[@SamVBikes]

Congratulations! I'd 100% recommend Givi. Mine is the Givi Trekker Dolomiti 46 litre and its been great! They do a few versions of the Trekker (like the outback) which are all great looking boxes and you should be able to pick them up for under £250 plus rack! Not only that, if and when you change your bike, all you need is a Givi rack and you can swap between bikes

[@markgr1nyer]

@@SamVBikes thanks sam. Im coming from having a zero dsr (brilliant bike but poops itself when it rains, not great in the UK). Had the tracer 7 as a courtesy bike and managed to talk them into doing a swap. The tracer is one of the most "at home" bikes I've ever ridden

[@SamVBikes]

Great bits of kit those Zeros but I can imagine! Agreed, it's such a comfortable place to be and does everything you need! I did knocking on 40k miles on mine and it never missed a bit!

[@markgr1nyer]

@@SamVBikes well worth a test ride if you get a chance. Only downside i have had is they didnt waterproof the 12v circuits (they did the high voltage). They do waterproof it all on the sr/f and sr/s

[@SamVBikes]

I've ridden the Sr/f and that was a great experience! Commute into London so definitely tempted for that if nothing else! A guy who parks in the same car park as me has a dsr I think and says its the most fun he has had on a commute!

[@ioel9415]

Has anyone tested the both the 2018 and the new 2020+ model? I'm looking for a tracer but I don't really know if the price difference is actually worth, and there are no real comparisons between the two, any opinions?

[@SamVBikes]

I havent ridden the new version but I know they upgraded the brakes and the suspension which are the two things I thought were lacking on my 2017 model, and ended up upgrading. You won't be disappointed with the 2018 one, and could in theory spend £1000 to completely upgrade the front/rear suspension and also upgrade brakes, and still be better off!

[@ioel9415]

@@SamVBikes Great! And by Amy chance, do you know if they updated the ergos? I tested the 2022 model today and the Seller said that the body position is the same, but some motovloggers say the oposite, any comments on that?

[@SamVBikes]

I dont think so if I'm honest. Sitting on it, it seemed very similar to mine. The screen looked a little worse for wind protection but we replace those anyway! Worth noting the new one has LED lights as standard too, which is something else I upgraded, but less necessary

[@ioel9415]

@@SamVBikes Okay then, I'll give It a chance thanks to you hahaha, greetings from Barcelona!

[@SamVBikes]

Thanks for watching! Safe riding

[@davesmitte]

Anyone rode a tracer 900 & 700, and is there a massive difference between the acceleration & speed of the bikes. Im debating between the two, and the price of 700 is swinging my favour a bit @ around £4000, where as 900 is £5500+ Dunno if a 700 will be enough of a bike for me :(

[@SamVBikes]

The 700 is plenty for roads, can easily sit at motorway speeds with loads more to give. Have had mine over 120mph on private roads obviously! Acceleration only starts slowing down over 90/100. The 900 has quite a bit more power, but as you said, is normally quite a bit more money. If you're going to doing more motorways, and you have experience on a bike, I'd say go for the 900. If you're relatively new to biking, or want more poke around towns/cities, go for the 700 as the parallel twin is a lot more responsive lower down the revs compared to the triple. That's the main reason I chose the 7! Hope that helps!

[@davesmitte]

@@SamVBikes got quite a lot of experience, and recently got rid of my triumph 1200, main reason because it was a bit too heavy @250kg and seriously uncomfortable to ride. I had an XSR 900 which i just sold, but found that a little small, with a weird tight turning circle, and not enough wind protection, kinda gets annoying after a while. Even the tracer 900 is 50kg less than the triumph explorer. Jeez i wish the motorbike shops would open up so i could go sit on a few bikes :(

[@davesmitte]

@@SamVBikes Any chance you could do me a favour ? measure the handle bars for width.. cause i got like 87cm width down my entry between the 2 houses. im wondering how wide the 700 is that might just swing it for me. That was another thing with the exporer, bit of a struggle to get in and out.

[@SamVBikes]

@@davesmitte If you're used to the XSR and 1200, the 900 might be more your flavour with the triple! I do have a thing for the 900 Tracer too but the one thing I didn't like was the bulky dash - it just seemed overly complicated and unnecessary plastic all over it. Just my opinion though. I think the new one is better but those are even more pricey! We are close to opening up! The suns slowly making an appearance so hopefully we can all escape soon!

[@SamVBikes]

@@davesmitte Sure! The widest part of my handlebars were 75cm (Inclusive of bar end weight), the small handguard type fairings in front of handle bar were 82cm at their widest point! I dont envy you trying to get an explorer down a narrow alleyway!

[@markbrooker2618]

Crossplane crank just like a R1 did you know?

[@SamVBikes]

That's possibly why it sounds so good! Thanks Mark! Appreciate your support

[@northernowl7087]

No it’s not it’s a 270 degree crank pins

[@3bbebob315]

@@northernowl7087 the is 700 2-cylinder Yamaha engine is named CP2 (=crossplane) and have 90degrees angle between the strokes. The R1 is the same 90 degrees between the 4-pistons moving.

[@daytrader66]

What's the screen extension you have?

[@SamVBikes]

I believe its the PUIG 6319W clip on. I've had a dig through my email order confirmations but turns out I've ordered a lot from Puig haha

[@bobthebarsteward]

A man going back to Portugal? It wasn't that other KZbinr, CagerOnTwoWheels was it? :)

[@SamVBikes]

Haha! Imagine if I found my bike on his channel! I think he got his Tracer in blue!

[@michaelsutton60]

Dude you need to put a link to part 2 in the comments.

[@SamVBikes]

Will do shortly, it should come up as suggested at the end too

[@23214br]

What about the rear hugger? it literally doesn't do shit.

[@SamVBikes]

I changed mine for the aluminium chain guard/hugger. Not too fussed as I clean my bike most weeks anyway. I agree though, the standard one isn't great

[@keinname629]

You can't have cruise control unless it's "ride-by-wire". This Tracer has the Bowden throttle cables. So: no way!

[@grantwebster8157]

Cruise control was a feature in cars and even some motorcycles countless decades before ‘fly by wire’ was even considered 🙄

[@gabymotsoloc9295]

you need to cool mate, thumb down

[@SamVBikes]

Sometimes it's a good idea to keep opinions to yourself too. Thumb down