The MT-09 Tracer is a hugely popular bike, and has been a big success for Yamaha in 2015.
It’s a bike that handles with great composure, but as RiDE Magazine’s 6ft 5in, 16 stone test rider recently discovered, that doesn’t always apply if you’re a bit bigger than the average rider.
There was no problem until speeds hit around 80mph, then you’d start to feel small oscillations through the handlebars. Nothing ever came of it, but it was a little disconcerting at the best of times, being set off by something as simple as clipping a cat’s eye or encountering a strong crosswind.
As well as fiddling with the front and rear suspension, he also changed his tyres on more than one occasion. Some bikes can just be very tyre sensitive, and as a tyre wears, that can make it even more so.
After trying three different sets of tyres, this is what RiDE Magazine’s man had to say:
“Dunlop D222s were OK until they started squaring off – which was when I started noticing the wobble. Pirelli Angel GTs were noticeably better, but still got the shakes at the end of their life. The current Michelin Pilot Road 4s, benefiting from the set-up already done, are the most stable so far…. but we’ll see what happens as they wear further.”
Curing this problem was not a quick process, as RiDE explain. They would adjust one thing at a time, to ensure they could get used to it, and be sure about the effects it had on the handling of the bike. However, it was worth all that time and effort, as the Tracer is now reassuringly stable at all speeds.
Find out more about the Michelin Pilot Road 4 here.
