The Yamaha MT-09 Tracer GT+ comes into its own on the open road

In December 2023, on a ride back from Sabie to Johannesburg, we stopped off in Dullstroom, Mpumalanga, where a friend introduced me to the Udderlicious milkshake bar. Having a sweet tooth, I promised to return to sample more of their milkshakes but, as with most things, life happens and I haven’t been able to visit since.

Chatting to the people at Yamaha about a review motorcycle, the suggestion was the MT 09 Tracer GT+ to which I jumped, first because I had never ridden a Yamaha. Second, seeing the MT-09, I thought hyper naked streetfighter. When I arrived to collect the motorcycle, I was surprised to be pointed to a sports tourer (what happens when you don’t read properly) with a combination of blue wheels, “liquid metal bodywork" and black surfaces.

The Tracer GT+ comes with a partial fairing and a windscreen that can be easily shifted up or down, even on the move. From the front, the waspish LED lights give it a subtle aggressiveness. The back of the motorcycle has a narrowness that is deceptive for a tourer. It also comes standard with heated grips and cornering lights.

Heading home from the dealership, I immediately thought ... finally, a reason for a Sunday run to Dullstroom for a milkshake.

The Tracer GT+ has a 7-inch full colour TFT with all the information you need when riding. There are three screen layouts with different styles, depending on preference and riding mode, of which there are four, namely Street, Rain, Sport and Custom. The different settings for each ride mode are primarily related to traction control, slide control, lift mode and suspension. Fortunately there was no rain so I mainly switched between Sport, when in traffic, and Street, when on the open road.

To navigate the TFT, there is a small joystick on the left handlebar easily reached with the thumb while riding. I did struggle between that and the indicator knob (which is next to the joystick and closer to your hand) for the first few kilometres, often flicking the joystick when I wanted to indicate.

Before hitting the road, I downloaded the Yamaha MyRide App (for access to notifications, music, and so on) and easily connected my smartphone to the TFT. It prompted me to download the Garmin Motorize app for full navigation but I was too lazy to go through the registration process, considering I only had the motorcycle for a few days I need to connect to a helmet head unit, which I don’t have.

The Tracer GT+ has an 890cc, liquid-cooled, four-stroke, four-valves, three-cylinder DOHC engine with maximum power of 97.5 KW at 10,000 RPM and maximum torque of 93 Nm at 7,000 RPM. The front suspension is a telescopic fork, the rear a swingarm while the front brake is dual disc and the rear single disc. It has a 19l- fuel capacity and really comes into its own on the open road.

Cruise control on a motorcycle usually makes me nervous but with the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) which “controls cruising speed, deceleration and acceleration" depending on the speed of the vehicle in front of you, I rode with it on for the about 260km to Dullstroom. In addition, the Tracer GT+ has Yamaha’s Unified Brake System with a radar linked system that takes into consideration the distance from vehicles in front of you and assists you when braking. To be honest, I wasn’t aware of these features when I hit the road and had an aha moment after the ride, when I read up on the motorcycle.

On my way there, it took me just more than three hours having randomly detoured into Middelburg off the N4 to try the bike out on the more uneven country roads, past industrial plants and farmland. The crosswinds both going and coming back were intense but at no time did I feel uncomfortable, even when riding with the motorcycle slightly leant to the left or right, depending on the direction the wind was coming from. I had to be focused on the curves, particularly leaning away from the wind, but the Tracer GT+ was solid throughout, enabling me to enjoy the landscape beyond the road in front of me.

When I first got on the GT+, the seat felt a bit hard but, after more than five hours, I can attest to the accuracy of Yamaha’s statement that “a revised shape and foam density gives better support for long riding days". Because I don’t ride long distances as often as I’d like, lower back and butt pain usually kicks in an hour or two into a ride. I only started feeling the strain of time in the saddle in the last few kilometres before I got home.

And the milkshake? It was totally worth it and the perfect excuse to spend hours with the Yamaha MT-09 Tracer GT+. As they say, it is about the journey not the destination.