According to Yamaha, the Tracer 7 is a middleweight sports tourer that blends sporty performance with everyday versatility. Yeah, well, sorry Yamaha marketing people, but I almost slipped into a boredom-induced coma reading that spiel, and it sells the Tracer 7 short — massively short. The Tracer 7 is indeed versatile, and yes, it is sporty, but it’s just as happy being loaded up and heading off for the weekend or fighting tin-top zombies on the city commute. Point it at a set of twisty corners and you realise just how underdone the marketing blurb is, because the Tracer can really bang. This is a true all-rounder in the truest sense of the word, with enough swagger to take it from beige to fun-ville.
As soon as you throw a leg over the Tracer 7’s 835 mm seat, what stands out is how light, compact and completely unintimidating it feels. It’s a reminder of why a mid-capacity sports tourer makes so much sense, especially when you compare it to some of the big, heavy behemoths in this space.
Ergonomically, it’s a comfortable place to be. The seating position is upright and comfy, the reach to the bars is relaxed, and there’s enough wind protection from the adjustable screen to take the edge off. The screen itself is adjusted via a lever above the TFT dash and can be moved one-handed on the fly. It’s a simple, practical setup, even if the action feels a bit agricultural. Pillion accommodation looks decent too, with a comfortable-looking perch and large grab rails.
Fuel capacity is 18 litres, which gives it enough range for a proper weekend ride without constantly thinking about the next fuel stop. There are some nice practical touches as well, like hand guards that help when the temperature drops and a USB-C outlet.
The Tracer 7 also comes to the party with a reasonable amount of tech — the sort of stuff you wouldn’t have expected to find on a mid-capacity bike not that long ago. There’s ride-by-wire throttle, cruise control, riding modes and traction control, with all the settings accessed through a clear, easy-to-read TFT dash that’s straightforward to navigate. It offers four different display themes and just about every piece of information you could want. There’s also smartphone connectivity, so you can play your music and receive notifications, along with a navigation function.
The Tracer 7 is powered by Yamaha’s familiar 689cc CP2 parallel twin, shared with the MT-07, R7 and Ténéré 700. It produces a claimed 72.4 horsepower (54 kW) and 68 Nm of torque, with a solid low- and midrange punch and a bit of personality for a parallel twin. Turn the traction control off and it’ll happily lift the front wheel in second gear. Unless you’re constantly carrying passengers and luggage and doing big miles, there’s more than enough power here. It’s unintimidating in the way it delivers that performance, and you can use everything it’s got — unlike a big-capacity, mega-horsepower bike, where all that power often just translates to increased tyre wear and a higher chance of losing your licence.
The chassis is light and flickable, thanks in no small part to the narrow CP2 donk shoehorned into its diamond-style frame. The suspension isn’t high-end, but it’s well suited to this type of bike, with preload and rebound damping adjustment at the rear and rebound damping adjustment in the forks.
It’s forgiving. You don’t have to be precise, and it encourages you to get involved as a rider. It’s engaging and offers that familiar “wring its neck and get away with it” feeling you get when you jump on a smaller, less intimidating rig.
Braking is handled by a twin set of radial-mount calipers up front and a single-piston caliper at the rear. Performance is good without being amazing, but it could be lifted another notch if you ditched the rubber brake lines and fitted a set of stainless braided lines. Even so, there’s a good feel at the lever and more than enough power for the type of bike and its intended use.
The Tracer 7 really is Mr Versatility. It’s comfortable enough for the long haul, nimble enough to carve your way through city traffic with ease, and the real surprise is just how well it bangs through the corners — it never fails to put a grin on your face.
It’s old-school motorcycling with an appropriate smattering of tech at a very reasonable price. And most importantly, it’s just fun to ride, and that’s what riding is all about.
Enquire today at your local Ultimate Motorbikes Yamaha Dealer