I BUY A NEW BIKE

Winning (and then selling) the bike in the Snowy Ride’s 2019 raffle (see separate story on that) gave me the opportunity to down-size from my Yamaha XJR1300. But it wasn’t an instant decision to do it: I mulled it over for a couple of days before finally deciding to do it. The thing is, the XJR has been such a fabulous bike in terms of reliability, and suitability to my riding, that it seemed a shame to get rid of it. But the weight really had become an issue. So the decision was made; I would down-size.

But what would I get? The obvious answer was the Yamaha MT-07 Tracer. When I tested one back in January I did so partly out of interest as to what I would buy to downsize from the XJR; if I ever had the money to do it. And I decided that, while there would be compromises, I could live with those for the benefit of the lighter weight. Having owned Yamaha almost exclusively (only my first bike was a different make), and having had a fabulous run out of them all (except one) I have a certain loyalty, trust and affinity with the brand. So it sort of had to be a Yamaha. 

I was attracted to the concept of the Tracer when it hit our showrooms a few years ago, but a test-ride on an MT-09 Tracer left me unimpressed with certain things. It had a hard ride, (although did have some suspension adjustment available), a hard seat, and a general feeling of everything being set up “hard”. I've ridden a few examples of the MT-09 (Naked, XSR 900 and Tracer) and while there is a lot to like, I found them all to have the same feeling of being “hard”. I've also ridden a couple of examples of the MT-07 (XSR 700 and the MT-07 Tracer), and found them to be more appealing, as an overall package. Much less power, sadly, (why do you only make those models in LAMS form, Yamaha?), but they give the impression of being set up a little more for comfort than the 09. Except for, in the case of the Tracer, the seat. I was quite scathing in my criticism of the standard seat on the Tracer when I tested it; but in other respects I liked the bike. Sure, the power was way down on the grunty V8-like power I love with the XJR, but I reckoned I could live with that for the benefits of the lighter weight.

As if to encourage me to go that way, I looked on Bikesales.com and found a couple of dealers in Sydney selling them new at greatly discounted prices. The catch was that they were 2017-plate models, but brand new in the shop, having just recently been delivered from Yamaha (who, I was told, have excess stock of them).

Of course, first I would have to sell the XJR – I wouldn’t want to be stuck with two bikes. (Well, I would, but…!). That was easy though. A friend has kind of had his eye on mine for a few years. When I announced on Facebook that I would be selling mine, I got a message from him asking me to contact him; and also a message from his wife asking me to talk to him first as he was very keen to buy it. So I contacted him, confirmed that he was indeed keen to buy it, and a price was quickly agreed on. So that was one part of the process ticked off!

I then went to look at one of the 07 Tracers I saw online – and had subsequently phoned up about. The dealer was On Two Wheels in south-western Sydney.

I liked it! I liked it a lot! I knew what it was like, of course, having ridden one back in January, but it had been a while since I’d seen one – especially in my preferred colour of blue. I really like the colour! I sat on it, and it felt good. The seat didn't feel as hard as I reported on in my test, but I guessed it would be when I rode it. Although the seat on the naked version felt harder. (It was also a different shape).

Speaking of the naked MT-07, I did look at it too. Briefly. It comes in a full-power version of the engine, of course, which would be a big plus. But I didn't like it. It seemed smaller, and sitting on it all you see in front of you is the little instrument pod. The front of the bike looks very modern – a bit too “space-age modern” for this old bloke’s tastes.

The Tracer though, I reckon looks good, especially with the FJR-inspired styling around the headlights.

So the decision was made – I would buy it!

We (the ever-helpful sales lady and I) then turned our attention to the options list; and it got over $2,500 worth of optional extras added into the deal.

An Akropovic exhaust (full system) to release a few more ponies and make it sound like a motorbike and not a “sewing machine” (as I commented in my test); a K&N air filter to improve the inwards side of the breathing; Yamaha's optional “Comfort seat”; a Givi rack for my top-box; and a Radguard radiator cover. (That's a big radiator sitting out front ready to collect rocks and damage!). Oh, and a set of foam grips.

I must say that it felt good to be buying a brand-new bike (the last time I bought a brand new bike was 1979!), and to stand there ticking items on the options list – “I’ll have that, and definitely have that, and…” And at the end of it all it was still well under the normal retail price of the standard bike!

A couple of days later, my friend picked up the XJR. After 11 years of wonderfully faithful service, it was sold. Here it is on the day he picked it up.

I'm going to miss it! I love the look of the bike, the comfort, the quality of manufacture, and the incredible reliability and longevity. And I love the power – especially the low-down V8-like grunt from that big old engine. But in recent times, over the past year or so especially, I've been feeling the weight more. It was time to down-size. But I will miss it! In the meantime I'm glad that my two-wheeled friend has gone to a good home, to someone who will like it just as I did.

On 22nd November, 2019, I picked up my new bike from On Two Wheels, at Gregory Hills, a suburb south-west of Sydney. I’d been looking forward to getting my new bike, but not particularly to riding it home in the predicted high temperature. But at least the smoke from bushfires that had been ravaging eastern NSW was forecast to clear by the afternoon. As it turned out, the high temperature didn't really happen and had been replaced by cooler temps, and heavy clouds.

The bike looked a bit different to the last time I’d seen it, with all the extras added. Looked good! Payment was made, and all the other details done, then it was ready to go.

By this time though, the sky had got darker and the clouds looked threatening. I checked the weather on my phone and the first thing I saw was a warning there was lightening very close by! Terrific! And the radar showed rain approaching. I hadn’t bothered bringing my top-box to put on, so all my wet-weather gear was at home. I prepared myself to get wet!

I chose a different, less direct route for the trip home – partly to avoid a very busy city road, but also to avoid the highway where the bike would be sitting on a constant speed. The alternate route was more varied, with hills and some open roads etc, that would be better for running-in a brand new engine.

So, what was it like? Well, the thing I thought might be a bit disappointing was quite good: but the thing I expected to be quite good wasn't.

The doubt I had was with performance, with it having only about half the power of the XJR. Sure, I was always going to miss that V8-like grunt, but I could sacrifice some of that performance for the lighter weight. But one LAMS MT-07 I’d ridden (the XSR) had felt a bit lethargic, while the other (the Tracer) had been pretty good. So how was this one going to be? That had been my concern. Well, I'd only gone 100 metres or so and I could feel that the performance was going to be okay. It’s very different to the XJR, of course, and requires use of the gearbox to keep it happy, but it felt pretty good; even though I was only riding it gently. 

I expected the comfort would be okay. Both of those MT-07s I’d ridden had impressed me with their ride. The seat on the Tracer was awful (although when I sat on this one in the shop it didn't seem as bad as the one I'd ridden), but I had optioned the “comfort seat”, so that should have fixed the seat problem. So, as I said, I expected the comfort would be okay, but it wasn’t! The ride was much harder than those demos I'd ridden; and the “comfort seat” wasn't comfort!

There was still a lot I was liking about the bike though. The light weight, and the fairing in front, and so on.

I didn’t get any thunderstorms, thankfully. It sprinkled rain from time to time on the way home, and it arrived home covered in dirty brown rain spots; as was my riding gear. (It was a trip of almost 80km to home). 

At home I checked it over. The suspension is not adjustable other than preload on the rear. It was towards the softer end of its setting anyway, but I adjusted it all the way to the softest setting. I also checked the tyre pressures. I had suspected pressures might not be right on the ride home, as the steering wasn’t as smooth and easy as the demo I’d ridden: it felt heavier and more “stiff” than I recalled the test-bike being. I found both tyres were about 10psi under-inflated. (Pretty poor pre-delivery there!). I pumped the tyres up to the correct pressures and went for a short ride. Yep, that was better.

The next day was spent running around and washing the bike (and my riding gear), and general fiddling – such as putting the top-box on. I went to the RMS and collected my personalised number-plates, which I had put in storage. That was a bit rude – they charge you an annual fee of $59 to hold rego plates, but they don’t refund any part of that if you pick them up early. I had them there for just a few days! Anyway, I came home and put those on.

Over the next few days, when heat and bushfire smoke allowed, I tried to sort out the comfort. I tried the standard seat, then went back to the “Comfort” one: I didn’t like either of them! I put the standard seat on with the AirHawk pad. That had to go on the standard seat because the “Comfort Seat” is higher than the standard one, and putting anything on top of that would make it too high.

On the positive side, the light weight is a definite benefit, especially when wheeling it around the garage, but on the road as well. I notice it especially when doing U-turns etc, but it's lighter to ride and steer through corners too. And the performance, riding gently with an engine beginning on zero km, is pretty good, especially for a LAMS restricted bike, and shows good promise of being entirely satisfactory. Now, if I can just get the comfort issue sorted! I guess I can always have a custom seat made if it remains too much of a problem.

I’ve had a few messages from the friend who bought my XJR. He loves it! He lives about 80km away, and he sent me a message when he got home from buying it saying that the bike “rides like a Rolls Royce, just glides through the corners, and hills don’t exist any more!” I should say that his normal ride is either a Vespa or a Honda CB400; although he’s had plenty of experience on bigger bikes. He’s had his wife on the back (that would be the first time it has ever had a pillion!), and said the bike didn’t even notice the extra weight. I get these messages and think, “What have I done?! I should’ve kept it!” I have to remind myself that yes, the weight was a problem, remember! As I said to him though, it is great to hear he is so happy with it: especially when selling something to a friend it’s good to know they are happy with it! 

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