Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ unveiled with tons of tech including radar guided cruise control

Yamaha’s new Tracer 9 GT+ is the first of their models to be equipped with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and is just one of several upgrades that make this a tech heavy competitor.

The ACC system keeps a rider one of four set distances from the vehicle in front, constantly maintaining the following distance using a radar unit located in the nose of the GT+.

The system also integrates a cornering assist feature which will limit acceleration if sensors detect the bike is going around a bend and limit speed increases if it senses a vehicle ahead.

The trickery continues as it also allows riders to accelerate past slower vehicles while ACC is enabled if the indicator is turned on – a smart feature that should eliminate the jerky overrides of comparable systems when overtaking on motorways.

ACC can be modified or switched on or off while in motion and will limit rider inputs during longer hauls.

The GT+’s brake and suspension systems are also full to the brim with self-adjusting, interlinked safety tech that are constantly scanning the road and using the motorcycles data to improve the ride and reduce the chance of an accident.

The linked braking system is the first of its kind on a Yamaha and regulates braking when the Brake Control (BC) system is enabled.

It will brake automatically if it senses a crash could occur, will fine tune the front/rear braking forces during deacceleration and adjust braking forces while cornering to reduce the chance of a slide. The system can be switched off.

BC is linked to the bike’s electronic suspension set-up allowing it to adjust front and rear suspension damping to maintain the GT+’s stability. ABS always operates whether the BC is turned on or off.

KYB provide the dampers, which can be set in Sport or Comfort mode and are able to adapt to a variety of riding styles by constantly adjusting damping forces to suit the riding conditions and riding style.

Powered by Yamaha’s new Euro5 compliant 890cc inline three-cylinder engine, torque is transferred to the rear wheel by Yamaha’s 3rd generation quickshifter, which can be used even when ACC is engaged.

A new, colour TFT display allows access to all this technological wizardry with three available riding modes -Sport, Street and Rain.

A newly designed handlebar switch assembly features a joystick and home button to enable the rider to operate the functions, including smartphone connectivity and navigation.

Other features include a height adjustable seat, a USB port, full LED lighting including cornering lights and a new aluminium frame and swingarm, both reducing weight.

The Tracer 9 GT+ will be available at Yamaha dealers from May 2023.

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New Yamaha Tracer 9 on the radar: Fresh spy shots reveal radar guided cruise control and more conventional TFT dash

First published 22 July 2022 by Phil West

Despite receiving a full update in 2020 to meet stringent Euro5, Yamaha’s popular Tracer 9 GT looks set to undergo another refresh for 2023, with new spy shots showing a bike in the works fitted with radar cruise control and a more conventional TFT colour dash. 

Papped in early July in an undisclosed European location, the Japanese three-cylinder test mule looks almost identical to the bike already on sale – with a closer examination of the pictures revealing the subtle updates. 

Most noticeable is a new black box hanging above the front 17-in wheel, which is made more prominent by the exposed wiring positioned between the front riding lights and beneath the main headlights and air intake. 

Not seen on the current production model, it strongly suggests the adoption of the increasingly common radar-controlled cruise control – something already featuring on some BMWs, Ducatis, KTMs and Kawasakis, but no Yamaha models. 

What’s more, the rear-on shot gives a glimpse of the test bike’s instruments, which clearly now comprise a new, large, single-screen TFT display. This differs from the current bike’s gimmicky split TFT, which looks an awful lot like the old man from the film ‘Up’ and has been criticised for being hard to read. We can’t tell from the pictures if the switchgear has been updated, too. 

The otherwise unchanged, ‘finished’ state of the test bike suggests the machine is almost production-ready and likely to be officially unveiled at Eicma in November – if not earlier – before going on sale in early 2023. 

The updates come in a bid to keep the Tracer 9 GT competitive in an increasingly popular budget sports-tourer category, with even MV Agusta promising a road-focused version of their incoming Lucky Explorer 9.5 adventure bike, equipped with radar cruise. 

That said, with no rear sensor evident in these images, it’s likely the Yamaha system is a slightly more ‘wallet-friendly’ offering, in keeping with Tracer’s ‘affordable’ brand values. 

Elsewhere, the new Tracer 9 GT appears unchanged, which is no bad thing. Even the colours, in this case, the silver/black/blue option, look to have been carried over to the new bike. That said, some tweaks to the tall front screen would’ve been welcome, which has been widely criticised for buffeting and wind noise.