First ride: Yamaha Tracer 700 review

THE ROADS are more curvaceous than Holly Willoughby (or Nigella Lawson, or Kelly Brook - you choose) and as I follow the swoops and hairpins of this particular piece of tarmac, I’m climbing ever upwards towards the Falzarego pass in the Dolomites. I’m due to have ridden over eight passes by the end of the day and the rhythm of ascend-descend-repeat is punctuated by my ears constantly popping because of the change in altitude. Still, if that’s my main concern after three big ascents into a day spent riding the new Yamaha Tracer 700, I reckon things could be worse.

The Tracer 700 is Yamaha’s newest sports tourer, and thanks to the fact that it shares most of its DNA with the MT-07, including engine, suspension and brakes, it’s taking good care of me. That’s hardly a revelation – at a claimed 196kg wet (14kg more than a wet MT-07), it’s light - lighter than the 216kg Kawasaki Versys 650, 220kg non-DCT Honda NC750X, 214kg Suzuki V-Strom 650 and 209kg BMW F700GS, and is as easy to get on and enjoy as the bike it’s derived from. Basing a middleweight tourer on the MT-07 tells you what Yamaha is aiming for with the Tracer 700 – a distance devouring machine that’s light, easy to ride, agile, sporty, fun and versatile. It’s as basic as the MT-07 too – lacking electronics, high-spec suspension and a colour TFT screen but none of that matters because at £6,299, that a lot of bike (and potential adventures) on offer for the money. It costs £700 less than the V-Strom 650, £350 less than the NC750X with the manual gearbox, £450 less than the Versys 650 and a whole £1,516 less than the BMW F700GS.

Along with its competitive price, I think it’s got the drop on its competitors because of how it looks; the front half fairing is clean, modern and sharp looking, and complimented by the angular hand guards. In my opinion the Tracer 700 is effortlessly better than the sensible NC750X and dull-looking V-Strom 650. Yamaha says it’s aiming the bike at younger riders looking for their first touring experience; I probably fall in to that demographic and based on looks alone, I’d only have trouble choosing between the Tracer 700 and the Kawasaki Versys 650. But the Tracer 700 isn’t all fur coat and no knickers because thanks to the differences between it and the MT-07, it’s well kitted out to take you from A to B, via the south of France, should you wish. It's got a bigger tank - 17 litres up from 14, but a lot of the points designed to help it go the distance comes down to the Tracer 700’s cosseting ergonomics and a ride position that’s upright and comfy.

When I first sit on the bike, it feels natural and well-proportioned. The wide and high bars fall nicely to hand and don’t require me to deviate or stretch of out the comfy position I’m beckoned in to by the seat. At the start of the test ride, as I’m heading up in to the midst and mist of the Dolomites, I’m think that the ride position is so neutral that I'll forget about it but of course, that’s the idea. Instead of thinking about how my wrists hurt, I’m free to concentrate on how the leverage offered by the bars and the bike's low weight help endow the Tracer with an agility that makes it easy to work through the countless tight hairpins, and how the 835mm high seat (30mm higher than the MT-07’s) is still comfy after 150 miles. The higher seat results in a bit more leg room, so if you’re of taller stature, you’ll likely find this a bit more accommodating than the MT. I don’t have a problem with either bike since I stand at a not-that-mighty 5'7”. The seat is complimented by an equally comfy ride, thanks to the Tracer 700’s suspension, which is altered over the kit on the MT-07 to make it more adept when the bike is loaded up with luggage or a pillion. The front suspension has a new spring rate and altered damping, and the rear shock has gained an additional 12mm of travel (up to 142mm). I rode an MT-07 last week (as part of our MT-07 vs Suzuki SV650 test) so the suspension feel remains fresh in my mind and the Tracer 700 shares the same characteristics, which is to say that it’s on the soft side. Although it’s comfy and provides a good connection to the road, when I provoke the suspension too much with aggressive riding, things can start to get a bit bouncy. The Tracer 700 feels and handles best when I’m being smooth and behaving myself, which is when the bike rewards with a gentle ride and compliance that lets us flow harmoniously with the twisting roads and changing cambers.

Another chassis change is the increased wheelbase – at 1,450mm, the Tracer is 50mm longer than the MT-07 thanks to a new, longer swingarm. Having ridden an MT-07 last week, the additional stability of the Tracer 700 reminds me what a compact bike the MT-07 is but the Tracer still turns deftly, quickly and easily.

One thing that’s constantly in superb form during the time I spend hauling up and carving down Italian mountainsides on the Tracer 700 is its twin-cylinder 689cc engine – the same motor that’s in the MT-07, in the same spec, so it still makes 75hp and 50.15lb/ft of torque. That’s more power than the Versys 650 and V-Strom 650 (both 68hp) and the same as the F700GS. Thanks to the amount of torque it produces, it feels like the perfect motor for tackling mountain roads when there’s a constant need to power out of bends and away from wheezing middle aged men in lycra. The torque is immediate, accessible and plentiful, and the Tracer 700’s lovely midrange punch makes it engaging and pleasurable because there’s no need to keep the engine pinned to get try and get the most out of it; it’s all the better for this. The engine simply brings a big splice of ease and fun to the kind of riding the Tracer 700 deserves to get under its belt. On previous MT-07's I've ridden, I've always experienced a slightly sharp throttle response. I didn't get that while riding the Tracer 700, even when exiting first gear hairpins. Yamaha hasn't said it's made any changes to the bike's fuelling compared to the MT-07.

Realistically , the average Tracer 700 isn't going to live on dream ribbons of tarmac, it's going to spend most of its time in town and cities, on country lanes and on our nation’s arterial roads. What I’ve just said about the engine is just as applicable in an urban setting but to get to Europe’s hallowed twisty roads, motorway mile munching becomes a near inevitability, and fortunately the engine has more than enough power for slogging it down autobahns, -stradas and -routes. A few stretches of straighter, faster roads covered on the test ride present a good opportunity to think about the wind protection. The smart looking front cowl undoubtedly helps direct air away from the rider, as does the 28-step adjustable screen, which has 64mm of adjustment. I rarely find screens on touring bikes that are genuinely brilliant and the screen on the Tracer 700 is the same – it’s OK but if owned this bike I'd look to improve it because it felt like it was deflecting wind towards the top of my visor and helmet so I was never completely isolated from head-on weather.

Like the engine, the brakes remain unchanged from the MT-07. They don’t have earth shattering bite and can feel a bit wooden, but the power from the twin four-piston front calipers and 282mm floating discs is there and the front anchors do an adequate job of stopping the Tracer. The Michelin Pilot Road 4 tyres deserve a shout too - they performed solidly in changeable conditions where the roads constantly changed from dry to damp to wet to dry, and entering bends while trying to get stopped and turn didn’t trouble them at all. Only once did I have a moment on a piece of poorly surfaced wet road, with the rear feeling like it slipped slightly as I changed direction and accelerated.

In an around the cockpit, the mirrors are a good size and give me a good view of what’s happening behind. The dash display is the same at the MT-07’s – it’s clear and easy to read. The controls are straight off the MT-07 as well, which is fine, but I hate that the button for the horn is in a strange position, just out of reach of my thumb on the left switchgear so I can never get to it when I want first time. There’s a utility bar in the middle of the bars too, designed for attaching a sat nav mount to or a bar bag – useful, but it looks like a big bit of Meccano. The MT-07 has been a huge success story for Yamaha and it’s easy to see why: it’s a great bike for the money. Yamaha has applied the same philosophy to the Tracer 700 and produced a brilliant value, versatile bike with a great engine and decent looks. I could have happily dodged the airport and another Easyjet flight to ride it home from Italy.

Model tested: Yamaha Tracer 700

Price: from £6,299

Engine: 689cc four-stroke liquid- cooled DOHC four-valve parallel-twin

Suspension: Front: 130mm non-adjustable forks / Rear: Monoshock

Brakes: Front – Twin four-piston calipers with 282mm discs / Rear: Two-piston caliper and 245mm disc

Power: 75hp at 9,000rpm

Torque: 50.15lb/ft at 6,500rpm

Weight: 196kg wet

Tank capacity: 17 litres

Seat height: 835mm

Availability: In dealers mid-July

Colours: ‘Radical red’, ‘Yamaha blue’ and ‘Tech black’

WATCH SIMON'S YAMAHA TRACER 700 VIDEO REVIEW