Hi there everyone. Due to unforeseen stuff, I have retired from my mustering job, which is a bit of a ****** really. Realistically, I guess old farts have a finite usefulness in this trade, and at 65 I probably pushed the limit.

After 7.5 years of mostly trouble-free ownership (water pump seal and rear shock replacement), I decided to sell my Tenere and get a road bike as my retirement 'reward.' Admittedly I didn't do many km on my Ten, nor did I thrash the ring out of it either, but as a (mostly) road bike it came up a bit short for me without getting the forks and seat done etc etc. And as I got shorter it got taller and more tricky to manage. Agreed, all of that could be fixed. But it's gone to a new home now, and I hope the new owner is happy with it. Good bike.

So now I have a new 2016 model Tracer 900 (in typical fashion Yamaha Australia have thus far failed to release the 2017 model - probably over-ordered 2016s. My opinions are personal!). I ordered heated grips with the bike, and after two months they've turned up. Trivial? Yes. But this sort of thing happens too often. I think the hard panniers (supposedly sold with the bike here) took almost a month to show up. I feel sorry for the dealers who have to field their irritated customers' anoyance!

But the bike itself is an unashamedly mid-capacity, bargain-priced bargain. It's a damn competent, do-everything-well-on-the-street load of fun.

I agree that the suspension is low rent, but I didn't pay money for high rent, and it's good enough without detracting from anything in my opinion.

So in finishing, I'd just like to thank xt660.com et al for being such a helpful, active site and constant source of interest and valuable info. Even when the bikes go out of production, I'd like to think that the site will continue to provide a home for enthusiasts of the breed, as it has for me.

Best of luck all. I hope you don't mind if I look in from time to time.

Regards from Chas