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

Can I ask why you/what made you choose the 900 over the 700 ?

Enjoy the new bike and the retirement

Enjoy your new ride and most of all retirement.

Sent from my SM-A310F using Tapatalk

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XT660z 2010 Blue few good bits added. Yamaha RD350 YPVS 1984. Yamaha RD350 YPVS 1989. Yamaha FZ750 1989. Beta 250 REV3 2001.

Enjoy the new bike.....and especially enjoy your retirement! A friend of mine has the Tracer and finds it an excellent bike...Steve

Thank you everyone.

Although the power of the 900 is pointless for the most part in over-policed Oz, I decided to get one for two reasons.

First, the 900 has a bigger frame than the 700, so I've got more room. The 7 is too cramped for me (old, overweight, inflexible). Second, we can only get the LAMS 650 here, which I think is 54bhp, which isn't a lot more than the Tenere for my weight. Bike size notwithstanding, I would've looked harder at the Tracer 700 if it had the full bottle engine.

Basically I was looking for more roll-on grunt than offered by the relatively low-power bike available to buyers here. A pity really, since it's a pretty good engine from what I have read/researched/watched lots of YouTube opinions.

Here in South Australia, unless you're into risking your licence, imo it's tough to run-in faster bikes properly, such are the speed restrictions and the revenue-raising enthusiasm with which they're enforced.

If I'm truly honest, and sufficient is good enough, my 660 had enough steam for most situations. Certainly enough to earn the displeasure of the constabulary. It does, however, lack in the roll-on department, and I found myself trying pretty hard a few times. So I went straight for the bigger engine.

End of book/waffle/rant. Sorry

Thanks for that, had forgotten that Oz got a 'restricted' 7, best of luck with the 9 and the spare time.

Thanks jibber - plenty to do thus far. Bikes to play with (a mate has a 65 Velo Venom which I've been allowed to help get running. Shades of my BSA/Matchless/Ariel days...). And fooling around with my WR250R, which I couldn't bring myself to sell, even though it looks a bit rough. Not to forget the Tracer. Rides with mates when the weather is ok (not often this winter!) because we're all well and truly over riding in the rain for fun, and farting about with the bike setting it up.
And finally - you'll all throw stones at me probably - my brother and a couple of his mates go slot car racing, so I've joined them. There's been some garage hours spent trying to get cars to go fast enough... It's a giggle a minute, and you can't get booked for crazed driving, which is just as well!