I welcomed the new Second Bike to the garage

[colirv]

Ironically I am considering a 2022 Tracer 9gt, 2023 R1250RS or 2023 Tiger 900 Rally Pro to replace my 2011 R1200RT that I have had new since 2010. 

Thanks for yours and everyone else's input in advance!

I find our R1250RS the perfect compromise between the FJR1300 that preceded it and the ZZR1400 that preceded that. My wife and I spend much of our time touring in (often rainy) hills and mountains, and having sufficient power and shaft drive doesn't half make life easier!

[lcon2]

What made you decide to keep the RS and not the Tracer? How does the Tiger compare two up with the other two bikes? 

Ironically I am considering a 2022 Tracer 9gt, 2023 R1250RS or 2023 Tiger 900 Rally Pro to replace my 2011 R1200RT that I have had new since 2010. 

Thanks for yours and everyone else's input in advance!

I have this ongoing battle in my head where, 

This sums up my plight completely

I truly appreciate your well thought out and detailed comparison between the three bikes. What I found most interesting was the RS,in your opinion, was the best for two up. I would have thought it would have been the Tiger or the Tracer.

As far as handling a curvy road, and just going out and having a good time, which bike would be most suited? How does the RS handle in comparison to the Tracer? When I took the RS out I found it did not handle as well as the Tracer. It could be due to handlebars, or a number of things that I just was not use to......

Once again, thank you for your insight.

[lcon2]

Ironically I am considering a 2022 Tracer 9gt, 2023 R1250RS or 2023 Tiger 900 Rally Pro to replace my 2011 R1200RT that I have had new since 2010. 

Thanks for yours and everyone else's input in advance!

I find our R1250RS the perfect compromise between the FJR1300 that preceded it and the ZZR1400 that preceded that. My wife and I spend much of our time touring in (often rainy) hills and mountains, and having sufficient power and shaft drive doesn't half make life easier!

Thank you!

[Grumpy Goat]

You are welcome. Online fora are useful only if there is wheat to sift from the chaff ...

I truly appreciate your well thought out and detailed comparison between the three bikes. What I found most interesting was the RS,in your opinion, was the best for two up. I would have thought it would have been the Tiger or the Tracer.

The conclusion about which is best for 2-up must only be reached after consultation with the passenger, who will likely see things quite differently than the rider, even if that passenger is a rider themselves. In my case, my wife is not a rider and is generally disinterested in riding as a whole, although curiously enough, when in the mood and she goes on a short tour, she typically has a good time ... even on the bike. She appreciates the mental aspect and as such refuses to listen to music and sometimes (most times?) even me. I have more than one video on my YouTube channel where we are 2-up and she makes her feedback known, and she prefers the RS.

I also thought that the more seat-spacious (as opposed to head-spacious) Tracer or Tiger would be better but, on balance, even I must concur that the RS edges them both out, but that is not to say that they are bad - they are both fine.

As far as handling a curvy road, and just going out and having a good time, which bike would be most suited? How does the RS handle in comparison to the Tracer? When I took the RS out I found it did handle as well as the Tracer. It could be due to handlebars, or a number of things that I just was not use to......

This answer may surprise you even more than that for the 2-up question. The short answer is, among the three, the Tracer was the best, with the Tiger second, and the RS last. The RS's wheelbase and steering geometry is such that it is directionally very stable, i.e. it is slightly more resistant to turning compared to the other two. That is a good thing for long-distance touring and mile munching all day; the RS does this the best of the three.

The Tracer's CP3 engine is sublime and the way even my 2019's engine sings in response to the right wrist is better than most bikes. Compared to the RS, it has almost as much power (but significantly less torque) so depending on how you ride it, the drive out of the corners can be more entertaining and faster. Then there is the actual ease of steering via the handlebars - both Tracer and Tiger are easier to turn in than the RS. This video excerpt offers my final thoughts on the Tracer on the way home from the 2022 MOA Rally.

If I did not have the Tiger and this apparent need to occasionally go offroad, and if I had to have only one bike, the 2024 Yamaha Tracer 9GT+ would be on my short list. Any other T9GT would never grace my garage due to the split screen, but that is just me. The Tiger acquits itself very well in the twisties also handling just as easily as the Tracer despite the 21" front wheel! Where it loses out is in the engine, which due to its 270 degree firing order (good for offroad torque and "sound like V-twin") makes it less sweet than even the RS's boxer, but the chassis handles the twisties very well.

[lcon2]

This answer may surprise you even more than that for the 2-up question..... 

No, it doesn't surprise me, I ranked the handling the same based off my very short test rides. Nice to have someone with so much experience with all three bikes validate what I experienced.

[Grumpy Goat]

No, it doesn't surprise me, I ranked the handling the same based off my very short test rides. Nice to have someone with so much experience with all three bikes validate what I experienced.

A lot of it depends on riding style too. So far you have not said much about that or your use case.

[lcon2]

No, it doesn't surprise me, I ranked the handling the same based off my very short test rides. Nice to have someone with so much experience with all three bikes validate what I experienced.

A lot of it depends on riding style too. So far you have not said much about that or your use case.

I will never go "off' road. My wife joins me ever 15th ride. My bikes are toys. I average maybe 6k miles a year. I enjoy curvy back roads. I like a bike that handles well and easily.

I have recently decided that I will never have a bike without cruise control. 

Anything with a greater lean than my z900rs cafe is too much. 
I do not like and will not tolerate a bike that gives off too much engine heat - my RT has spoiled me for a bike that runs cool.

Regarding the Tracer's screen - ultimately I agree with you, it being a bad design. However, if one is to be totally honest, how often do you look at anything other that speed once under way?

[Grumpy Goat]

I will never go "off' road. My wife joins me ever 15th ride. My bikes are toys. I average maybe 6k miles a year. I enjoy curvy back roads. I like a bike that handles well and easily.

I have recently decided that I will never have a bike without cruise control. 

Anything with a greater lean than my z900rs cafe is too much. 
I do not like and will not tolerate a bike that gives off too much engine heat - my RT has spoiled me for a bike that runs cool.

Regarding the Tracer's screen - ultimately I agree with you, it being a bad design. However, if one is to be totally honest, how often do you look at anything other that speed once under way?

Other than going to good camping sites and possibly nice lookouts I can't say I'd be going offroad much either, but who knows .... maybe I'd get hooked once I try it seriously. Just got some ADV boots delivered so I have to put them to use! If you are never going to go offroad and will not tolerate a bike that gives off engine heat then you can immediately rule out the Tiger 900 family. They have dual radiators that exhaust onto your thighs above the knee, and if riding slowly like in the city, in a hot climate like Houston, you will notice it. Moving faster it is not an issue and in the cooler months it may actually be a godsend.

I long ago decided that CC was a must have, end of. Don't even look at a bike once I look for and determine no CC, and throttle locks are not a substitute for me; been there done that (with an excellent one, I might add) but I have moved on. Regarding the heat ... the CP3 engine puts out heat at the ankles but it is much easier to beat than the Tiger's radiator exhaust. That said I have ridden hotter bikes than the Tiger.

As for the dash ... I have already settled for the lying speedometer of my RS and so have come to develop a blind spot in that direction, especially given that I have a Nav VI that I look at most of the time anyway. That "face" staring back at me on the 2020+ Tracer 9GT is too much to take, even when stopped.

I think that in summary you would be well served by an RS or a Tracer 9GT, or better yet the GT+. Now I see that there is a new offering from Suzuki that could complicate your decision further.

[DrDave39]

Interesting. I find my R to handle VERY well in the twisties- surprisingly close to my KTM 890 DukeR, which i the gold standard. I wonder if the fact my RS has the R handlebar conversion plus 1 inch risers, might account some of the difference? The bar are wider, higher, and further back than the stock position, which give more leverage in turns.  

Dave