COMPARISON I SUZUKI GSX-S1000GT+ VS YAMAHA TRACER 9 GT+
P84
faster on the Yamaha over the
Suzuki, which has a slower rate
of turn but conversely is more
stable over fast, long sweeping
turns than the Yamaha, which
can seem almost nervous when
speeds increase.
The Yamaha has the rider sit-
ting much more upright than the
Suzuki, putting them
in a near
dirt bike ride position. A straight
back and absolutely no weight
on the wrists means you can
ride for hour after hour on the
Yamaha, although they have suf-
fered their own goal by fitting a
screen
that does nothing except
deflect the oncoming air, instead
sending it into the bottom or top
of the rider's helmet and buffet-
ing them to death, depending
on
the setting you have chosen.
There are 10 stages of adjust-
ment with the Yamaha's screen,
but,
as CN editor Kit Palmer
said in his launch report, it's
really only two stages—up or
down. Personally, I'd just take
the screen off or put a tiny little
wind deflector piece on there.
Moving onto the Suzuki, a
lower seat height and slightly
forward from vertical riding
position takes a bit of weight off
the rider's tailbone and I con-
versely found it more comfort-
able than the Yamaha after a
day
on board.
The ride position puts you in
a more natural sports attack
stance, which allows you to put
a bit more weight on the front
tire and help the Suzuki initiate
the turn. The conventionally
adjustable KYB suspension is
far from a detraction when you
start to wind the wick up, and
the chassis' greater stability in
