wordsmith

Thanks for this, dazz. I do recall some years ago reading that some/ all of the F series engines were assembled in China, which may not be the same thing as manufactured in China, implying as it does that parts are sourced from Chinese manufacturers. The story went that the parts for the ROTAX engines were made in Austria, shipped to China for final assembly, then returned to Berlin for installation into the bike. No greenie or environmentalist then or now, but I thought then that these engines clocked-up a lot of air-miles and contributed quite a bit of atmospheric pollution on the journey. But - the bean-counters must have thought it worth while!

I would never have got that impression, cb! 🙄

Diddunt know that! Thanks for replying... need time to digest this!

Woddya mean - Chinese engine???

This is one reason why BMW lost me a few years ago. I am lucky enough to have a more-or-less unlimited budget for my mobiking interests, but comes a time when one has to say enough is too much...

And - wishful tho' it may be - would consign the Tracer so equipped to even more mediocre sales here in Oz I see more unicorns than Tracers of any vintage. Outstanding value especially with panniers included as standard, yet they cannot be given away it seems.

Do not lose the red Master Key - costs about $600 to replace!

Welcome to the club!

Only 75? Have you started shaving yet? Wordsmith - 1939 model

It sounds more as if you have many farkles with a bike attached as an enhancement!🙄

If I was in the market for a new motorcycle - which I emphatically am not - something along these lines would be of interest in the sub-1000cc class of road/ tour bikes. Haven't yet seen one in the flesh, but would like to. Quirky enough to be interesting, certainly a bit (a lot?) different style-wise, proven powerplant, shaft-drive, etc.

I agree in spades! I could do without these three featurers for a start: The new F 900 XR also benefits from the technology transfer from the upper class: Adaptive Cornering Light, Keyless Ride or Intelligent Emergency Call are all unique features in the mid-range. My GT has enough - but no more than that - electronic features. And keyless ride (I have had personal experience on my last two BMWs, an R and a GS) often means rideless key, when it malfunctions.

The list of options - all no doubt costly and maybe fragile over the long run - is mind-boggling, but I note BMW have omitted the CAN-BUS powered gimball-mounted sat-nav stabilised cup-holders, but why quibble - everything else is there! And I bet the cost of the all-in upspecced XR will be equally mind-boggling! I look forward to seeing it and reading road-tests and comparos.

Seat looks good, John!

What on earth is that silver-coloured component stuck vertically on the outside of the rhs 'down-tube' part of the 700's zorst system? Looks ghastly, IMO, and would seem to be very damage-prone in that exposed position.

The partial, slotted cover on the clutch side engine-cover (rhs) on Gen 1 Tracers is absent on GTs (see the OP's first photo). Given that it covers only the upper rearmost quadrant of the clutch cover it appears to be less of a damage-limiting guard than something else - but what else: maybe a heat-shield? I'm sure that the aftermarket covers/ guards available on E Bay would help minimise if not avoid altogether unsightly scratching and minor damage to the alternator (lhs) and clutch (rhs) covers on the bike, but only, I'd suggest, in the case of a low- or no-speed drop. Looking at these items on E-Bay they appear similar if not identical, differing only in the brand stickers applied: I suggest they all come out of the same factory in China. I have on order a set of the Siriuss Moto brand covers, as a four (4) piece set, at about AUD$135.00 - see pic below. The items in the set are the clutch cover and timing case cover (both rhs): and stator cover and water pump cover (both lhs).

With nothing to go on except long experience of the pricing of BMWs, I guesstimate that a fully-specced F800XR will retail here for not much less than AUD$21,000 otd, and that is without the panniers that Yamaha's GT has. AND no cruise-control. But visually, I still like it, even though it's clearly made of Unaffordium (and no, I won't be getting one)....

Decisions, decisions...

I owned a BMW F800 GT long before the Tracers came along. In many ways it was an excellent bike, but the killer was the pathetic asthmatic engine. Once going it was OK - just - but getting it going was an exercise in patience. Much more recently, and just for the heck of it, I took a test-ride on a used F800 GT from the local BMW dealership, where I am pretty well-known. For the above reasons I couldn't get off it quickly enough. That particular bike sat unsold in the dealership for ages, despite being an immaculate example and well-priced. Treasure that CP3 engine, chaps! 😎

A comparo between stock GT seat and BAGSTER seat measurements Someone is bound to ask the question if the BAGSTER seat is taller or lower than stock. The self-imposed separation from my GT while I rest my injured shoulder and await – hopefully – Friday’s treatment by my GP couldn’t keep me away, so I took some very careful measurements of the bike with stock and BAGSTER seats installed, both in the lower rider’s position. Height – the BAGSTER seat is 3mm lower than stock, both measured across in the same location on the seat. Negligible, I’d suggest. Rise – measured vertically, the front face of the pillion seat above the level of the rider’s seat immediately in front of it is one centimeter (3/8ths of an inch) taller on the BAGSTER seat than on the stocker. Again, gnat's whisker stuff. I measured this 'rise' as I have difficulty with my wonky hips and knees getting on and off the bike, and the extra bit of height can sometimes get in the way if I don’t concentrate on the mounting/ demounting action. It would be nice to be a long-legged stork or flamingo at times, especially when panniers are fitted! Pic below. Due to some commitments with Mrs Wordsmith I will not be able to get out on the bike for another several days, even if the shoulder issue is resolved, but I hope then to ride the two seats – stock and BAGSTER – over the same local roads back-to-back, which is the only way I know to get a good comparison.

I like the looks of that, very much along the lines of its bigger brother. Don't care at all for the Suzuki Hyabusa-style Japanese/ Chinese-squiggle on the fairing, which it took me a while to figure out reads 'XR'. Three things can be guaranteed: 1. Fit and finish will be top-notch. 2. The twin-cylinder engine will be much less engaging than our Tracer's triple. 3. Even lower-spec models will require you to sell your first-born in order to afford them: top-spec bikes will be priced out of the reach of mere mortals. Nevertheless, I say again - oi loike! LATER EDIT after viewing more info on the BMW - NO CRUISE CONTROL! But worse still, on this model the original BMW F800 GT's belt-drive has been ditched for chain...

Well, that has been a trip and a half, Robert: I am green! I have been to/ through most of the places you mention. Glad you made it safely, 4WD or no 4WD... My new seat remains unused while I deal with this pesky painful right shoulder...

Do tell.......!😁

Ha ha ha!😁

Thanks Robert, old friend! How're things Up on the Hill?