This bike thinks for you but is that a good thing? Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+

Can a bike have too much technology? That was the question I had in mind before setting off on a 1,000-mile, five-day ride across the UK on Yamaha’s Tracer 9 GT+ Y-AMT. Because on paper, this bike has everything.

A semi-automatic gearbox, radar adaptive cruise control, semi-active suspension, adaptive matrix headlights… it reads more like a spec sheet from a car than a motorcycle. And I’ll be honest, I wasn’t entirely convinced before I set out.

But somewhere between the tight lanes of Cornwall, the sweeping curves of the Yorkshire Dales, the wild emptiness of the North Pennines, and the drama of the Lake District, that opinion started to shift.

Because what quickly became clear is this: when it’s done right, technology doesn’t dilute the riding experience. It enhances it.

You’ll be able to discover this for yourself at the ABR Festival 2026 (26-28 June) where you’ll be able to test ride all the latest adventure, touring, trail bikes, and more from the world’s leading motorcycle manufacturers. Get your tickets today at www.abrfestival.com.

But in the meantime, let’s find out more about the Tracer 9 GT+ Y-A

The gearbox you stop thinking about

The headline hi-tech feature on the Tracer 9 GT+ is Yamaha’s Y-AMT gearbox.

On paper, an automatic or semi-automatic transmission might sound like it removes a layer of involvement. In reality, it just changes how you interact with the bike. You can leave it in full auto and let it handle everything or take control using paddle shifters on the left bar.

In manual mode, it feels like a quickshifter that works perfectly at any speed. You can bang up and down the box with ease, and crucially, the shifts still have a mechanical feel to them. You’re not just pressing a button and waiting for something to happen. There’s still a connection there.

Switch to automatic, and it becomes even more impressive. Over long distances, I found myself forgetting about changing gear altogether. Partly this was because the system adapts to how you ride, short-shifting when you’re riding at a relaxed pace and holding onto gears longer when you’re pushing on.

It’s not perfect. It can hang onto lower gears longer than I’d like at times under acceleration. And on steep, winding descents it had a habit of dropping into first gear when I would have preferred to be in second. But overall, the Y-AMT technology is incredibly clever. And on big mileage days, it genuinely reduces fatigue.

When the suspension feels one step ahead

The semi-active suspension is, quite simply, one of the best I’ve used.

Riding through the Lake District at a spirited pace on narrow, undulating roads, I hit countless bumps and whoops expecting the rear to get unsettled. It rarely did.

The bike reads what the front wheel is doing and adjusts almost instantly before the rear hits the same bump. The result is a level of composure that feels almost unnatural at first. You brace for the impact and it just isn’t there.

Once you trust it, though, the ride is superb. The bike stays planted, stable, and confidence-inspiring, even when the road surface is trying its best to catch you out.

Cruise control that knows what you’re about to do

Adaptive cruise control isn’t new, but Yamaha’s system is particularly well executed.

It does the basics you’d expect, like monitoring traffic ahead, slowing you down, and speeding back up when the road clears. But it’s the way it behaves when you overtake that really stands out.

Indicate, and the bike begins to accelerate. Move out, and it’s already building speed. There’s no lag, no hesitation, just a smooth, natural response that makes motorway riding far less tiring.

It’s also easy to adjust the following distance on the move, which means you actually use it, rather than trying it once and forgetting about it. Add in blind spot monitoring, and it’s a system that quietly has your back.

Tour-friendly features that make life easier

Not all of the standout tech shouts about itself. Some of it only becomes apparent after a few days on the road.

The central locking panniers are a great example. One button locks or unlocks them, and there are even lights inside the cases for when you’re digging around inside at night. It’s not essential, but it’s the kind of feature that once you’ve used it, you start to miss it on other bikes.

The electronically adjustable screen is another. Easy to tweak on the move, it gives you enough wind protection for long motorway stretches without making you feel cut off from the ride.

And then there are the heated grips which are far more sophisticated than they first appear. You get 10 levels of adjustment, but instead of cycling through all of them while riding, you can assign three preset levels.

Each of those presets can be tailored depending on the conditions and what gloves you’re wearing. So, if you’re in summer gloves, you might crank the heat up. In winter gloves, you dial it back. It sounds slightly overcomplicated, but in practice it works really well.

Headlights that think for themselves

The matrix LED headlights are perhaps the most high-tech lights found on any motorcycle. Whether you care about this or not is another thing, but they are certainly clever.

Using a camera mounted on the front of the bike, the system adjusts the beam in real time. It dips for oncoming traffic, adapts through corners, and can even adjust one side of the beam independently.

It sounds like overkill. But out on the road, especially at night, it just works. You get better visibility without dazzling other road users as much as you might have, which makes riding in low light feel safer.

So, is it too much tech?

After five days and 1,000 miles, what stood out most wasn’t how much technology the Tracer 9 GT+ has. It was how little I noticed it.

It didn’t feel overly intrusive. You don’t feel removed from the road. There’s still plenty of feedback from the chassis, plenty of character from the engine, and plenty of involvement when you want it.

The technology just works quietly in the background, smoothing out the rough edges of long-distance riding and giving you the confidence to push on when the road opens up.

Yamaha hasn’t added bells and whistles for the sake of it. It has integrated it. And that’s what makes this bike feel less like a showcase of gadgets, and more like a genuinely enjoyable way to ride.

Test ride Yamaha’s bikes for yourself

And remember, you’ll be able to test ride the Tracer 9 GT+ along with all the adventure, touring, trail bikes and more from the world’s leading motorcycle manufacturers at ABR Festival 2026 (26-28 June).

Get your tickets today at www.abrfestival.com.