Welcome Yamaha Tracer 700, the smaller sister of the Tracer 900 and Iwata's new addition to the MT family. If this is the MT-07-based Tenere-ish bike we reported about earlier, then we are a bit disappointed, but only because we know how eagerly the market is waiting for a new middleweight adventure bike.
As for the rest, the Tracer 700 is a very neat bike that will certainly draw a lot of customers. Accessible, affordable and quite friendly with newer riders, the Tracer 700 introduces middleweight bikes to the sport-touring segment, a class that was pretty much a thing for big-bore bikes, usually over the liter mark.
Handy as a daily commuter as it is a worthy companion for long-distance touring, the new Yamaha Tracer 700 packs the benefits of the MT-07 on which it is based largely and the convenience and comfort-oriented approach of the bigger Tracer.
The 17-liter (4.5 US gal) fuel tank should provide a very good range, while the 689cc crossplane engine produces just under 75 hp at 9,000 rpm and 68 Nm (50.1 lb-ft) of torque at 6,500 rpm, being, therefore, easily restrictable to A2-license specs and accessible as a bike for new riders.
The Tracer 700 is, in many aspects, identical to the MT-07, but comes with several elements and styling choices that belong to the Tracer family, such as the adjustable windscreen, aggressive handlebar deflectors, and handguards.
The rear suspension of the new Tracer is longer, 142mm (5.6") as opposed to the 130mm (5.1") figure of the MT, but the ground clearance is the same. The Tracer has a wheelbase that's 50mm (2") longer, and the seat height is also bigger: 805 mm (31.7") for the MT-07 and 835 mm (32.9") for the Tracer 700.
Wave rotors for both front and rear, standard ABS for the European version are also on the list, and so is the 12V socket in the dashboard region. The ABS-equipped MT-07 has a smaller fuel tank and tips the scales at 182 kg (402 lb) wet and ready to rock'n'roll, and this makes the 196 kg (433 lb) weight of the Tracer 700 quite appealing in comparison.
In Europe, the Tracer 700 comes with a base price tag reading €7,895, a rather hefty increase compared to the €6,395 price of the MT-07. Waiting now for the US price.
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