Yamaha Tracer 700 Updated For 2020

Yamaha’s Tracer 700, a faired sport-tourer version of the MT-07 twin, has been given a completely new look for 2020 that drags its style into line with the latest YZF-R1.

It’s a vast improvement over the previous model, which won fans for its practicality and pricing but wouldn’t win any beauty contests. In comparison, the 2020 design is far sleeker and cleaner despite sharing most of its underpinnings with its predecessor; it’s instantly a more appealing machine.

The key change is the fairing, which now sports two R1-style LED lamps tucked under the main nose section, with a pair of slanted daytime running lamps above them. Either side, the new fairing now melds almost seamlessly into the fuel tank while separate black plastic edges frame the radiator and make the bike look less bulky than before. In front sits a screen that can be manually adjusted with one hand, while the hand guards now incorporate slim LED turn signals.

Under the skin, the 689cc CP2 parallel-twin engine is tweaked to meet the latest Euro 5 emissions limits with changes to the intake and exhaust as well as electronic tweaks. Performance is virtually unchanged though; power dips a fraction, from 73.75 hp to 72.4 hp, and peaks 250 rpm lower than before, at 8,750 rpm. Torque is unaltered at 50.2 pound-feet at 6,500 rpm.

On board, a new instrument panel looks about a decade newer than the outgoing model’s gray-on-gray, Casio-style LCD, and riders should feel the benefit of revised spring rates and upgraded front suspension with preload and rebound damping adjustment.

The lightweight new bodywork offsets any additional mass from the Euro 5 exhaust, bringing the Tracer 700’s total weight to the same 432 pounds as before.

Since the previous generation of Tracer 700 didn’t reach the USA, there’s no indication that the latest version will be coming to these shores anytime soon, but if it proves appealing enough to riders over here in the States, it’s hard to imagine Yamaha ignoring a potential market.