Ready for some fun riding" The Yamaha Tracer 900 GT and BMW F 900 XR combine the useful power of table-flat torque curves with mostly upright, comfortable seating and good wind protection, suspension, brakes and handling. Photo Credit: Kevin Wing.

The 2020 BMW F 900 XR vs. Yamaha Tracer 900 GT Comparison Test was originally published in the June 2020 issue of Rider Magazine.

Motorcycles that start out as naked or standard models often inspire their manufacturers to build a complementary touring, sport-touring or sport-adventure version before very long. The Honda Gold Wing?s lineage is probably the most familiar example, but I could cite countless others from the mid-1970s to the present day. Attracting more and new customers is the objective of every motorcycle design, so whether going the touring route with a standard bike is to aim a not-so-successful model in a potentially better direction, or it?s to simply expand the fan base for a successful bike to include long-distance riders, the goal is the same.
Such is the case with the two motorcycles we?re comparing here, the new BMW F 900 XR and recently updated Yamaha Tracer 900 GT. Both are based on naked bikes, one also new?the BMW F 900 R?and one that has been a top seller in Yamaha?s lineup since 2013, the MT-09, formerly known as the FZ-09. Although BMW calls the F 900 XR a sport-adventure machine and Yamaha parks the Tracer 900 GT in its sport-touring category, their prices, displacements, semi-fairings...