New styling on the Tracer 9 GT includes full LED lighting and extended fairing lowers that provide additional weather protection for the rider?s legs. (Photos by Kevin Wing)

Some motorcycles are fantastic right out of the gate. Others take a little time to find their way. They?re diamonds in the rough, requiring an update or two to chip away the rough edges and realize their full potential. The 2021 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT is one such bike.

Eight years ago, I traveled to San Francisco for the press launch of the all-new Yamaha FZ-09. It was a naked sportbike with an exciting, brash engine, an 847cc inline-Triple with a crossplane crankshaft that imbued it with gobs of character and torque. And at just $7,990, it was a steal. But there were downsides, like fueling issues, mediocre suspension and brakes, and a rock-hard seat.
The Tracer 9 GT is a fully equipped sport-tourer. For 2021 and 2022 model years, it’s available in Redline (shown above) and Liquid Metal.

A year after the FZ-09 debuted, Yamaha released a sport-touring version called the FJ-09, which was equipped with an upper fairing, a windscreen, upgraded rider and passenger seats, revised suspension, and optional saddlebags. At $10,490, it was a bargain too, and certainly more practical than the FZ, but the FJ-09 still suffered from a herky-jerky throttle and suspension and brakes that fell well short of the engine?s capabilities.

Nonetheless, both the FZ-09 and FJ-09 sold well. The FZ-09 was updated...