Road test of YamahaTracer 7 III 2026 To control with the tip of a finger

To be or not to be… Or to be in Etretat. This isn’t Shakespeare lost in deep thought before the famous arches, but a Yamaha Tracer 7 contemplating the chalk cliffs. One of nature’s wonders (and one of France’s) facing off against one of the Japanese manufacturer’s most advanced technologies. The small crossover demonstrated the qualities of its third generation as well as the merits of its automatic transmission.

Over time and across generations, the Tracer 7 has shed its teenage image to evolve into a bold, self-assured elegance. It has traded in the cap and tank top for a lightweight jacket and sleek sunglasses. Above all, it has managed to avoid the highly “experimental” style of Yamaha roadsters from a not-so-distant era, when their faces seemed to have been designed by David Cronenberg. The bike looks good, is flattering to ride, makes a grand entrance, and seems more powerful than it actually is.

That said, it’s not without its flaws. Some of the wiring on the handlebars looks like it was cobbled together in the garage, the catalytic converter and its cover don’t quite blend in, and many of the highlighter marks around the screws would benefit from being more discreet (or better applied).
Other than that, the little Tracer is a pleasure to look at, to be around… and to ride?

Hopping on a Tracer 7 is like riding a big bike every morning. It feels welcoming, a bit serious, and instantly intuitive. It’s built to ride from dawn to dusk, not necessarily for long-distance trips, but for whatever adventures come your way. The controls fall naturally to hand, while the low seat height makes it easy to put your feet on the ground. It’s the kind of motorcycle that requires no manual, no questions, and no doubts when you turn the key. You get on, you start it up, you ride, and everything is intuitive.

The instrument panel is much the same. The small 5-inch color TFT screen looks great with its polished graphics and intuitive design. Four stylish display themes are available. Connectivity is a given, and you can use a navigation app thanks to smartphone pairing. The control switch (on the left) is well-designed, allowing for quick navigation through the Yamaha interface. The menus and shortcuts are easy to learn, proving that the manufacturer puts more effort into this than others.
Just above it, the windshield can be adjusted with one hand using a lever—a bit tricky while riding but very simple when stopped. But why bother: given its size, you set it to the highest position and leave it there. Except to see how it works.

Since its debut, this has been one of its key strengths: its CP2 engine. As with the MT-07, the mechanical pleasure is evident with this twin-cylinder engine, which is always eager and always charming. Responsive and playful, it delivers lively performance and smoothness right from low RPMs. Better yet: with the Y-AMT, low-speed maneuvers or riding on a light throttle are a breeze. It didn’t knock much to begin with, but now it’s almost as smooth as velvet—mixed with the characteristic roughness inherent to this engine design.

Alas, the Euro 5+ standard has robbed it of some of its verve—or rather, its impulsiveness. It would be convenient to say that Yamaha has softened the engine’s character to make it more usable, more versatile, and more pleasant—but it would be more provocative to claim that the standards are blunting its sharp claws.

So naturally, between the higher weight, the riding position, and the target market, the Tracer is less playful than the MT-07. You can still tease it, provoke it, and it never fails to bring a smile to your face. Traction control is there for the more daring riders. But with a good set of tires and 74 horsepower on tap, it’ll be hard to trigger the electronics.

With its Y-AMT, Yamaha has created a very interesting automated clutch system. Its technology, which relies on two servomotors (one for the clutch and the other for the gear selector) and dedicated electronics, makes it compact, responsive, and, above all, easily adaptable to a wide range of motorcycles. Not so long ago, only large models could be equipped with an automatic transmission (especially at Honda). Now, this convenience is available on mid-range motorcycles, and even small crossovers like this Tracer 7. Yamaha might even offer it on the T7, but there would need to be enough demand for that to happen.

The Y-AMT is the perfect tool for city riding. The technology is brand-new yet already fully developed. By activating D mode (or D+ if you want a bit more responsiveness), the bike—or rather the electric motor assist—manages gear shifts on its own, smoothly, briskly, and without any jerks. You could never perform the "clutch disengagement / gear shift / clutch engagement" sequence as quickly and smoothly as the Y-AMT does. Impressive! So, there’s never any need to worry about gears in Drive mode; just focus on your speed.

Is there a real difference between D and D+? Yes, though it’s not obvious. The system revs higher and maintains engine speed as needed to “simulate” a sporty feel. Its only flaw is that it doesn’t always react at the exact moment the rider would choose to shift. But no system could do that, since it depends on the rider’s personality, experience, and mindset. The electronics must therefore accommodate everyone, and it does so well.

“So what?!” it might say . “Just switch to Manual and choose your own gears.”
The Y-AMT isn’t just an automatic system. By switching to MT, you take control of the transmission with just a trigger in your left hand. One finger is all it takes to shift up and down. From then on, the bike only intervenes at the clutch, with responsiveness worthy of a good shifter. And within the engine’s limits: it won’t let you rev too high or drop the RPMs too low. With this technology, the Tracer 7 doesn’t knock, stall, or scream.

MT mode also gives you access to other riding modes, ranging from 'Sport' to 'Street,' or more personally 'Custom,' allowing you to tailor the riding aids to your own preferences. The onboard electronics let you adjust three levels of engine response and two Traction Control intervention profiles (or disable it). Honestly, you set it to 'Custom' once you’ve gotten the hang of the bike and then you don’t touch it again. Except in wet conditions, when it might be worth switching to “MT Street” or “AT D” for added safety.

Our first experience with the Y-AMT was on the Tracer 9 GT—more powerful, more high-tech, more premium… And yet, I find the system more enjoyable on the Tracer 7, less hesitant, as if it knows how to do the job, whereas the 900 sometimes seems to wonder why it has to do it.

Gone (at last) are the days of Yamahas with outdated suspension. This generation of the Tracer 7 has reached a new level in terms of riding enjoyment and comfort. Lively, responsive, and easy to handle, the bike leans from one corner to the next with ease. Its suspension delivers comfort—far more so than the seat, which won’t be your friend after 150 km.

Whether thanks to the 41 mm inverted fork or the monoshock, the handling is solid and, above all, consistent. The first 700 Tracer didn’t take kindly to rough riding; the second handled it a bit better. Now, it doesn’t mind having a bit of fun on rough roads. It doesn’t lose its composure over bumps, holds the road as it should, and offers a level of precision befitting its class.

The same goes for the brakes. When you pull the lever, they engage smoothly and quickly, and while we would have liked a bit more bite, both power and consistency are top-notch. The ABS allows for quite a bit of leeway before engaging, letting you really slam on the brakes. Not like on a sport bike, but for a trail-road bike, it does the job flawlessly. Except for the rear, which engages sooner.

In the city as well as in tight corners, the Tracer 7 doesn’t lack agility. It has managed to retain that nimble, easy-to-handle feel, handling naturally at low speeds. No need to worry about jerks from the Y-AMT, which handles stop-and-go traffic well. A trivial but amusing fact: the speedometer doesn’t kick in until 5 km/h—it doesn’t display intermediate numbers from 0. It doesn’t really matter, but I like these little “hidden” quirks in a model.

The Tracer 7 owes its success to its many qualities. As one of the market’s top sellers and Yamaha’s best-selling model, it has reached a new level of comfort and technology, becoming the only bike in its segment to offer an automatic transmission. A feature its direct competitors cannot boast. Because the Yamaha has to share the market with the Kawasaki Versys 650, Suzuki 650 V-Strom, CFMOTO 700 MT, and a small fleet of Chinese models. All of them are much cheaper but not as well-developed. For the same price, its fiercest rival would be the 660 Tiger Sport.