Yamaha has filed a trademark application in Europe for the name “
Tracer GT,” suggesting a new touring model is on the way. The application was filed April 19 with the European Union Intellectual Property Office for use of the name for “motorcycles, scooters, mopeds, three-wheeled motorcycles, three-wheeled scooters, three-wheeled mopeds and parts and fittings for all the aforesaid goods.”
We know it as the FJ-09, but Yamaha calls it the MT-09 Tracer outside of North America.
This is the same list of goods and services Yamaha lists in its applications for most of its motorcycle and scooter trademarks, so don’t read too much into the possibility of the Tracer GT being a trike. Yamaha already has a couple of models using the Tracer name in Europe, specifically the
Tracer 900 (also known as the
MT-09 Tracer or, as we know it here in North America, the
FJ-09) as well as a smaller version based on the
FZ-07 called the
Tracer 700. It stands to reason that the GT will be similar to these other Tracers as a Grand Tourer based on one of Yamaha’s naked roadsters. The question then becomes, which of them will form the platform for the Tracer GT?
Europeans also get a Tracer 700 based on the FZ-07.
With Tracer 700 and 900 versions already in its arsenal, one logical answer is a sporty-tourer based on the
FZ-10 (or the MT-10 as it is known outside this continent). Yamaha already offers an
MT-10 Tourer Edition in Europe, which adds a tall windscreen, knuckle guards, a more comfortable seat, soft-ABS side cases and a GPS mount (a TomTom GPS unit is offered as extra but various GPS devices will also fit).
The MT-10 Tourer Edition available in Europe adds luggage, a windscreen, hand guards and a more comfortable seat.
While these additions make the Tourer Edition a more practical version of the MT-10, they aren’t enough to warrant the “GT” label. The soft panniers might fit enough for a daily commuter but would be hard-pressed for any longer trips, and, according to Yamaha’s own fuel mileage estimates, the 4.5 gallon tank (the same volume as the regular MT-10) would offer a range of about 135 miles between fill-ups.
An MT-10 Tracer GT with larger luggage and a longer range would fit nicely into Yamaha’s portfolio next to the naked version, much like the
Super Duke GT does alongside
KTM‘s
1290 Super Duke R.
It’s also possible Yamaha will go with a smaller displacement for this GT, perhaps being a more comfortable, longer-distance extension on the Tracer 900 and Tracer 700. This would position the Tracer GT as more a competitor to the likes of the
BMW F800GT.
As with all trademark filings, there is no firm timetable on when, or even if, Yamaha will announce a Tracer GT. The FZ-10 was introduced in at
EICMA in 2015 so this year’s show might be a good time to introduce a touring-oriented follow-up. As Yamaha filed the Tracer GT trademark for Europe, there’s also no indication it would come to North America though it would be a good fit in Yamaha Motor USA’s line-up. If it does come over here, it may not use the same name. Yamaha has filed U.S. trademarks for the name “Tracer” as well as the “MT” names of its FZ models but given is recent nomenclature history, American version may use a name like “FJ-10.”
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