Yamaha FJ-09 / MT-09 / Tracer 900 (’15–’20) — Seat Slope Mod Install Guide

This guide covers installing the Yamaha FJ-09 / FZ-09 / MT-09 / Tracer 900 (’15–’20) Seat Slope Mod. It levels the forward-sloped seat in two parts: a shim under the tank/seat bracket, plus Velcro riser pads under the front seat feet.

Before you begin

• Not a confident wrench? The install is straightforward, but if you’re not comfortable with this kind of work, have a qualified mechanic do it.
• Work with a low fuel load. The tank rests in place with the bracket removed, but a lighter tank is much easier to lift and align.
• Two terms: TPU is the flexible rubber offset bushing; the seat riser pads are the Velcro-backed pads that lift the front seat feet.

Step 1 — Remove the tank/seat mount

1. Remove the front and rear seat.
2. Using a 10 mm socket and a 4 mm hex wrench, remove the 4 bolts holding the seat bracket. The tank rests in place with the bracket removed — a low fuel load makes this easier.
3. Remove the OE metal and rubber bushings from the mount (use pliers to push the rubber out if needed; the metal inserts slide out easily). Keep the rubber bushings for a stock return — you’ll reuse the metal inserts next.

Step 2 — Fit the TPU bushings

1. Insert the TPU offset bushings with the hole aligned toward the bottom center — they push through by hand.
2. Push the OE metal insert back in so the wide portion faces away from the tank.

Bushing orientation (Dec 2021 update): newer TPU bushings have a larger flange on one side — install that larger shoulder toward the tank (see image). If your bushing has no larger shoulder, orientation doesn’t matter.

Step 3 — Reattach the mount & the bracket shim

1. Set the mount back in its original position, thread in the tank bolts with the 10 mm socket, and torque to 7 Nm. (A near-full tank is heavy to lift at the rear.)
2. Gently lift the mount you just installed to make room, then slide the shim under the mount — don’t push it too far or it will drop underneath and you’ll have to remove the mount to retrieve it.
3. Nudge the shim so it’s aligned side-to-side and front-to-back with the bracket holes.
4. Insert the mount bolts and torque to 7 Nm (or slightly more to seat the plastic). Use blue threadlocker on these bolts — fewer threads engage here and plastic has some give.

Step 4 — Place the seat riser pads & mount the seat

Velcro comes pre-attached to the seat pads, and a spare set is included so you can set up both the high and low seat positions. You apply the “fuzzy” Velcro to the seat tray where you want the pad.

1. Clean the seat pan where the pads will go with isopropyl alcohol (or an alcohol lens wipe) so no oils or residue remain.
2. Stick the fuzzy Velcro where the front seat feet normally land — you’ll see marks from where the seat has been sitting. Press down firmly for 15–30 seconds so it adheres well.
3. Set the riser pad onto the Velcro and wiggle it to fully engage the hook-and-loop.
   • Low position: place the pad with the little front tab against the fully forward part of the mount, so the slanted nose points toward the rear — the seat foot slides up onto it easily.
   • High position: set it so the slanted face extends slightly toward the rear (as shown in the photos), so the seat foot slides on easily.
4. Mount the seat: align the front tongue into the mount, push firmly forward all the way before pressing the rear down. This lets the feet ride up over the riser pads before they load up. Listen for the Velcro releasing or pads shifting. The comfort seat and standard seat have different foot clearances, so it may take some trial and error.

Troubleshooting

• A pad shifts after a while — usually the seat foot didn’t ride fully up onto the riser and squished it forward, or the fuzzy Velcro didn’t fully adhere. Re-clean the pan and reseat the foot over the pad.
• Getting the seat to seat right takes a delicate touch — keep the seat angled up from the rear, slide the nose lug in, then apply steady forward pressure so the feet ride over the pads before pushing the rear down to lock. You’ll know it worked when the front is firm and the rear pops up slightly when you unlock it.
• Don’t force the seat too far forward and over-compress the nose, or it can lock into the “high” position in the rear latch.
• Still slipping? The comfort seat’s softer, grippier feet are the trickiest. You can remove the Velcro and use 3M VHB tape to semi-permanently mount the pad (this lowers the effective shim height by ~1 mm). Replacement Velcro: any industrial/automotive hook-and-loop from the hardware store works.