Yamaha XSR 900 test: the MT-09 puts 3-legs in the retro

After the XSR700 imagined in collaboration with Japanese designer Shinya Kimura on the basis of MT-07, Yamaha is expanding its Faster Sons range with a more muscular motorcycle: the XSR900, designed from the MT-09 roadster and its turbulent 3-cylinder… Test !

Yamaha in retro

Neo-retro motorcycles are definitely on the rise! Yamaha has understood this and is working hard to stay in this movement with its (,,,,) and its "Faster Sons" concept.

This range is expanding quickly, because after having introduced at the end of 2015 the direct derivative of the, Yamaha already presents its predecessor, the XSR900, resulting for its part from the chassis and engine platform of the. A dynamic base, to say the least, powered by a virulent 3-legged !

If the XSR700 showed its affiliation with the XS 650 twin of 1970, it would claim its link with the XS 750/850 three-cylinder of 1976. But as for the small XSR700, the link does not really jump to the helmet at the first look…

Yamaha XSR 900: availability, price, colors and prices

Available: February 2016 in the Colors: 60 years (yellow and black), Forrest Green (blue) or Garage Metal (gray) Price: € 9,699 (€ 9,999 for 60th birthday)

For this Yamaha XSR900, Yamaha Motor Europe Product Manager Shun Miyazawa asked designers at GK Dynamics (Yamaha’s historic design company since 1955) to take inspiration from the Californian’s Faster Wasp preparation. A beautiful preparation based on MT-09, which notably takes up the yellow and black decoration of Kenny Roberts’ TZ750, reused several times by Yamaha on special series (XJR, R1, etc.).

However, Yoshiro Shimizu and Tadashi Inose, responsible for the design of the XSR900 at GK Dynamics, unfortunately did not go as far as RSD Design to design the production XSR900. By small touches, they transformed the MT-09 roadster into a rather qualitative vintage-looking machine, thanks in particular to beautiful forged aluminum parts. The transformation also involves a new shape of the fuel tank, an "old-style" round shape front and rear light, a new saddle and a specific exhaust silencer … And that’s it. !

The engine is identical to the roadster and receives the traction control (TCS) discovered on the and now installed as standard on the .

A new anti-dribble clutch (A&S) also makes its appearance on this XSR900, limiting the risk of the rear wheel jamming during downshifting. Added to the three selectable injection maps on the handlebars, these modern assistances appear rather in contradiction with the "vintage" philosophy developed by (and around) the motorcycle. But in view of their usefulness, we will not quibble !

The original engine power (115 hp) will be available everywhere, including in France thanks to the compliance with Euro 4 and the specific to the French market..

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