The dust had hardly settled on the XSR700 launch when Yamaha began teasing their subsequent release. It began with Roland Sands’ More rapidly Wasp—a brutal custom FZ-09 inspired by the flat track.
It was obvious that Yamaha was poised to release a massive brother to the XSR700. And correct on cue, they revealed the XSR900 at the Italian EICMA show.
Like the XSR700, the XSR900 is a restyled version of an existing Yamaha model. It has the same rolling chassis and energy plant as the FZ-09 (recognized as the MT-09 elsewhere), but wrapped in a far more refined package.
That puts it squarely in Yamaha’s ‘Faster Sons’ variety: bikes that are stripped to the bare essentials, with a classic aesthetic. Modern day UJMs (Universal Japanese Motorcycles), if you will.
Some may see this as a advertising ploy, but Yamaha Motor Europe item manager—the ever-smiling Shun Miyazawa—sees it as a response to the shifting industry. According to him, new clients are more interested in all-round appeal than outright efficiency.
Not that the XSR900 doesn’t carry out. Following all, it is packing the identical triple cylinder, 847cc mill as the FZ-09, good for a claimed 87.5Nm of torque. It is a brute—but like Daniel Craig, it’s a brute in a nicely-tailored suit.
After touchdown in Fuerteventura, one particular of the Canary Islands, we spent the very first day thrashing Yamaha SR400s around a pop-up flat track—under the tutelage of Marco Belli of the famed Di Traverso flat track school.
On day two, it was time to get acquainted with the new XSR900.
Disclaimer: Why are we reviewing a new production motorcycle? Since we had been invited. To date, Yamaha is the only key manufacturer to invite us to be the initial to ride a new bike. They’re also hugely enamored by the custom scene, getting commissioned fifteen builds from the world’s leading shops last year alone.
Styling Generating a throwback look with a modern day motorcycle is tough—especially when it has a bulky-seeking, die cast aluminum frame that cuts an awkward line. Yamaha knew they could do little to produce that elusive ‘bone line’ via the middle that we all enjoy.
As an alternative, they focused on smoothing out the flow across the best of the bodywork, shedding the FZ-09’s hunchback pose. A two-piece aluminum cover conceals a 14-liter steel tank. Holding the two halves together is a plastic center strip.
The tank’s knee indents flow nicely into the seat: a two-texture affair with a cafe racer-cum-street tracker vibe. The combination provides the XSR900 a muscular stance, but a surprisingly slim feel when seated.
Yamaha have tried to keep this bike as no-frills as possible. But that’s difficult when you’re constructing a Euro four compliant machine. With a radiator, catalytic convertor and a variety of sensors all battling for position, just about every little thing beneath the tank has wisely been finished in black. Even the wheels and exhaust headers have been murdered out, leaving the eye much less to digest.
The overall design is far much less fussy than the XSR700’s, with fewer components vying for interest. Rather, the specifics are thoughtful, and take inspiration from popular trends in customization—like the drilled, brushed aluminum headlight ears and frame supports.
The XSR700’s round head and taillights are still present—parts that Yamaha say will remain consistent on all future More rapidly Sons models. (We could swear the headlight was far a lot more tucked on the XSR900 even though.)
There were a couple of bits that had us scratching our heads even though. For starters, there are two boxes, which home numerous electronic modules, placed on every single side of the frame.
Once we saw them we couldn’t un-see them, and we wished they’d been hidden elsewhere. And we found that the right hand engine casing has a plastic cover over it, presumably to hide a sensor of some sort.
These aside, we couldn’t fault Yamaha’s overall build top quality. They’ve integrated a fair whack of metal—making the XSR900 four kilos heavier than the FZ-09, but leaving it with a classy feel that begs to be touched.
Miyazawa-san’s hope is that the metal bits create their personal patina over time, providing every bike a private feel. And we had been impressed by little touches—like the neat metal speedo bracket, and the tidy cable routing.
Colorways on offer contain ‘Matte Grey’, ‘Rock Slate’ (blue) and ’60th Anniversary’ (yellow). No prizes for guessing our preferred. The ‘King Kenny’ livery had us swooning—especially the way that the black decrease half of the tank helps straighten out the XSR900’s lines.
Brute in a Suit: Yamaha XSR900 Assessment
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