Yamaha has taken the wraps off the latest addition to its Sports Heritage range of custom motorcycles – the XSR900. The motorcycle was ridden onto the stage by the reigning MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo and nine-time champion Valentino Rossi.
A café racer version of the Yamaha MT-09, the XSR900 is inspired by the Roland Sands Faster Wasp custom flattrack bike. The exposed frame, the classic-shaped fuel tank, round headlamp, boomerang-shaped swingarm and the aluminium detailing highlight the XSR900’s neo-retro character. On the other hand the offset digital instrument console and the LED lamps add the modern touches. All this festooning has taken a toll on the weight of the motorcycle, and the XSR700 weighs seven kilograms more than the MT-09 despite losing all of the bodywork.
Underpinning the XSR900 is the same aluminium die cast frame, which encloses an 847cc liquid-cooled three-cylinder CP3 engine. Though Yamaha hasn’t revealed the power output, we expect it to be similar to the 113bhp and 87Nm that the standard MT-09 produces. The XSR900 gets ride-by-wire throttle, ABS, three-mode traction control and a slipper clutch. The suspension and brake setup have been carried over from the standard MT-09.
The Yamaha XSR900 is positioned above the MT-07-based XSR700 motorcycle. Apart from blue and matte grey paint jobs, the XSR900 will also be available in a celebratory yellow-black livery – an ode to the Yamaha racerbikes of the yesteryears. Prices will be announced in February 2016, while deliveries will commence in April.
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