Yamaha XSR Abarth

New limited-edition café racer built in conjunction with Italian car racing outfit

Yamaha are making a short run of special XSR900 models. Knocked-up with help from car tuners and racers Abarth (no, we have no idea why either) it features clip-on ’bars, carbon bodywork, solo seat, full Akrapovic exhaust and a one-off paint scheme. They’ll make just 695 examples, and the first 95 customers to order online get an ‘exclusive VIP Abarth experience’. The remaining bikes will sell through dealers from April. Yamaha have also lobbed knobbly tyres and scrambler styling on their XV950 cruiser to create the SCR950. The 942cc V-twin shouldn’t work, yet somehow it does. Maybe it’s because the colours and shape of the 13.2-litre tank, its flat seat and air-cooled V-twin look a bit Harley flat-track from some angles.