Retro done differently
Price: Engine:
» £10,200 » 890cc double overhead cam inline Power: Weight: Seat height: three » 117bhp » 193kg » 810mm
Yamaha’s new XSR900 isn’t a retro. Or it’s not retro in the way other bikes are. Bikes like the Triumph Bonneville, Royal Enfield Interceptor, Moto Guzzi V7 and even the Suzuki Katana may be modern underneath, but they’re pretending to be models from previous eras. But the XSR isn’t making out it’s some sort of re-issue – there was no such thing as an XSR900 in 1984. Instead, Yamaha have built a thoroughly of-our-time bike and used neat touches to give the flavour of motorcycles from a rich period in their history: the 1980s.
This is why the XSR scores so well in BOTY. Without the need to worry about being authentic to a specific old knocker, Yam could cherry pick the best features, details and colours and assemble them in a gloriously evocative bundle. It’s smothered with bits and bobs that make riders of a certain vintage (the average UK rider, as it happens) go a bit gooey. I love the endurance racer-style join of the tank and seat (with rubber pad), Deltabox frame and Genesisesque motor, Corbin-esque perch, tucked-up taillight and Gauloises colours. And looks are a huge part of the bike-choosing process – we all want a tingle when the shed door opens so, with the possible exception of certain KTM owners, nobody picks a bike with dubious aesthetics.
Of course, how a bike rides is also quite important if you’re spending just over ten thousand pounds. And the XSR is a proper hoot. It instantly feels right, like a bike you’ve met before. The grunt-rich motor pulling and responding no matter what the revs, its chassis is light, accurate and nimble, and the all-important sensations – feedback, sense of acceleration, intake honk through the special tank-front slots – are spot on. The XSR also has a lower, sportier and more plugged-in riding position than the MT-09 it’s derived from, with an ’80s flat-barred superbike feel and great connection.
The problem is the XSR is a tad too sporty. Yam told us at the bike’s launch that MT-09 riders want aggression and sportiness, but XSR buyers are a bit more relaxed. And yet the 900 is too firm and fidgety unless you’re really cracking on and getting the (well damped) suspension working. The thin seat and direct controls mean you’re aware of the road and combustion process, too. It’s for sunny blasts, not long rides. Not everyone likes the XSR’S period cues either. Mark Forsyth was Performance Bikes road tester in the ’80s and I thought it’d be up his alley, yet he’s unimpressed when I bump into him. However. Despite jiggling me around and being a bit impractical, I can’t help but want to ride the XSR900. As someone who owns a 1980s Yam it ticks all the boxes. Engagement, dynamic, character and all-important looks are almost irresistible.
The alternative view
The XSR900 is inauthentic and authentic, both at the same time. Inauthentic because Yamaha never made anything remotely like this in period. Authentic because it’s a time machine, taking 25 years off your riding age and turning you into a 1980s hooligan all over again. And that blue is lovely.
‘Smothered with bits and bobs that make riders of a certain vintage go a bit gooey’