Yamaha XSR900 from£5900
Triumph’s Speed Twin is the Bike of the Year, but a used XSR ain’t far behind. Except on price!
MANY OF US of a certain age – me included – have long mourned the passing of Yamaha’s 350LC. But mourn no more because the Elsie’s spirit is alive and well in another Yam, the fantastic XSR900. The XSR is one of those rare gems that wasn’t built to multi-task or measure up against an earnest role to satisfy a specific ‘market sector’. No, it was created to be fun. That simple. Despite packing a 195kg dry weight, the XSR has a similar lithe, chuckable feel to an LC. Conventional upright ’bars and slightly set back ’pegs mirror the RD’S stance. The black motor and gorgeous ocean-blue tear-drop tank are surely no coincidence either. Although visually disjointed in places – the lines don’t flow with the seamless perfection of an LC – it’s hard to look at the XSR and not smile. The chunky ’70s-esque tail-light, neatly thought out single dial instruments, colour-coded headlamp surround and thick black ’bars add to the bike’s cheeky, up-for-it personality. The MT-09 derived motor is full of punch, never hesitating to do as the throttle asks. Low gearing helps, especially with bottom-end drive, but the engine itself exudes greater personality and a more urgent delivery than the similarly configured yet better endowed Triumph. Unlike an LC that needs 7000rpm on the tacho to really get its groove on, the XSR’S three-cylinder mill drives from next to nothing – instant oomph is always on tap. Belt through the gears on full gas (the slick gearbox makes this a cinch) and the front-end skims the road surface, much like a hardcharging LC. The steering, when the wheel’s planted on terra firma, is deliciously light and easy to place, with the occasional shimmy and wiggle under loads to keep things entertaining. If you’re not in a full-on mood there are three different mode settings for the motor to choose from, starting at mild and finishing with full noise. The need to hear the howling threecylinder symphony in all its glory convinced me to keep it turned up to 11, at all times. There’s more tech too: a slipper clutch and traction control for smoother corner entry and exit, should you require their assistance. Some rider aids can feel obtrusive, but in the Yam they do their thing very much in the background, so the riding experience still feels satisfyingly analogue.
Like the engine, the chassis is borrowed from the much-admired MT-09 – itself a hilarious thing to ride. And as with the MT, you can grab the XSR by the scruff of the neck and it’ll go wherever you point it. It laps up the tight hairpin bends of our Derbyshire backdrop like that’s its sole mission in life. There’s always drive to launch out of each bend and onto to the next straight plus, thanks to Yamaha’s single-unit, radial-mounted calipers, braking is never more than a two-fingered brush of the lever.
Naked street bikes tend to catch the bean counters’ eyes because many, like the XSR, are developments of existing models, so they’re cheap to build and rarely what you’d call sophisticated. Much like the XSR’S suspension. It’s basic, bouncy and adjustable only for preload and rebound. The ride is soft and both forks and shock soak up most of what’s thrown at them. But there’s an innocence and lack of sophistication to the damping that won’t be ironed out no matter how much you fiddle with the limited adjustment. It’s not even a criticism as such because for me it adds to the no-frills Lc-esque vibe that makes the XSR such a hoot to ride. Early Fazer 600 owners will know what I mean.
At a less hectic pace the forks and shock keep the worst of the road’s gnarly surface from the rider, but I don’t think it’d take long for the shock to get out of its depth with a pillion on board. If you want to ride two-up, buy a Tiger.
In many ways the XSR is the perfect bike for 2019. Full stop. It’s fun, pleasing to the eye, affordable without appearing cheap and nasty (especially in used form, this 67-plate example with just 2400 miles and one previous owner to its name is up at The Superbike Factory for £6791 – more than £2300 cheaper than a new one) and, perhaps most importantly, entertains at real world speeds. Compared with other arguably more sophisticated street nakeds, like Honda’s CB1000R, the Yamaha is still streets ahead in terms of what it gives back. It’s more fun, has way more character and, to my eyes at least, wins the beauty contest.
On a road network strewn with cameras, and dash-cams, being able to get that essential two-wheeled fix without creating bother for yourself or others is a major plus. If your biking is purely about pleasure, the XSR900 could be all the bike you ever need.
‘350LC’S spirit is alive and well in the fantastic XSR900’