Yamaha's 2016 Take On A Café Racer XSR900

The 2016 Yamaha XSR900

So you have outgrown your 300 Ninja or CBR250 and you are looking for something bigger. You are too young for a BMW, don’t have time off for a touring bike, not really interested in a sport bike (too extreme) or a cruiser (aren’t black and chrome V Twin cruisers so 1990?). What is out there that looks cool?

New for 2016 is the Yamaha XSR900. The XSR is a styling exercise based on the FZ09 and FJ09. Both bikes are popular and well liked. Although the changes to the bike for the XSR version are mostly cosmetic, Yamaha has positioned the bike for a different target market. Yamaha has built a really stunning looking motorcycle. The version I rode has brushed aluminium tank panels and a neat “humped” rear seat cover. The photos on line don’t do the bike justice. You will have to see one to appreciate its unique look.

The demo bike I rode had exactly 5 km on it when it was loaned to me. Even though it was not broken in, it performed really well. I would imagine it will be even better once it has a few more kms on it.

I haven’t seen a road test on the XSR yet so a few details on the basics can’t hurt. The bike uses the same 850cc three cylinder engine as the FJ09 and FZ09. The triple motor is powerful, responsive and impresses every time you use it. The bike comes with USD forks with preload and rebound adjustment and four piston calipers. The instrument pod is round and a lot easier to read than the one on the FZ09. In addition to the normal array of idiot lights, it has big legible numbers for speed and a clear easy to read gas gauge. The other available information is a button click away. Special mention here for Yamaha - using big, easy to use buttons! I almost forgot to mention the mirrors, as they are properly positioned and worked like they should.

The brakes are set up with ABS. the tires are sporty Bridgestones in 17” sizes. The round headlight and tail light have a nice café racer look. Bright LED tail lights like these should be on every new bike! Did I mention that it is a really stunning looking motorcycle?

Photo via http://motorcyclistonline.com

When I tested the FJ09, I thought that the 3 levels or riding modes (Yamaha call it D-MODE) were pretty similar on the road. Not so with the XSR! The three modes can be switched on the go and are distinctly different. The modes alter the power. The bike also has TCS; Yamaha’s traction control with 3 modes. Traction control is one of those recent electronic rider aids that come from Moto GP racing. Remember when dialing on too much power coming out of a corner would have the rear wheel step out? Well not on this bike!

Fuel mileage was normal around 50 mpg (yes I am old school). Although it is a bit tall for my 31 inch inseam, I could flat foot it at a stop. Steering is accomplished with a wide handlebar and no steering dampener. Steering was sharp, almost too sharp! It was bordering on ‘super motard’ quick. On the up side, making a “U” turn in a tight parking space was easier than on anything I have ridden in a long time.

So how did it ride? Set the power “D Mode” setting on the rain setting and it is a nice gentle ride perfect for the rider stepping up from a 250/300. Put it in STD mode and you get smooth throttle and full power. Switch to the more aggressive mode and it gains some real ‘snap’. STD worked just fine for the 300 km or so I put on it riding along the shore of Lake Erie.

The power really picked up at 6000 rpm. Shifting between 4500-5000 rpm easily allowed me to blow by traffic. Reving to 6000rpm and it would growl and take off! It also sent some vibration thru the handlebar above 6000 rpm. Not enough to be irritating, but more than I got thru the bars on the FJ09.

Did I mention it is a really stunning looking motorcycle? While the look of the seat is better than anything made lately, it is a bit on the hard side. You won’t be doing 600 km days on a bike like this….so no worries from my ‘bum-o-meter’ until after 300 km. Where are the heated grips? Heated grips should be standard on every bike! No center stand?

This is a really stunning looking motorcycle! However, if you buy one be sure to get your dealer to back off the spring preload on the rear shock. At a price of $10,699.00, you don’t expect an OHLINS shock or remote adjustability. However, the shock set up is too stiff for a “café racer”.

Did I mention that this is a really stunning looking motorcycle? And it has Yamaha’s proven three cylinder engine, all for a price under $11,000. What’s not to like?