Yamaha XSR900Yamaha has unveiled its hip new take on the excellent FZ-09 platform: the XSR900. It uses its own narrow all-aluminum frame and adjustable front and rear suspension, however the XSR is powered by the FZ’s torquey liquid-cooled 3-cylinder, crossplane-crank, 847cc engine, complete with YCC-T ride-by-wire fueling with adjustable D-modes and Traction Control.The XSR900’s motor utilizes an assist-and-slipper clutch unit for a nice light-feeling clutch at the lever, and of course reduced rear-wheel hop when downshifting aggressively. The FZ’s excellent brakes fitted to the Yamaha XSR900 are complemented by standard ABS.
The XSR clearly draws some influence from the classic XS series of the seventies and early eighties, and the cosmetic treatment now gives the great performance of the FZ-09 some “cool”. Exposed aluminum details, retro-influenced bodywork, custom lighting and instrumentation and a stepped seat that moves the riding position back a little, all contribute to the cafe racer ethic. The result is a retro-looking machine that will likely appeal to all ages of rider.The Yamaha XSR900 will be available in two colors, Matte Gray/Aluminum and 60th Anniversary Yellow. The aluminum fuel tank covers on the Matte Gray/Aluminum model are hand-buffed, and are painted in Yamaha’s classic speed-block design for the yellow-and-black version.The MSRP for the 2016 XSR900 will be announced in February, and models will be available in dealerships beginning in April.
Hello everyone and welcome once again to Motos and Friends, the weekly podcast brought to you by Ultimate Motorcycling. My name is Arthur Coldwells.
Motos and Friends is brought to you by the awesome Yamaha YZF-R7. The R7 is an amazing supersport machine that is comfortable too! Check out the YZF-R7 at your local Yamaha dealer, or of course at YamahaMotorsports.com.
In this week’s first segment, Senior Editor Nic de Sena goes to the Yamaha MT-10 launch. I have to say, the R1-derived MT-10 is one of my all time favorite street bikes. It’s the perfect balance of instant, usable power, crammed into an agile yet stable chassis. All that is built into an incredibly easy-to-ride package. And I’m not even going to mention it’s ability to wheelie… The latest MT-10 has had some upgrades, so I’m very curious to hear what Nic thinks.
For our second segment this week I chat with Paul Jayson—aka The Motorcycle Broker. Paul has been restoring, collecting, and selling investment grade motorcycles and cars for several decades, and his knowledge and passion for the art of motorcycling seems pretty much unrivaled.
Paul’s quest for total authenticity and insistence on a breathtaking level of detail is incredible. Actually, one of his restorations—a classic MV Agusta—won recently at Salon Privé.
Paul’s take on how the motorcycle market developed globally, and where it’s going, I found fascinating. You can visit Paul’s website at TheMotorcycleBroker.co.uk.
From all of here at Ultimate Motorcycling, we hope you enjoy this episode!
