2017 Yamaha SCR950 Scrambler First Look | 10 Fast Facts

June 8, 2016

2017 Yamaha SCR950 Scrambler First Look Preview

2017 Yamaha SCR950 Scrambler First Look | 10 Fast Facts — 2017 Yamaha SCR950 Scrambler

We have gotten an in-person look at the new 2017 Yamaha SCR950 scrambler, and we are definitely intrigued. Yamaha took a page out of a 1960s playbook and used it 50 years later. Here’s what you need to know about the 2017 Yamaha SCR950.

1. The 2017 Yamaha SCR950 is based on the Yamaha Star Bolt C-Spec. Starting with the same frame and motor as the Yamaha Star Bolt C-Spec, Yamaha has turned the successful cruiser into a modern scrambler via just a few wisely chosen modifications.

2. The SCR950 is fifth bike in the new Yamaha Sport Heritage line. It joins the SR400, Star Bolt C-Spec, XSR900 and VMax as Yamaha’s entries into the sporting market, but with a retro twist.

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3. With adventure-ready Bridgestone Trail Wing tires, Yamaha insists the SCR950 is truly ready for rides down unpaved roads. In a tip o’ the cap to the scramblers of the 1960s, Yamaha has taken a purely street bike—the Star Bolt C-Spec—and made it into a do-everything scrambler that still retains much of its street character. The wheels are also dirt-friendly—19” front and 17” rear, and use wire spokes.

4. The SCR950’s suspension parts are the same, but use different settings. To make the SCR work as a scrambler, the conventional forks and piggyback-reservoir shocks are revalved to sporting specs, and the new subframe allows added clearance for the rear fender. Front suspension travel is 4.7 inches, while the rear wheel travel remains limited to 2.8 inches.

5. In scrambler tradition, the 2017 Yamaha SCR950’s exhaust does not run under the motor. Although not the upswept pipes usually found on 1960s scramblers, the exhaust on the SCR950 does run above the lower frame rails and tucks between the engine cases and the right footpeg and brake pedal.

6. Ergonomics are sporty, and dirt-capable. The SCR950’s taller, long, flat dual seat is both functional and period-correct, while the crossbar-equipped bars are wide for good leverage. Although the footpegs are in the same spot on the frame as on the Bolt C-Spec, their relationship to the bars and seat changes significantly. For comparison, the SCR950’s seat height is 32.7 inches, while the Bolt C-Spec’s is 30.1 inches.

7. For all the changes, the 2017 Yamaha SCR950 is still a Bolt at heart. With a rake of 28.4 degrees and tipping the scales at 547 pounds, ready to ride, along with the limited 2.8 inches of rear wheel travel, the amount of off-road duty should be pretty limited. However, its potential as a fun sport bike, with the impressive 942cc air-cooled V-twin, is definitely there. It won’t be close to the XSR900 triple, but it should easily best the SR400 single.

8. Yamaha is offering plenty of accessories for personalization. Options include a number-plate flyscreen, a small windscreen, steel skidplate, beefier footpegs, and side bags.

9. Does the 2017 Yamaha SCR950 replace the Star Bolt C-Spec? Maybe. Yamaha also showed us the lightly updated 2017 Star Bolt and Bolt R-Spec (they get the new flange-free fuel tank found on the SCR), but not a C-Spec—at least not yet.

10. You can get the 2017 Yamaha SCR950 in July 2016 at Yamaha dealers. If you’re interested, you don’t have long to wait. Available in Charcoal Silver or Rapid Red, the list price is $8,699.