Motor
2023 Yamaha XSR900
The Yamaha XSR900 is unchanged for 2023 but got a slight price bump to $10,199. (Yamaha Motor Europe/)
Ups
Loaded with features you’d expect on a much more expensive motorcycleHigh-quality fit and finish2022′s updates add refinement to an already-great package
Downs
Lack of compression damping adjustability on the rear shock limits performanceSeat adds to the look but too thin for longer rides
Verdict
The XSR900 combines YZF-R1-derived rider aids, a soulful three-cylinder engine, and stand-out styling. At $10,199, it undercuts the price of the competition while providing higher-tech rider aids and more features.
Yamaha borrowed design cues from its early-to-mid-’80s GP machines for its latest-generation XSR. The smooth, elongated tank feels just right with your knees tucked into the pockets, and Legend Blue paint looks amazing in the sunlight. (Adam Campbell/)
Overview
The 2023 Yamaha XSR900 is a mashup of the decades. It’s like a 1980s endurance racer was stolen from the paddock at Bol d’Or, left for dead in a French lockup until it was unearthed in the ‘90s by some punk kid who stripped it of its bodywork and turned it into a streetfighter, and then sold it to a genius hacker in the 2020s who tore out its carbs and implanted it with the latest superbike-derived electronics.
While some manufacturers give their retro-styled bikes minimal rider aids, believing potentially nostalgic consumers prefer a closer proximity to an analog experience, Yamaha has gone the opposite route in order to expand the bike’s appeal. In the same way, by diverging from the aggressive styling of the MT-09, upon which the XSR is based, Yamaha is hoping it appeals to a breadth of riders—from style-conscious young people nostalgic for the glory days to golden-agers who love the styling of their youths but have no patience for fiddling with carb jets.
Updated for 2022, the XSR is based heavily on the latest MT-09, sharing the same engine, electronics, and main frame, but it uses a longer swingarm, a different subframe, and has a few other changes to distinguish itself.
The XSR900 packs lots of technology, an engaging crossplane three-cylinder engine, and a dynamic-handling chassis into a cool, retro-leaning package. At $10,199, it has tremendous bang for the buck.
The XSR900 is a more refined package than the first generation, but it still knows how to have a good time. (Adam Campbell/)
Updates for 2023
The XSR900 is unchanged for 2023, having just had a major overhaul for 2022.
Pricing and Variants
The 2023 XSR900 costs $10,199.
Competition
The XSR900 competes on the spec sheet with nakeds like Yamaha’s own MT-09 ($9,799), the Ducati Monster, Kawasaki Z900 ($9,399), Triumph Street Triple 765 R ($9,995), or even KTMs; there’s the KTM 790 Duke ($9,199) and 890 Duke R ($12,949).
That said, the growing popularity of retro motorcycles has spawned a large selection of modern, yet classically styled, machines. Examples include the Triumph Speed Twin 1200 ($12,895), Honda CB1000R Black Edition ($12,999), Kawasaki Z900RS ($11,949), and the BMW R nineT ($15,945).
Not only is the XSR900 less expensive than all of those models, it’s also better equipped with cruise control, a quickshifter, and full-LED lighting. It also has more advanced IMU-managed rider aids.
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By: Cycle World Staff
Title: 2023 Yamaha XSR900
Sourced From: www.motorcyclistonline.com/yamaha/xsr900/
Published Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2023 21:16:22 +0000