17th March 2016

The Yamaha XSR900 is the second bike in the Faster Sons series. Featuring a neo-retro body, steeped seat and custom instrumentation and lighting, the XSR900 is a biker’s dream.

The XSR900 draws inspiration from Yamaha’s classic XS series but then goes beyond it. It blends the XS classic look with modern technology and performance, creating a mean machine that cries avant-garde with every inch of power in its 847 cc engine.

The basic specification of the XSR900 is based around Yamaha’s MT-09, which was considered a radical design when it was launched. Famed custom bike maker Roland Sands from California was commissioned to create the XSR series last year.

Yamaha XSR series is based on the MT-09 frame

He took the MT-09’s design and updated it into a yellow dream machine he called the Faster Wasp. He replaced many of the plastic parts like the mudguard and the headlight bracket with aluminium parts, making the bike more contemporary and less of a sports bike.

Yamaha has retained the power delivery that is characteristic of Yamaha’s sports bike in the XSR900, which was missing in the MT-09. You will be happy to learn that there are three engine modes on this bike. The most aggressive mode is a bit sharp but the other two return smoother responses. Yamaha has also installed the traction control system that it debuted in the MT-09 Tracer last year, in the XSR900.

The XSR900 weighs a bit more than the MT-09 at 195 kg, thanks to the metal parts but the additional weight does not affect control negatively. In fact, the handle bars feel light when you accelerate the XSR900, partly because of the longer tank which shifts the weight on the back wheels.

XSR9000 scores over the MT-09 on many aspects

The ground clearance and tyre grip on the XSR900 are generous. The braking is crisp, reinforced by twin disc front brakes which also incorporate a decent ABS system. Other noteworthy features include clean instrumentation, light control and a good fuel economy. The seat is a bit larger than that installed on the MT-09 though the pillion rider is still short charged.

The XSR900 is also customizable. You can unbolt the rear sub-frame to install a single seat. The tank panels can be removed and swapped if needed. Yamaha has also created provisions to swap the handlebar into a cafe-rider inspired handlebar, if you want that.

Aluminium seat humps, rear footrest, canvas panniers and fly screen are other accessories. The XSR900 is retailing for £7,849 in the UK, which is £400 more than the Mt-09 but it is worth it. If you can appreciate a neo-retro bike with a modern parts, than you will love the XSR900. The rivals to the XSR900 are the Kawasaki Z800, Triumph Street Triple and the Honda CB1100 EZ.