Yamaha XSR900 Roadster/Retro (2016 - ) review

The underlying effectiveness of the MT-09 chassis, packaging and so on has never been in doubt, and is a great blend of performance and value. Instead, the only question mark was against its looks. The XSR addresses that with a retro-roadster inspired restyle that cleverly blends old and new and is bang on trend. The yellow, Yamaha US ‘speedblock’ paintjob is a great addition, too, although alternative colour options – grey or green – are a tad dull.

Its classic upright roadster gait with a touch of forward-canted sporting attitude is brilliant and natural in most circumstances, delivering great machine control, a perfect vantage point for peering over traffic in town, and also making the rider feel at one with the bike when the time comes to attack a set of curves. On the downside, it also leaves the rider exposed to the wind and elements, making distance work on motorways and such a draining chore.

As has been alluded to with the XSR’s riding position, as a classic upright roadster, the Yamaha triple is reasonably practical. Being upright makes it great around town and as a commuter, it’s involving enough to be fun as a sportster, and it’s easy for relative novices, too. But there’s one major failing: long distance touring. Medium distances are fine, but if you fancy touring, there aren’t many luggage options, and there’s zero weather protection.

Much better than the average roadster. With a healthy 116bhp available and not much by way of weight, the XSR is something of an excitable whippet, with plenty of get up and go off the throttle and a fat, addictive midrange, too. That’s all accompanied by that unmistakable, three-cylinder soundtrack. Brakes-wise, it’s fitted with the familiar twin disc, blue spot caliper Yamaha set-up, which delivers plenty of sporting power and feel.

It’s not just the brakes and performance on the XSR that are something to get excited about, either. That light weight allied to fat tyres and decent suspension (the forks on the XSR are an improvement on those of the MT-09 thanks to revised spring rates) helps make it a fun-packed sports roadster that reminds, more than a little, of Triumph’s class-leading Street Triple. For a roadster in this price bracket, it’s pretty much top of the tree.

The XSR, again like the MT-09 on which it’s based, is a fairly simple and straightforward motorcycle. Thanks to its light weight, it’s not too greedy when it comes to consumables like tyres, chain, fuel etc. At the end of the day, although slightly pricier than the MT-09, the XSR is a budget-orientated machine with the running costs to match. However, it will still be slightly more expensive to run than lighter, cheaper bikes such as Yamaha’s own XSR700 or Suzuki’s SV650.

The base MT-09 has now been around since 2014, with few reported problems, so there’s little to fear here. Early models had slight fueling issues and oversoft forks, but these have since been fixed and there are otherwise no reliability issues we are aware of. Better still, although essentially a restyled version of a ‘budget’ bike, the MT and XSR families have proved pretty well put together and satisfactorily durable.

Again, although the XSR is very new, the bike on which it’s based, the MT-09, hasn’t inspired any scare stories or major concerns. As with all Yamahas (and as is pretty much the industry norm now, too) the standard manufacturer warranty covers the first two years, irrespective of mileage. Major services, meanwhile, are due every 7,000 miles or so, and should be fairly straightforward, given the bike’s configuration and specification.

The XSR is slightly more lavish, stylish and better equipped than its more basic sibling, the MT-09, which partly explains its slightly higher price, but it’s not by much. There’s traction control and, as is now required, ABS as standard. Like the MT there are also three switchable riding modes. The LCD clocks are stylishly round and specific to the XSR, as are the LED front and rear riding lights.

If you’re after a stylish, fairly middle range, decent value and fun roadster, the XSR – on paper at least – pretty much has it all. Of course, with all the mechanicals being those of the MT-09, it was a good place to start. The XSR adds to that mix with an even better ride, fashionable retro roadster styling, and an extra touch of class as well. If the look and style appeals, the ride and experience certainly won’t disappoint.