Road test of YamahaXSR 900 2016 Back to the future

the 2016 test season is shaping up to be a busy one, because as soon as I bring in the Suzuki SV 650, I discover the Yamaha XSR 900 parked in front of Oli the Belgian's garage.

i've recently started to take a closer look at the various abbreviations used for the different test bikes, such as SV, GSX, MT, etc...

i wanted to find out where the X, S and R on this "new" Yamaha came from, and here's what I came up with: the X stands for Xtreme, the S for Street and the R for Racing... nothing too surprising when you look at and ride this bike...

so here's my opinion:

design

there's no denying it......the MT-09 's design is omnipresent....!!!! Whereas the MT-09 Roadster is relatively raw and biting, the XSR model is a subtle blend of elegance and character.the upper section is a fine homage to the American superbikes of the '80s, while the lower block features the latest technology. The frame and small exhaust contrast strikingly with the elongated fuel tank. The round headlight at the front and the smaller LED one at the rear, as well as the very retro seat with discreet overprints, give it a real old-fashioned look. The speedometer is cute and round, and digitally displays partial trips, the time, a segmented fuel gauge and an engaged gear indicator.
All in all, I'm still terribly impressed by the finish for which Yamaha is renowned.

the riding position

compared to the MT-09, the XSR 900's riding position is relatively different. With a slightly higher seat height and greater distance between handlebar and seat, the torso tilts forward and the center of gravity rises slightly. The positioning of hands and feet on the handlebars and footrests remains unchanged, except that the legs are perhaps a little less bent.

handlebar controls

the XSR 900's controls fall naturally to hand. On the left-hand side, there's a button for changing or deactivating the traction control, which Oli kindly activated for me in typical Belgian weather conditions. There's also a horn button and direction indicators.

on the right, you activate the electronic starter and another button allows you to select, as on the MT-09, one of three fuel injection mappings: A ("Full throttle"), Std ("Standard") or B ("Baba cool").

the ride

i fire up the starter and wonder if the sound of this 3-cylinder is similar to that of my MT-09? No surprise: the engine crackles just as violently, is pleasant to the ear and strongly encourages heckling.

after a few kilometers, I realize several things: secondly, and this pains me to admit, revs are smoother and softer than on the 09. The third observation is that the clutch is a model of smoothness, even silkiness. When I open up the throttle, the dosage is right down to the micro-pulse, making for a very serene ride on the main road, on the freeway or in town.

but what about the three modes? As far as I'm concerned, I wisely stayed in Standard mode, which reflects the full efficiency of the engine and allows me to get the most out of the machine without fear of being overwhelmed.

the front and rear suspensions provide good control and freedom of movement. The only problem is that, compared with the MT-09, the front of the XSR feels like it's not riveted to the tarmac, which makes the steering feel light and sometimes uncontrolled.
The brakes are powerful, both on the lever and on the foot, almost too much so on reflex braking.

minor faults

one small drawback is that the multitude of information displayed on this small surface is only legible if you look hard enough, and the second small flaw is that you have to take one hand off the handlebars to change the display: a handlebar-mounted control would have been more practical.... but I agree, ... less "retro"!

as far as the controls are concerned, despite having been moved back slightly, the horn button is still too close to the direction indicators.

conclusion

the XSR 900 has a taste of nostalgia mixed with the sauce of today. It's the kind of bike that makes you love waking up in the morning, that makes you want to open the garage door and put on the miles, whether it's to go to work or for a ride.

SCALLE