From our Old Bike Archives – Issue 117 – first published in 2024.
Ride impressions: Jim Scaysbrook. Photos: Sue Scaysbrook, Yamaha-Motor Australia
Remember when GP bikes all looked like cigarette packets? There were works teams and privateers sponsored by tobacco giants with brands such as Rothmans, Camel, Lucky Strike, HB, Gauloises, and of course, Marlboro with its distinctive red and white livery. That livery adorned the works Yamaha squad in 500 GPs with Wayne Rainey, Eddie Lawson and other notables, as well as the home-based Yamaha dealer team in Australia where Mick Doohan was launched to stardom.
So despite the fall from grace of the gaspers of years gone by, it is not all that surprising that Yamaha should wish to revisit those glamorous and iconic days with the optional red and white colour scheme (officially called Legend Red) for its stunning new XSR900 GP. Alternately, the model is available in a stately Power Grey, which also looks rather smart. And while the new XSR900 GP is overtly retro styled, underneath the technology is as modern as tomorrow. The new XSR900 GP is officially part of Yamaha’s Sports Heritage range, celebrating the illustrious past in conjunction with a very purposeful Deltabox aluminium alloy chassis and that fabulous triple cylinder engine in its latest CP3 guise.
Although the GP shares much of the DNA of the standard XSR900, it’s a very different package once you get aboard. The riding position is much more weight-forward, with the footrests and their associated controls set high (but adjustable). Taller riders may struggle with this a bit. Probably to counter this forward bias for the weight, the wheelbase is longer than the standard model. Once I got used to the riding position it was reasonably comfortable, thanks to the handlebars, which sit above the top steering crown and in front of the fork tubes, having a decent rise, along with a sensible steering lock. There is nothing so annoying than the need to do a ten-point turn when parking due to the reduced lock of racer-styled bikes. The seat is heavily sloped to the front which tends to dictate just where your posterior ends up. There is also a pillion seat of sorts (hiding under the rear cowling) but I doubt there will be a great deal of pillioning taking place on this model.
Our test bike sported a few genuine add-ons (there’s quite a list), such as the Akrapovic exhaust system, which provides a surprisingly muted exhaust note given the puny size of the actual muffler. This engine has a distinctive throaty roar under acceleration and it would be sacrilege to muffle that out. It was also fitted with the optional lower fairing which still gives a good view of the engine but keeps a lot of road muck out. The 5-inch TFT screen was specially developed for the GP and while it is deceptively simple to look at, there is an incredible amount of tech packed inside. It has full connectivity for smart phones when used with the Y-Connect app.
Initially I put the engine mode into Sport, but I found this quite aggressive, especially in built-up areas, and soon reverted to the Street mode, which has all the mumbo you could ask for and is far smoother. There is also a Rain mode, plus two Custom modes with various levels of traction control, anti-wheelie control, cornering ABS (which can be turned off), and an adjustable up-or-down quick-shifter for the six speed gearbox. All these functions are linked to a six-axis IMU that was developed on the R1 Superbike.
In terms of handling, it’s hard to imagine anything sharper – it seems glued to the road – and the tyres must be credited for much of this. The GP is shod with Bridgestone S23 tyres that were specially created in conjunction with Yamaha for this model, and sit on ultra lightweight spin-forged wheels. The brakes are unchanged from the standard XSR (apart from the 16mm Brembo radial master cylinder) but there’s absolutely nothing lacking here, while the KYB suspension is up-rated over the XSR. Both front and rear suspension is fully adjustable for both high and low speed compression damping. Wearing big winter gloves, I found the multi-functional left hand switch and the placement of the main things frequently used – like the turn indicators – a bit of a chore, but to be fair, there are many functions to control and only so much space to put everything.
Yamaha has certainly gone to extreme lengths to combine the retro-racer theme with modern functionality. There are even the little R-clips and alloy cups on tubular steel brackets retaining the top fairing (not that you would be removing it quite as often as the old days of the TZ racers), and the mock raceplate at the front, with no big round headlight – just a tiny but extremely powerful LED unit inset.
At $21,499 Ride-away in Australia, the GP should find plenty of suitors, and I am willing to bet that the majority will opt for the red/white version, which looks like it just rolled out of the Yamaha factory transporter.
For more info and current pricing visit https://www.yamaha-motor.com.au/products/motorcycle/road/sport-heritage/xsr900-gp
2024 Yamaha XSR900GP – Specifications
Engine: Three-cylinder DOHC 4-vales per cylinder, liquid cooled.
Bore x stroke: 78.0 x 62.mm
Capacity: 890cc
Compression ratio: 11.5:1
Fuel system: EFI with YCC-T.
Engine management: Transistor-controlled ignition.
Horsepower: 117hp@10,000rpm
Torque: 90.3 Nm @ 7,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed, chain final drive. Wet clutch with slip-assist.
Frame: Diamond shaped Die-cast aluminium alloy.
Suspension: Front: KYB 41mm USD forks, fully adjustable, 130mm travel
Rear: KYB Monoshock, pre-load and re-bound adjustable. 131mm travel.
Brakes: Front: 4-piston calipers, 2 x 298mm discs ABS.
Rear: 1-piston caliper, 245mm disc ABS
Wheels: Spin-forged aluminium alloy.
Tyres: Front: 120/70ZR-17; Rear: 180/55ZR-17
Wheelbase: 1500mm
Seat height: 835mm
Fuel capacity: 14 litres
Wet weight: 200kg
RRP: $21,499.00 Ride-away (Australia)
Test bike: Yamaha-Motor Australia.
