It's never too late to reimagine things of the past. Cafe racers in particular are getting more traction with a lot of manufacturers beginning to offer a variety of motorcycles ranging from middleweight 600s to full-blown 1000s. While the market is favoring the retro vibe, cafe racers in general are seeing sales in good numbers.
As is with most modern gadgets, a throwback to the past is a selling point and every mainstream manufacturer is ready to cash in. The trend is very much alive with motorcycles as well as cars. From the variety of cafe racers that are currently available, some of them promise to be the benchmarks while others have room for improvement. Then there are a few that go under the radar, and one among them is the Yamaha XSR900.
Before you question whether it’s a proper racer, remember the XSR900 Abarth? With a couple of tweaks and a good set of clip-ons, the XSR900 is as good as the Abarth if not better.
We’ll go as far as to say the Yamaha XSR900 is the most underrated cafe racer currently available in the market. Why? You ask. Read on to find out.
The Yamaha XSR900 Looks The Part
One of the defining characters of a cafe racer is the looks and Yamaha has got it right with the XSR900. While the bike’s more inclined towards a relaxed riding position, there’s always the option to make it more badass. In fact, there are cafe racer kits available that literally transform how the bike looks and feels.
Even though the XSR900 rides on MT-09’s chassis, there are a few key differences. The XSR design exposes more of the bike’s chassis, especially in the rear where the tubular steel subframe has been bolted to the cast aluminum frame. The off-center all in one digital gauge packs a lot of info and resembles the one found in the Ducati Scrambler. Other changes include a wider, higher seat, different handlebars, and repositioned footpegs.
Yamaha calls the XSR design a neo-retro approach heavily influenced by the 1970’s XS1 with a mixture of current design trends in the industry. While the stock setup may raise eyebrows, Yamaha built a motorcycle that can be modified without having to worry about the internals. Folks at Yamaha call the XSR a modular design that allows owners to play around according to their specifications without compromising its function.
This is an important aspect given that a lot of the cafe racers currently available aren’t the easiest to work on thanks to either tight packaging or complex hardware. This alone separates the XSR900 from the rest of the competition.
The XSR900 Is Too Powerful
If power is more of a priority, then the XSR900 has enough and then some. The XSR900’s 847cc, DOHC inline-3 packs 115 horsepower, which is a bit more than the mighty Triumph Thruxton 1200. The MT-09’s unit has been slightly revised to cope with the functional change, Yamaha has remapped the fueling of the XSR900 to be more relaxed than the MT-09. Aside from the powertrain revisions, Yamaha has fiddled with the chassis to be in line with the adjusted riding position. The 41 mm USDs from the MT have seen a bit of tweaking as is the mono shocks at the rear. Furthermore, Yamaha has added safety features like ABS and traction control. Overall, the XSR is around 7-kilograms more than the MT-09 which isn’t all that bad given maneuverability is smooth and effortless.
In terms of riding, the XSR is on the wild side. For a beginner, it’s better to scale down and get the Royal Enfield Continental GT, since the XSR900 could be a bit intimidating. The three pot's 115 horsepower and abundance of torque are evident in almost every gear and it’s way too easy to pop wheelies, intentional or not. That aside, if you’re an experienced rider, the XSR is a hoot and a half. With that being said, at times, especially during city commutes, the XSR900 feels a bit too powerful.
Don’t Keep It Stock
There’s more than one way to customize the XSR in order to resemble a cafe racer from the 1960s. But we’d stick to keeping it unique than reimagining since there’s a definite charm to things that are old and it’s better left untouched.
With a starting price of $9,500, the XSR900 is great value for money given the kit you’re offered. But we’d advise buyers to experiment with designs and make the most out of what Yamaha calls the “modular design”. For starters, get a proper aftermarket exhaust to exploit the three-pot symphony, secondly, get rid of the stock mirrors which let’s face it, is for regulatory purposes. A set of bar-end mirrors would improve road-appeal significantly.
Get a tail tidy kit from NGC or any aftermarket parts maker for a clean rear end. Swapping the stock indicators for a set of Rizoma units makes it look clean and less bulky. Given that a lot of people go ahead with the MT-09, we think the XSR has a lot of untapped potentials, making it one of the most underrated racers available.
Sources: Wikipedia, Visor Down