We showed you a video of Yamaha’s new XSR700 a few minutes ago. Now, we’ve got some other details on Yamaha’s repackaged vertical twin.
The bike comes as a customized-looking variation of the existing FZ-07, with flat tracker-styled leather seat and handlebars, an aluminum gas tank, rad cover and other bits, and retro-styled headlight. Builders who want to customize things further should find that an easy task, as the rear subframe is a bolt-on unit, making it easy to remove and re-work.
There will also be an extensive catalogue of bolt-on factory custom parts for this bike (designed in conjunction with custom builders from around the world), same as Yamaha did when they released the Bolt.
The designers managed to keep wet weight to 186 kg. The front brakes have 282-mm discs working in conjunction with four-pot calipers.
The XSR700 will be available in Europe this November, but we have yet to receive any word on Canadian availability or pricing. The bike is a part of Yamaha’s “Faster Sons” line of mildly customized factory bikes, and we have yet to see the XJR1300 cafe racer come to Canada (although the Bolt C-Spec is here).
So where did this bike come from? It seems Yamaha is paying a lot of attention to the world of customs; their press release says the XSR700 “pays tribute to the iconic Yamaha XS650, a pure masterpiece of Yamaha simplistic design that still inspires today.” The video we posted earlier makes the same allusions, with a brief shot of an older Yamaha XS650 thrown into the mix of footage of the XSR700. Yamaha’s XS650 is a perennial favourite of customizers, whether they be professionals in big shops or DIY enthusiasts in their carport. Yamaha is hoping to grab the attention of those builders, and convince the world their motorcycles are still hip.
GALLERY
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what a bunch of woosies ….. (650 Yamaha) .. “ooooo it was a paint shaker and it vibrated” ….. get a life!.
Haha … I liked mine enough that I’d buy another!
Bring it to Canada! I’ll buy this instead of a new Bonneville. Paint it black, drop those bars, maybe a longer pipe. I think it’s cool.
They are aiming at an over 50 demographic. And those guys like me respected the xs650 but were more interested in fours. BTW the local dealer has no bolts left.
As far as I can tell, the Bolt has been a massive sales success. It hits all the right buttons for most guys, and most of the buttons for the right guys. The suspension needs updating, but the rest of the bike is great. Just not as good as an XS650.
It’d be nice if it were a lot shorter. wtf is with all these uber-tall bikes?
If you want short, buy a Bolt or a Vulcan S.
Bolt is like an unbalanced eggbeater, I tried one. It’s also a different bike. This one’s a nice standard design, it’s just that so few manufacturers are making them short. Triumph’s bonneville has a 29in seat, and that was the main reason I picked one up.
I go into showrooms and sit on bikes and wonder why my knees are bumping my elbows. I’m often asking who are these little bikes for? I’m 6’1″ and my old KLR was perfectly sized. Bring on the tall bikes! At least this one looks less like a lady shaver and more like a real bike.
The W650 was in production from from 1969 to 2001, then reintroduced as the W800 (with fuel injection) in 2010 continuing until the present.
Admittedly, it was never a race bike and was only in North America for 2000/2001 but it had the paint shaker vibes to match the Yamaha. The last one I saw on the street had split its rear fender from the vibes in true Britbike tradition.
I keep bugging Canadian Kawasaki to bring it back, they just roll their eyes and shrug…
Having said all that this XSR700 would be another hit, much like the Bolt has become. Please, Yamaha ?
As long as it doesn’t vibrate like the old XS650, that should be a fun ride.
Hard to imagine people rode those two wheel paint shakers for 30 years. BTW the xs650 was sold in Germany until 1988.
The only motorcycle to even approach the mightiness of the Suzuki DR650 and DR350 was the XS650. All hail the best British bike ever built (except for the fact it wasn’t made in Britain).
I dunno, the WR650 (later 800) Kawasaki could give it a run in the paint shaker department…?
The W650 pales in comparison to the mighty XS650. Shorter production run, never had a reputation as a solid racebike (XS raced flat track successfully), aftermarket is nowhere near as solid.
The xs 650 flat tracker was the ugly sister to the suicide tz750 sled. It was too bad Yamaha didn’t make a few updates to the xs, although in that time frame, late 80s, they were in financial ruin.
Of course the XS650 was no TZ750, but guys like Shell Thuet did turn them into successful racers.
I would love to have another XS, either a Heritage Special like my old one, or a scrambler custom.