Yamaha XSR900 GP Breaks Cover

What’s got three cylinders and looks like a 1980s superbike? If you answered “Yamaha XSR900 GP,” you would be correct! This machine was introduced earlier today in Europe, and appears to be the retro-sportbike that we’ve been expecting from Yamaha for some time now.

What is it, exactly? The name pretty much says it all. Yamaha took the XSR900—itself a retro transmogrification of the FZ-09 platform—and redesigned the rear subframe, added a throwback fairing and paint scheme, and joined the retro sportbike club.

The Euro OEMs have been building bikes like this for a few years now, particularly MV Agusta. It was only a matter of time until the Japanese joined in, and it’s certainly a logical progression from bikes like the old UJM tributes such as Honda’s CB1100 series or the Kawasaki ZRX models. When those bikes were built, sportbikes were still hot items. Now, they’ve slipped from popularity.

Mechanically, we’ve seen almost all the components on this bike before. The 890cc liquid-cooled CP3 triple returns, making 117 hp at 10,000 rpm and 68 lb-ft of torque at 7,000 rpm. A slip/assist clutch is standard, with quickshifter, and Yamaha is including cruise control on these models as well. How modern of them—you certainly wouldn’t have gotten perks like that on the lean, mean ’80s race machines that this bike is patterned after. A six-axis IMU comes standard, governing traction control, ABS, and other electro-perks. This ain’t your daddy’s club racer!

The suspension is from KYB, which is no real surprise. Fork and shock are both fully adjustable. Yamaha even put its trick spinforged wheels on the bike, along with adjustable footpegs and a set of clip-ons that mount above the top of the triple clamps.

We haven’t seen Canadian pricing or availability yet, and since this appears to be a project driven by Yamaha’s Euro arm, it might take a while to get here. But no worries, we do expect it eventually!