The Yamaha XSR900 Gets A Makeover

The Yamaha XSR900 returns for 2025, combining Yamaha’s retro styling (supposed to remind you of the XS650 series) with its three-cylinder engine. And while there are no massive updates to this bike, there sure are a lot of minor tweaks.

Let’s start with the suspension. In back, Yamaha added a new shock with total adjustability, including refinement to the high-speed and low-speed compression settings. There’s also a new linkage to connect it to the swingarm. This is probably the biggest change to the bike’s hard parts, although Yamaha didn’t really play it up.

There’s also a new seat, with adjustable clutch lever and new footpegs as well, along with new handlebar switches and self-canceling turn signals. After the industry turned up their nose at those self-canceling switches for a long time, it seems they’re finally coming back in style, and we are ready for it.

The bike has a long list of changes to the electronics, starting with Yamaha’s third-gen quickshifter. There’s a new USB-C charging port up front, and a new 5-inch TFT screen, with choice of four different screen configurations. The screen connects to your smartphone through Yamaha’s Y-Connect app, allowing you to control music playback to your helmet comm, or to answer/reject calls. As well, you can access satellite nav info through the Garmin StreetCross app, if you tie that to the screen.

The screen also lets you work with the Yamaha Ride Control system. With this program, you can select Sport, Rain or Street ride mode to control your bike’s electro-safety features as well as the throttle response. Yamaha Ride Control also allows you to create two ride modes to your own preferences.

Lots of small tweaks then, but the one that surprises us is the one that didn’t happen. Despite adding its Y-AMT automatic transmission to the MT-07 and Tracer 9 series as an option, Yamaha didn’t make it available for the XSR900 next year.