Yamaha XSR 900 GP
Yamaha XSR 900 GP, a brand new sports bike-inspired retro for 2024.
it’s similar to the regular XSR 900, but they fitted it with some clip-on style handlebars and a bit of a half-faring to give it a bit more of that sporty look and riding experience.
there’s one big contributing factor, and that’s that it’s based upon the MT-09, Such a brilliant motorcycle one of the standout features, it has to be said, is the CP3 inline triple engine, which is, for me, one of the best on the market.
Smooth and Powerful Engine
Now, it does have decent Top and power with 117 horse’s peak. It delivers it with plenty of punch as well, so there’s lots to work with.
And yet I don’t feel like it’s excessive. It’s a nice amount of power for the road and doesn’t feel like it’s always going to get you in immediate trouble.
The other thing with this engine is the mid-range, lots of torque, very smooth and grunty in the mid-range.
And so you don’t necessarily feel like you have to massively keep on top of the gears all the time.
And yet, even when you do, it’s got a Very nice Gearbox, good quick shifter, and so all around, just a super pleasant engine to use, whether it’s in the MT-09, this bike, the regular naked XSR 900, or even the Tracers lineup, which is more of a sports tourer.
Yamaha XSR 900 GP Tech Package
Now, to manage all that punch, you get Yamaha’s latest and greatest tech package, most of which is inherited from the MT-09.
Although I will say, I believe there are a few tweaks that have been made to the specific settings for this particular model.
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Still, there are three preset riding modes of Rains, Street, and Sport. on top of that, there’s a custom mode so you can dial in your own favorite combination of parameters.
Each of these modes will affect a bunch of lean sensitive rider aids like traction control, ABS, and wheelie control, all powered by the six axis inertial measurement unit.
And then on top of that, there’s a quick shifter as standard plus cruise control.
Yamaha XSR 900 GP Display and Controls
One thing I really do like here, though, is the fact that you get the bigger, easier to read five-inch color TFT display from the new MTO-9, as opposed to the three and a half-inch display from the previous Gen MTO-9s that you still currently get on the standard non-GP XSR 900 model.
This one is nicely laid out and also easy to control with the updated switch gear.
I really do appreciate this extra retro-inspired layout specific to the GP model with a replication of an analog rev counter with the speed off to one side in a font that’s made to look like an LCD.
So yes, in summary, a very good, very modern suite of electronics despite the old-school external appearance of this bike.
Suspension for Sporty Riding
Now, one of the key differences between the XSRs and the MT-09 is that they have lengthened the chassis ever so slightly on the XSR models.
I think I’m right in saying that that’s mostly down to the swing arm. So they do feel a little more stable.
If you were to ride them back to back, the MT-09 is the one that’s probably going to feel a touch more flicky, but all the same, and especially when you compare this to the rest of the retro-inspired market,
where you’ve got a lot more of those old-school feeling bikes with oversize front wheels for a bit of that retro look.
This is firmly planted at the more sporty end of the spectrum. Easily fast turning enough for me. And also you’ve got a decent suspension set up which helps you to get it dialed into your taste.
Yamaha XSR 900 GP Front View
I think it’s It’s got a really nice quality to it for the road. Up front, you’ve got an upside down KYB fork with plenty of adjustability.
It’s a KYB Mono shock at the rear as well. With this particular GP model, I think they’ve made a couple of tweaks to the setup.
One is a wider spectrum of adjustability versus that standard XSR 900.
I suppose with the slightly more sporty intent, there is the chance you might take it for the occasional track day or something like that.
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More adjustability is hopefully going to help you find an ideal setup when you’re riding it harder and you’re at the extremes of what the suspension is capable of.
Also, I do believe they firmed it up a little bit on the fork and also softened the shock ever so slightly.
Potentially, that’s because the riders further But as I said, you’ve got these lower bars, so you want a bit more support at the front.
Less required on the shock as well, I guess.
But also, they’re probably expecting you to ride this bike a bit harder, and so you might want a bit more support on the brakes.
A Retro-Sporty Look
look, I’m not going to say it’s an out and out, aggressive, super sports-style bike. this is more so what I’m looking for, a nice balance, a sporty feel, but still suitable for the road and enjoyable on the road.
Look, absolutely loads of performance. A brilliant bike to ride.
But what I really like about it is the way it’s paired with this brilliant retro-aesthetic. To me, it really is a thing of beauty.
And while the regular XSR 900 did look a little bit tail-heavy, I think the fairing up front, especially with the optional lowers that you got on this particular press bike, really does balance it out for a very nice overall profile.
I’d probably go for the optional accessory pipe, which sticks up at the side and I think is more in keeping with the typical look at the bikes of the era that this one’s based upon.
But otherwise, across the bike, you’ve got plenty of nice little details. I think they’ve done a brilliant job of this front end and hiding the headlight away here, a little daytime running light up top.
Things like bar and mirrors are really neatly done.
I also like the fact that you’ve got little fasteners and bolt heads here and there that, again, just add to the feeling that this is a sports bike from 20 or 30 years ago.
Yamaha XSR 900 GP Color Option
As for color choices, well, of course, this one is inspired by the Yamaha Marlborough race bikes of yesteryear, but there is also a much more stealthy-looking black and gray option.
I think with those two, they’ve got pretty much both tastes covered, either the stealthy vibe or something a bit more exciting, which still has some history to it.
Reasonably Priced
Now, Another plus for me is the price, which I think, considering what you’re getting, is fairly reasonable at £12,500.
Now, sure, it is quite a step up from the MT-09, which is fantastic value for money at about £10,100.
if you are more of a fan of the modern esthetic and the upright bars, then clearly that’s the one to go for, given that you’ll also save the best part of £2,500.
But I don’t think the MT-09 can come even nearly close to the visual specialness that you get with this bike.
And taking into account just how much of a transformation it is, I think the extra cash is almost certainly worth it.
Plus, if you look elsewhere at what you can get for this money, a Speed Twin 1200 from Triumph for a Kawasaki Z900 RS, well, both would be about the 12 grand mark.
And so for a bike like this, which I think gets quite a lot more pizazz, another 500 quid doesn’t look bad at all.