the first place.
Not only is the initial throttle
response now what it should
be, the smoother access to
the torque means you can get
real nasty on the throttle at any
rpm and instead of getting the
chassis all in a twist, the XSR
just picks up and pulls away,
lofting the front wheel ever so
slightly right up through the rev
range as you laugh your head
off, accompanied by one of
the best sounding engines in
motorcycling. It's a gluttonous,
guilty pleasure, the kind that
makes you glad you ride these
funny motorbicycle things.
Yamaha has equipped the
XSR with three riding modes
(A, B, STD) just like the FZ, but
there's really no need to use
anything other than B mode.
A and STD are a little too
abrupt for my tastes – there's
no reduction in power in B
mode, just a nicer feeling at the
twistgrip which, as previously
mentioned, is one of the great
things about this bike.
The XSR motor does have
one major difference over the
FZ-09: Mated to the retro bike
is Yamaha's Assist and Slipper
clutch, which basically acts
the same as a slipper clutch by
reducing the clutch engage-
ment force during downshift-
ing through the slick gearbox
and stopping the rear wheel
from locking. With three less
springs in the clutch, it makes
for a more stable chassis under
braking and a lighter pull at the
YAMAHA XSR900
ROAD TEST
P80
The 847cc engine made
me do it, I swear!
