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Yamaha XSR-700 Born Tomorrow


Cruizin

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To be candid, I'm tired of the usage of the term "retro".  I don't care for it, and have a natural irritation to anytime the term is used.  Why do we continue to hold onto labels?  Are we, as a society, really that narrow minded?

 

Anyways, rant aside...  I love the look of the bike.  I don't care what it does or doesn't resemble.  I like that it's has a simple, traditional and somewhat conservative appearance.  I don't tend to like things that are fancy or attract attention.  Does that mean I'm therefore a fan of "retro"?  Don't know, and don't care.  Call it what you want, but I think it's pretty cool in it's understated appearance.  

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http://motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/Custom Bikes/Yamaha_XS650_and_XSR700.htm

 

I agree they're torturing the English language for the sake of appealing to 50+ year olds... Thing is, do "old geezers" really care about reliving the experience from 40 years ago? Is that really the customer demographic?

 

https://rideapart.com/articles/like-father-like-son-two-new-yamaha-yardbuilts-revealed

Edited by pattonme
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2 hours ago, pattonme said:

http://motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/Custom Bikes/Yamaha_XS650_and_XSR700.htm

 

I agree they're torturing the English language for the sake of appealing to 50+ year olds... Thing is, do "old geezers" really care about reliving the experience from 40 years ago? Is that really the customer demographic?

 

https://rideapart.com/articles/like-father-like-son-two-new-yamaha-yardbuilts-revealed

I'm of the 50+ demographic and I don't want a bike with 30-40 yrs old tech & styling... I rode them and I prefer todays lighter, relatively better handling and braking bikes. As far as styling I'd prefer a more modern styling like say the ummm FZ-07 😁 that has more comfortable than race bike ergos.

 

I'm wondering it the retro styling is for the younger guys who want to pretend they lived way back then?

Edited by DewMan
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DewMan
 
Just shut up and ride.

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This old geezer wants the latest designs. The MT-07 is a perfect example for me. The modern glut of electronics I can do without, though.

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Just do it! 

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  • 1 year later...
On 7/22/2015 at 7:23 PM, ryan4130 said:

It's an fz-07 with different style peices to make it look like a different bike. Some things I saw which are similar if not the same: front forks, front brakes, gas tank, turn signals (euro version?), exhaust, engine, handlebars, levers, chassis?, rear swing arm... The list goes on. I don't like that they are trying to call it a different bike when it appears to be only a face lift.

A face lift can be a different bike.  They just plain don't look alike, period.  That makes a difference to a buyer.  I know it did for me.  I was never drawn to the FZ07/MT07, but the XSR got me big time and I picked one up knowing full well that I could have done the MT07 for less or the MT09 for a bit more.   They were NOT what I wanted.

 

 

On 7/22/2015 at 8:12 PM, lonerider said:

Wow, a seat that looks like a real seat. I'd prefer the bike if it was a mix of adventure bike and a scrambler. Look isn't enough for me. The bike is essentially a FZ-07 in retro clothes. Moto Guzzi also enter this scrambler game with a new variant of the V7.

Really, what's it take to have what you said?  A high pipe?  Cross bar on the handle bars?  Gee, isn't that just the look?

 

 

On 10/27/2017 at 4:12 AM, YZEtc said:

I never would have guessed the XSR700 is supposed to pay homage to the XS650 without reading the press blurb or seeing the blurb video.

To me, it's just another marketing exercise of having a "new" model with minimal R & D meant to promote the retro niche, complete with riding gear that's supposed to replicate what was supposedly worn back in 1972.

Funny thing to me is that I wore goofy gear like that and rode old, obsolete bikes that nobody wanted once they became outdated.

I don't see the attraction to the styling.

I never actually heard of it until I got interested in the XSR and started looking for information on it and on the 700 engine.  I didn't see it as retro by any means.  The only retro on it for me was the goofy lollipop tail light.   But I can live with that for the rest of the package.   What I saw was a bike that didn't have a lot of covers, more bare bones, with an engine that hasn't really gotten any negative feedback on it and that it is the same basic engine used in the AFT twins and production twins class, not to mention the road racing in the twins class in the FZ set up - I think.   

I saw it as the nearest thing I could get to a street tracker without blowing a whole lot of money building one.   The potential is there to get much closer with the addition of a flat track seat/tail section, no frame cutting with the bolt on rear loop.  The tank is closer to the look of the Estenson racing Yamahas. 

JD-Beach-Estenson-Racing.jpg

I know they started with the FZ07, but the bikes are essentially fraternal twin motorcycles since the general bike is the same, with some layout change with the seat/tank/bars/fenders.  Looks like the general package is near the same along with peg position.   

Suffice it to say I never ever looked at this bike with any thought about retro (actually didn't see it that much once learning about the marketing) I looked at it from the dirt track point of view and liked what I saw.   When I learned how the engine performed and read no negatives, I was pretty much sold.  It was never "open face or half shell with googles", it was always either full face or dual sport.  The tank is as close to that flat track tank as it can be, having to carry significantly more gas, so I live with what would be termed a huge tank. 

I'm betting a whole lot of XSR riders went for the appearance they liked versus the "retro homage" talking points.  They, like me, just saw a bike that finally tripped their trigger.  A lot more  riders (based on the XSR700 forum) went for the ability to take off the rear fender and go with what I consider bizarre millennial look where they cut down or take off fenders, add fork gaiters, and "murder the bike out" with dull lifeless colors for some sense of being intimidating.  Apologies to those of you who do that, your choice and no problem with that, just doesn't work for me.  I see that with a variety of bikes, frequently older models, so maybe that's why Yamaha went with that look and implied "retro homage", can't do the same look with an MT or similar bike so they link it to the XS650, a fairly popular bike with which to do that stuff, but the old Honda twins and fours are also in there.

I only wish it was affordable to put a 19/18 wheel set on it with some Dunlop K180s or the like on it.

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On 12/18/2017 at 1:29 PM, VertigoTX said:

To be candid, I'm tired of the usage of the term "retro".  I don't care for it, and have a natural irritation to anytime the term is used.  Why do we continue to hold onto labels?  Are we, as a society, really that narrow minded?

 

Anyways, rant aside...  I love the look of the bike.  I don't care what it does or doesn't resemble.  I like that it's has a simple, traditional and somewhat conservative appearance.  I don't tend to like things that are fancy or attract attention.  Does that mean I'm therefore a fan of "retro"?  Don't know, and don't care.  Call it what you want, but I think it's pretty cool in it's understated appearance.  

That's part of it for me too.  I like the conservative look, not into the angular covers over everything look.   My choice.

 

On 12/18/2017 at 10:23 PM, DewMan said:

I'm of the 50+ demographic and I don't want a bike with 30-40 yrs old tech & styling... I rode them and I prefer todays lighter, relatively better handling and braking bikes. As far as styling I'd prefer a more modern styling like say the ummm FZ-07 😁 that has more comfortable than race bike ergos.

 

I'm wondering it the retro styling is for the younger guys who want to pretend they lived way back then?

As for the technology, I prefer to have some newer technology, I not only rode the 30-40 year old models back in the day, I sold them.  I know the pitfalls of some and know there are some that would be absolutely fantastic still today, the only negatives being no ABS and carbs instead of EFI.  The latter being something that is no big deal in general if the bike is ridden all the time or prepped when put away for the winter season.   One specific bike that comes to mind would be the Nighthawk S.  But that's my opinion.   

Funny you want more modern styling of the FZ07 then imply it has race ergonomics (maybe I'm misreading that though).  I prefer the  flat track look and a riding position similar to a flat tracker, not the peg set up, which is staggered, but the bars/seat set up and that of a dual sport.  Similar and open.  Good for longer term riding comfort.  I don't really see the XSR as anything other than what it is, a heck of a bike that happens to have a bit plainer features than most, rounded fenders, round headlight.  Don't care for the tail light though.  

I have to believe most here are very similar in the performance aspect, differing mainly or even only in our preferences for appearance of our rides.  Nothing wrong with that.  I'm just glad that the XSR and MT/FZ are fraternal twins, gave me a far better idea how good the package was considering how long the FZ/MT have been around.   Seems to me the Tenere and Tracer kind of make it a bit more like fraternal quadruplets.  Good deal.

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On 10/27/2017 at 8:36 AM, r1limited said:

Why Mr XSR700, I knew SX650 and your NO SX650

 

 

And thank God for that.  By the way it is XS650.  They had crap starters, carbs that got temperamental, vibrated, and weren't particularly fast unless "breathed on" by Shell Thiutt...   I am so glad Mr XSR is No XS650!  I wouldn't have bought it if it was.

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