The problem with XSR900

[tony]

Sean said it best:
http://www.cycleworld.com/yamaha-xsr900-is-great-but-it-isnt-bike-you-want

[twowheeladdict]

Well said.

[Guru]

I have to agree too. Old school North America has an obsession with 'bigger is better' but those days are over I think. They probably figured that the 900 would sell better then the 700, but I honestly think that the XSR700 is a sweeter package.

[Cruizin]

Im still excited about the FJ-07

[Beemer]

Nice write up and my favorite part is, "Because a bulky and slow-revving 942cc V-twin motor and 547 pounds is totally the recipe for a great scrambler."
 
 

[Guest 2wheeler]

Gotta say, if that green tank XSR700 comes to the states, my 16 silver/blurple is history!
 
Now going for the ultimate... add 100cc, 20hp, 10lbs of torque, and ABS without any extra weight and the same ergonomics to the XSR700.
 
That's a motorcycle!!!
 

[pineappleunderthesea]

Gotta say, if that green tank XSR700 comes to the states, my 16 silver/blurple is history! 
Now going for the ultimate... add 100cc, 20hp, 10lbs of torque, and ABS without any extra weight and the same ergonomics to the XSR700.
 
That's a motorcycle!!!

Yeah, I think you've described the real sweet spot on your "ultimate" bike.  The FZ-07 is great as it is, especially after exhaust/tune, but just a little more HP and torque, combined with ABS, would make it a no-brainer for me, especially if you can still throw it around.  Looks like they need a FZ-08 / XRS800 !

[hobbs]

I completely concur. I want a little more than the 07 has in the bank, but the 09 is just over the top.
 
Until then, the 07 is a blasty blast to ride anyway.

[pattybags]

 
"On the triple, you spend time thinking about not overdoing it. On the twin, you spend time thinking about how to flog it. Which of those sounds like a more enjoyable ride?"
 
BOOM!

[603nytroxtx]

Very well written article that makes total sense. I actually came to the same revelation the other day while riding. I passed an FZ-09 and thought.....damn I wish I had gone with that. After that thought passed through my mind I started to break down why I thought I wanted the FZ-09 instead. One word "Power". As I thought about this some more I realized why do I want more power? One word "Speed". Why do I want speed? One word "Adrenaline". It was at this point I started thinking about why I love this bike so much and what gives me the adrenaline fix I need. The FZ-07 has the perfect amount of power for me. Plenty of torque down low to make me fear for my safety and just enough power at high speeds to make highway maneuvers safe. Speed on DOT roads = Tickets. Tickets ruin fun. I want something that gets me excited but doesn't give me tickets. The FZ-07 fits the bill perfectly. I have my overpowered sled (Yamaha Nytro) with lots of upgrades to give me the power adrenaline fix I need.

[kamalv]

To be clear, we are discussing whether the XSR version of the parallel twin or the triple engine is better in comparison...for who? The average rider? Or in the retro modern sense?
 
I like both and they are both decidedly very different. While i like Sean's writing, I wish he wouldn't use click bait headlines affirming what is or is not good for 'you'
I would choose the urgency and hunger of the triple over the parallel twin. Both are nakeds, so nobody is doing sustained triple digits on either bike. I prefer the roomier legroom on the triple. Sat on one this last weekend and the posture seemed nice to me, upright with a slight forward cant. They are both relatively light weight in their displacement categories I believe. So a retro bike to look cool on and have fun with, both are great! My choice is the triple. Slightly more grins for me
 
And i have put over 20K happy miles on the FZ 07. Though my jutting belly might be cramping my style a bit nowadays.

[rowdy]

Nice article, and thanks for posting. I agree with most of what he said, but I think the XSR700 is really a step sideways from the FZ-07. It has old school looks, but that isn't enough to make me want one. In fact I'm kind of tired of the "retro" thing. Now if they really made an SCR700 that was even lighter than the FZ-07, I'd be all over that. But like the article pointed out, "heavy" is not one of the characteristics I want in a Scrambler, or my naked, fun bike.

[Mr.Puss]

Very well written article that makes total sense. I actually came to the same revelation the other day while riding. I passed an FZ-09 and thought.....damn I wish I had gone with that. After that thought passed through my mind I started to break down why I thought I wanted the FZ-09 instead. One word "Power". As I thought about this some more I realized why do I want more power? One word "Speed". Why do I want speed? One word "Adrenaline". It was at this point I started thinking about why I love this bike so much and what gives me the adrenaline fix I need. The FZ-07 has the perfect amount of power for me. Plenty of torque down low to make me fear for my safety and just enough power at high speeds to make highway maneuvers safe. Speed on DOT roads = Tickets. Tickets ruin fun. I want something that gets me excited but doesn't give me tickets. The FZ-07 fits the bill perfectly. I have my overpowered sled (Yamaha Nytro) with lots of upgrades to give me the power adrenaline fix I need.

 Well said, I concur. 

[tony]

Yeah, triple engine is more fun than a twin, no question. The 09's just has too much power for the street bike, to be truly enjoyed.
 
A great way to get adrenaline fix is to take Fz07 to winding mountain roads. Taking these curves and harpins is absolutely exhilarating, and it takes more skill than any highway run. You'll be working the bike much closer to its potential. And you may be exceeding posted speeds by a good margin on the exits, but only in short bursts... usually not enough to bother cops. And they usually don't speed trap on those kinds of roads anyway. Just make sure you have good visibility thru the corner and can stop in time for any obstacles on the road.

[Beemer]

Gotta say, if that green tank XSR700 comes to the states, my 16 silver/blurple is history! 
Now going for the ultimate... add 100cc, 20hp, 10lbs of torque, and ABS without any extra weight and the same ergonomics to the XSR700.
 
That's a motorcycle!!!

Yeah, I think you've described the real sweet spot on your "ultimate" bike.  The FZ-07 is great as it is, especially after exhaust/tune, but just a little more HP and torque, combined with ABS, would make it a no-brainer for me, especially if you can still throw it around.  Looks like they need a FZ-08 / XRS800 !

I would think they would also throw an extra $1k into the price but I would pay it for something like that.

[twowheeladdict]

Very well written article that makes total sense. I actually came to the same revelation the other day while riding. I passed an FZ-09 and thought.....damn I wish I had gone with that. After that thought passed through my mind I started to break down why I thought I wanted the FZ-09 instead. One word "Power". As I thought about this some more I realized why do I want more power? One word "Speed". Why do I want speed? One word "Adrenaline". It was at this point I started thinking about why I love this bike so much and what gives me the adrenaline fix I need. The FZ-07 has the perfect amount of power for me. Plenty of torque down low to make me fear for my safety and just enough power at high speeds to make highway maneuvers safe. Speed on DOT roads = Tickets. Tickets ruin fun. I want something that gets me excited but doesn't give me tickets. The FZ-07 fits the bill perfectly. I have my overpowered sled (Yamaha Nytro) with lots of upgrades to give me the power adrenaline fix I need.

 
 
Definitely NOT why I ride! I'll save adrenaline for the bedroom thank you.
 
I ride because I don't want to be caged.
Let me ride thru the wide-open country that I love.
Let me ride by myself in the evening breeze.
Listen to the rumble of my parallel twin.
I ride because I don't want to be caged.
Let me straddle my seat comfort saddle underneath the bright blue skies.
Let me wander the curvy roads till I see the mountains rise.
I want ride to the ridge where the enjoyment commences.
Concentrate on the curves and hone my senses.
I can't look at a cubicle, and I can't stand cages.
Don't fence me in.
 
I have as much fun on my 13 lb-ft KLX250S as I do on my 125HP 88.5 lb-ft torque Triumph Trophy. For me it is about seeing and experiencing the great roads and the sights, sounds, smells, and feeling the warmth of the sun, and the coolness of running along a stream or river.

[ShiftHer]

Nice write up and my favorite part is, "Because a bulky and slow-revving 942cc V-twin motor and 547 pounds is totally the recipe for a great scrambler."  

Exactly! When I saw their Scrambler I was like Yes!  Then I read that it used the Bolt motor and was like Nooooo. :'(  I just recently rode a Bolt R-Spec on a demo ride and, aside from the fact that it vibrated my bones right out of their sockets, it felt like it took forever to get up to speed. 
I really like Yamaha's SR400, but just wish they made it in a bigger CC package. And I can do without the pretentious kickstart thankyouverymuch.
 
Still... it's nice to see so many new bikes coming out!

[raceblue]

It's funny how the article got the complete opposite reaction over on the FZ09 forum. I did a comparison of the XSR900 vs. FZ-07 and you can argue either way between the XSR900 or the XSR700. I think he wrote the article to prod Yamaha into shipping the XSR700 to the U.S. He also wrote an article for Cycle World about the XSR900 several weeks ago and talked about how great it is. It's funny how they're pinning the FZ-07 vs. the FZ-09 and the XSR900 vs. the XSR700. In reality, the best bike is the one you're riding.

[Beemer]

Nice write up and my favorite part is, "Because a bulky and slow-revving 942cc V-twin motor and 547 pounds is totally the recipe for a great scrambler."  

Exactly! When I saw their Scrambler I was like Yes!  Then I read that it used the Bolt motor and was like Nooooo. :'(  I just recently rode a Bolt R-Spec on a demo ride and, aside from the fact that it vibrated my bones right out of their sockets, it felt like it took forever to get up to speed. 
I really like Yamaha's SR400, but just wish they made it in a bigger CC package. And I can do without the pretentious kickstart thankyouverymuch.
 
Still... it's nice to see so many new bikes coming out!

They used to have a big brother to the 400, it was the SRX600 but they stopped making it in 97'. A person could maybe get lucky and find one in good shape and fix it up to their liking. If you ever decide to look for one and get one let us know and of course, pics. Would be interesting, those were nice bikes, IMO. Not a lot of power but torquey and somewhat hooligan like. Fun! 
 
[attachment id=1789" thumbnail="1]

[Guest 2wheeler]

That Yamaha SRX600 (SRX-6) has quite a following now. Tough to find one, and if you do, you will be paying a lot for one in good condition.
 
Funny thing is that they didn't sell well at the time. It only sold for one year in the states - 1986.
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_SRX
 
 

[Beemer]

That Yamaha SRX600 (SRX-6) has quite a following now. Tough to find one, and if you do, you will be paying a lot for one in good condition. 
Funny thing is that they didn't sell well at the time. It only sold for one year in the states - 1986.
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_SRX
 

True all that! It reminds me of how one of my bikes, the 550 Vision didn't sell real well either but was compared to BMW's at the time for it's comfort and smoothness of power. The big tank and shaft drive were awesome, too! Simply too much bike to be competitive with other bikes in it's class/price range, like the KZ550.

[ShiftHer]

They used to have a big brother to the 400, it was the SRX600 but they stopped making it in 97'. A person could maybe get lucky and find one in good shape and fix it up to their liking. If you ever decide to look for one and get one let us know and of course, pics. Would be interesting, those were nice bikes, IMO. Not a lot of power but torquey and somewhat hooligan like. Fun! 
 

Hadn't heard of the SRX! Nice looking bike. It looks a bit FZ-ish, actually.
 
Funny you mention looking for older bikes... I'm picking up a little something this weekend  Pics when it happens. Don't want jinx myself lol 

[Eastern Kayaker]

I recently was able to demo the XSR900 on streets around the dealer, but no highway riding permitted (dealer restriction). This bike is a well built and beautiful motorcycle. This bike is not for new riders, because of the power of this engine. The seat height is an inch taller than the FZ-07. I can flat foot at stop lights on the FZ-07 and my heels are slightly raised on the XSR900. I am 5'10" with a 31" inseam and weigh 215 lbs with gear. The XSR900 weighs around 33lbs more than the FZ-07, but I did not really notice the weight difference when sitting on the bike or riding it. Not sure if the gas tank was full or not, since I did not check. The bike has 3 modes (STD, A and B). My ride spent most of the time in STD mode. To me A mode is "wild stallion mode", STD mode is "Thoroughbred mode" and B mode is "pony mode". Well not quite a pony, but B mode is also known as Rain mode and it feels like it restricts the throttle response so you are safer riding in wet conditions. I prefer the STD mode for most of my riding. The XSR900 felt very planted when riding on the back roads and few curves I encountered. The extra pounds on this bike are not noticeable to me at any time during the demo. The suspension is firmer than the FZ-07, which to me was a good thing. I did not have time to check the suspension to see if it was adjusted for my weight. The riding position seemed to be similar to the FZ-07. The seat was comfy and the bike handled great and is flickable like the FZ-07. Shifting was smooth and precise. The ABS brakes worked fine during the short time I had the bike. The one thing to be aware of when riding this bike is the front end is light, so the front wheel wants to come up even more than it does on the FZ-07. Of course, better control of the throttle can stop this from happening, until you want it to happen. As mentioned in the article, I also wish Yamaha will bring the XSR700 to North America, but the XSR900 has its place here too.
[attachment id=1790" thumbnail="1]
 
 
 
 
 

[raceblue]

........I also wish Yamaha will bring the XSR700 to North America! [attachment id=1790" thumbnail="1]
 
 
 
 

The XSR900 does still feel flickable and light. From day 1, "B" mode was a lite too tame for me. It's either "A" mode or "STD". This is a good comparison of the two bikes. I think in the past, the next level up for a FZ-07 owner was the FZ-09, but now you have the XSR900 to choose from. I think the XSR900 has all of the features that FZ-07 owners love plus more. When I compared the two bikes on my blog, XSR900 vs. FZ-07 comparison I thought the XSR900 couldn't compare with 57 mpg fuel rating of the FZ-07, but I took out my XSR900 on the Long Island Expressway the other day and was getting between 60 mpg and 80 mpg in the HOV lane with no traffic. I was really impressed. The XSR900 is such an amazing bike. It's hard to believe every review that praises a bike, but the praise of the FZ-07 turned out to be true, and I can vouch for all of the great write ups about the XSR900. For all those here who love their Fz-07 as much as I did, keep the bike, enjoy the bike, and if you ever get that itch for something else, look at the XSR900 if they don't bring the XSR700 over to the U.S.

[tony]

Raceblu, do us a favor... Take her to Bear Mtn, and come back with a report, or hetter yet, with a video