In 2021 Yamaha released the XSR900, a sports heritage bike inspired by the company’s Grand Prix championship victories in 1984. Now, the XSR900 GP takes that foundation and adds retro race bike coolness to the equation. Yamaha says it hearkens back to the “Golden Era” of Grand Prix motorcycle racing, paying tribute to iconic machines like the Yamaha YZR500.
The YZR500 was series of Yamaha race bikes built to compete in the MotoGP 500cc class. Over the years it won nine Constructors Championships, most memorably with three consecutive victories from 1986-88.
The XSR900 GP is an homage to the bikes of this period and comes in two colorways. Power Grey is blacked out looks like the type of machine a cyberpunk ninja would ride. The throwback livery, called Legend Red, is an homage to the red and white Marlboro sponsorship on many of the winning bikes.
Like the XSR900 it’s based on, the GP sports Yamaha’s Deltabox frame. Instead of a tubular frame, the Deltabox encases the 3-cylinder crossplane engine in a sturdier and more rigid enclosure. It’s an ode to the original Deltabox, introduced in 1982 and a key technology that helped pave the way for Yamaha’s success in that decade by improving agility, stability, and front-end feedback. The difference with the GP is that the frame is finished in silver for a more classic look, rather than the regular XSR900’s black.
Draped over the frame is a race-inspired half-fairing with D-ring fasteners for quick pit-stop removal. Up front an aero cowl with bolt-on knuckle guards add to the motorsports countenance. Race bikes had no headlamp but it’s required for a road bike, so Yamaha designers added a small LED light shaped to recall an air vent. An empty yellow section is where the racing number would have been displayed.
At the rear an 80s-style racing saddle has the passenger seat covered by a removable seat cover. The boxy design mimics the rear racing cowl of early YZF500s, again with a matching yellow section for the racing number. The two thin slits at the rear are reminiscent of the warning lights on race bikes, but are stacked rather than side-by-side. It even features red wheels.
The XSR900 GP has just gone on sale in Europe and, sadly, there’s no word on whether it will come to the US. We certainly hope it does, as it’ll be a great addition to the retro bikes that we’ve already seen from Honda, Suzuki, and Kawasaki, as well as the regular XSR900.
Additional Images:
Images courtesy of Yamaha.
Hnnng, it looks so good!
Modern exhaust requirements make a throwback to the 4 small 2-strokes exhaust pipes uneconomical to engineer, but I would like to see some aftermarket making a triple-pipe system, probably one on each side and one under the seat, pure race-bike style!
Amazing job on the required lights, also, not something we often see!
It is so cool to see a bike actually painted in colours instead of black, gray and boring stuff like that. Bikes are not serious! Especially bikes like these! I would rather have a classic Yamaha speed block yellow bike over this cig-inspired one, but at least they have fun and it looks great.
Now this is the kind of retro product that is retro done right! All of the classic notes, combined in a way that makes best use of the modern stuff available. And with the Marlboro red and white that is so iconic. Talk about a winner.
Just a small comment to say that I’ve just bought this absolute beauty after reading this article. This is literally the kind of retro bike I’ve been dreaming about for years. Being mostly a car guy, I had no idea it was out. I managed to grab one of the last ones available in my country. Dan, you can call Yamaha to claim your commission.
That’s amazing!
I do not know about this bike specifically, but Yamaha’s triple cylinders are usually pretty corked up from factory, so try to have a listen around for others who have the yamaha triple in order to fetch the perfect sounding exhaust!