I have come to a conclusion…I love Yamaha bikes. And I came to this conclusion after looking at the new naked sports bike, the Yamaha XSR900. And what a beautiful naked sports bike it is. I mean just look at it. I love the fact that you just can’t categorize it in one styling segment. Some say it’s a café racer, but I don’t think it’s a true café racer. And it is not the only bike that Yamaha has recently come up with. On one hand you have this kind-of-a-retro XSR900, and on the other hand, you think so-very-much-ultra-modern MT-10. MT-10 is way too modern for my taste to be honest. Maybe I am getting old but I don’t like vehicles with excessive cuts and lines.
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Yamaha launched its XSR900 at an exclusive event in California, United States. It is the version of Yamaha’s FZ-09 sports bike. Yamaha internationally has been selling quite well, as well as domestically in Pakistan. And I am quite sure that has something to do with the way Yamaha is developing and designing its bike. Yamaha XSR900, however, is not just a FZ-09 without fairing. Yamaha actually has done some work on its new offering. For example, Yamaha has sacrificed the horsepower from its 850cc engine a little bit in order to iron out the throttle response. Also, XSR900 comes with Yamaha’s assist/slipper clutch and selectable traction control. Yamaha has returned the suspension setup of FZ-09 for their XSR900 bike. There were some reports of FZ-09 not being corner-friendly. So considering Yamaha bothered to retune and readjust the suspension setup means maybe they have realized that maybe FZ-09 suspension needed some work.
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And when it comes to MT-10, Yamaha has completely turned the tables as far as design language is concerned. The bike looks like it was made for some futuristic movie. It looks like a Transformer. Or paint it matt-black and you might find Dark Knight riding it. Well considering Yamaha is calling MT-10 ‘the dark side of Japan‘, you can expect anything. MT-10 is also derived from an existing Yamaha bike, the Yamaha YZF-R1S. From the looks of it, Yamaha is trying to hunt down BMW’s bike with its new naked R1. MT-10 is also a naked bike, like the XSR900. The naked R1 is equipped with Yamaha’s crossplane engine. Engine is the same 998cc producing 165 bhp and 75 ft.lb of torque. The bike itself is a little less than 200 kg, so those 165 horses are more than enough. MT-10 is supposed to be mighty when it comes to maneuverability. It should be, considering the wheel base is only 55 inches. And as far gadgets are concerned, MT-10 is equipped with ABS, cruise control, selectable ride mode and traction control. Considering the power this bike makes, you will need ABS and traction control for you to keep your head intact with your torso.
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I just bought the XSR 900 with clubman bars and the cow back seat, and it looks awesome, the only issue is the clubman bar, The original bar is super comfortable, with clubman my back is breaking, I am thinking of getting the woodcraft handle bar they look cool. The original is too high and chops the aggressive look. Also guys do look at BMW R NineT Racer which is due to come out march, I am way too excited for that, because it will be after 3 decades they will launch the original design.
Price?