The all-new Yamaha XSR700, a sporty retro-yet-modern streebike aimed at bearded young gentlemen and stylish young women. Hipsters everywhere should love this one…
Yamaha are taking their "Sport Heritage" bike building philosophy, which they've latched on to in a big way over the last few months, pretty seriously. According to Yamaha, this is all about "respecting the iconic styles and designs of Yamaha motorcycles of the past, whilst intending to push the boundaries of motorcycle technology to create amazing bikes with real character that never compromise on riding ability." In keeping with this philosophy, Yamaha have now unveiled the new XSR700, which is supposedly a "faster son" of the erstwhile Yamaha XS650. Faster son? Yeah, well, the term "shows respect to the bikes that came before, whilst also showing pride in the faster sons of today and tomorrow, because above all, we love to ride."
For the new XSR700, Yamaha worked closely with the Los Angeles-based bike builder Shinya Kimura. The brief was to build a casual, retro styled streetbike that pays tribute to the iconic Yamaha XS650 – simple, 1970s/1980s inspired styling, with a modern engine, suspension and brakes etc. The XSR700 is powered by a 700cc parallel twin that, according to Yamaha, "kicks out a linear, deep torque for not just outstanding acceleration, but smiles in every gear. The uneven firing interval and 270-degree crank ensures a strong sensation of acceleration and outstanding traction, while maintaining continuous smooth and exciting power delivery till high rpm." However, no actual power or torque figures are quoted.
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