For those with fond memories of The Blue Lagoon and the very pretty Brooke Shields, the new, US-market-only Yamaha SCR950 scrambler is comin' at ya…
Yamaha have unveiled the 2017 SCR950, a retro-styled scrambler that's powered by a 942cc SOHC fuel-injected air-cooled V-twin, which has 4-valve cylinder heads and produces 80Nm of torque. Yamaha have not provided a power figure, and you can probably guess why. The bike rides on 19-inch (front) and 17-inch (rear) wire-spoked aluminium wheels, the gearbox is a 5-speed unit and power gets to the rear wheel via a belt-drive setup. Chassis is double-cradle tubular steel unit. The cruiser-ish riding position looks comfortable.
Running gear is all pretty basic – 41mm KYB non-adjustable front fork, twin rear shocks that are adjustable for preload, a single 298mm front brake disc with a twin-piston caliper, teardrop-shaped 13-litre fuel tank, wide scrambler-style handlebar (with reinforcing crossbar for added strength) are all from the 1980s. Only the LCD instrument panel and a high-intensity halogen headlamp are bits you wouldn't find on a 1970s-80s machine.
With its relaxed, retro vibe and classic-themed graphics, the Yamaha SCR950 actually looks rather cool. It weighs 248kg, delivers 21.6kpl in terms of fuel efficiency and, as non-threatening Sunday morning ride, should work well. Prices start at US$8,699 and that's not too bad either.
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