A full day aboard the 2022 XSR900 demonstrates how good Yamaha has become at finding the sweet spot where style and performance come together. Key to the XSR900’s charm is a new engine, chassis, and electronics package, all wrapped up in a 1980s GP-inspired design.

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Riding the 2022 Yamaha XSR900 from Ventura, California, to the outskirts of the Ojai Valley is a lesson in well-executed compromise. A streetbike this well-suited to laid-back beach towns doesn’t usually make the best dance partner on snaky mountain roads. And yet the XSR900 feels just as comfortable at the apex of sweeping third-gear corners as it does relaxing alongside sandy surfboards. That is the beauty of blending classic styling with modern technology, a trick Yamaha is getting better at all the time.

Yamaha has had years to perfect the recipe. The MT-09-based XSR900 was introduced in 2016, and while critics noted the imbalanced chassis and aggressive power delivery, there was no denying the platform’s potential. A yearslong development cycle to determine the right balance of style, performance, and character resulted in an all-new MT-09 in 2021 and, now, in an all-new XSR900.

Editor’s note: We reviewed the ‘21 MT-09 during the Yamaha Builds a Better Triumph - 2021 MT-09 Review and 2021 Yamaha MT-09 MC Commute Review articles and videos. Read the 2022 Yamaha XSR900 First Look Preview to learn about its technical improvements...

Full story here: https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/story/reviews/yamaha-xsr900-first-ride-review-2022/

Photography: Adam Campbell
Video: Casey Davis
Edit: Bert Beltran

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