I've got about 1,000 miles on this bike and love it. I added a Dart windscreen, USB port, iPhone mount, and throttle paddle. Most importantly, I use my Airhawk inflatable seat pad (which I've had for 20 years and move from bike to bike). With the seat pad and throttle paddle/cruise control, I can ride indefinitely in terms of comfort; the only limitations being fuel and bladder range. One of my other bikes is a '19 Triumph Speed Twin. One of the other commenters, after watching this very detailed and excellent review, indicated that he figured this Yamaha would be a step down in premium feel from his Triumph Speed Twin. Not my perception at all! With my setup, the only thing that I'd agree with the author is really bothersome is the feel/utility of the touch wheel infotainment interface. Not nearly smooth feeling enough nor an ideal interface. Not a deal breaker for me, just could be nicer. As to getting a Kawasaki Z900RS as an alternative, that bike is several thousand dollars more expensive. More importantly, it's a completely different feel. Very enjoyable ride, but it feels like the perfection of a 70s bike, enhancing all the good parts of those bikes and eliminating most of their downsides (except weight). The XSR900 on the other hand, while providing a semi retro look, feels like the present and future. The quick shift and cruise control are much more fun additions to the riding experience than I would have imagined. Note, if you really want to enjoy the feel of a 70's bike on the cheap, the Royal Enfield 650s do the job nicely. It's fun to be able to enjoy the Triumph's torque/grunt nature and the Yamaha's screamer nature. Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't! YMMV
Well you say that but then you added a Airhawk inflatable seat pad ... so there is clearly more issues that the scroll wheel with the bike. As for the rest of the problems I'm sure if you've never had other good bikes you can live without perceiving them. In my defense and to back my points up the new MT09 touched on almost every single thing I critiqued in my reviews. They've changed the dash (they've added military time!!), all the buttons!, THE PASS LIGHT BUTTON (granted I think its a bit to raised so not perfect still but an improvement non the less), they change the amount of FORK TRAVEL! :)) Its like Yamaha's engineers sat down took notes and addressed most of my issues. And its not even been 4 years so the new MT09 midcycle refresh IMO is amazing. I'm SOO HAPPY with that :) I might just buy a mt09 sp next year. I'm shocked how much they've took from my key points ... now ideally they would transplant those improvements on the XSR package so I can also get a nice looking bike front.
@@mikebikealot Well, I did say "with my setup", which includes the airhawk seat cushion. So, I resolved the seat comfort problem. I agree whole heartedly that the stock seat is only good for relatively short rides, not all day journeys. You're correct that one's past experience with various vehicles represents his or her universe for comparison. I've been riding for 53 years with a baker's dozen of motorcycles, but admittedly my only recent motorcycles are the XSR, Speed Twin, and CRF250l dual sport. It sounds like you have a lot more experience among a variety of modern bikes, which enhanced the value of your review.
@@rick-hm3ji I've come down into the XSR package from the sports bike side. My health has somewhat deteriorated after covid and it's been hard to sport bike a days trip. I don't have a lot of years like less then a decade riding but I've been fortunate to ride Ducatis, Aprilias, Bmws a few Kawys, KTMs and Zeros most of those brands mid to upscale offerings had really really good user experience. So I was a bit thrown back when I jumped to Yamaha since everybody talked them up. So when I noticed all these small issues it kind of surprised me... I'm also shocked how much they've changed the new mt09 next year it feels like I've just missed the boat or better yet jumped in at an inopportune time. If I would have waited one more year and got the 2024 mt09 this review would have never happened. In January I want to see if I can get an allocation for one... I'm so confused since I could try to live one more year with the XSR and hope they will refresh it in 2025 with the new stuff... its so sad because the white and red 2024 theme on the XSR is just perfect for me I absolutely love that color scheme it reminds me of the old ducati V2 (edit: the ducati v2 2021 livery is still on offering so I guess they've noticed I liked it so much they kept it :)) ) . The 2024 mt09 position is also a bit crunched down over the bars... they changed the ergo a bit for the worse IMO... That + I want to branch out more and pick up a 400 class bike since I have some friends that constantly brag about the CF Moto 450 engine. It's been so long since I've ridden a small capacity bike that I can just absolutely trash for 2-3h and then head back home!! I miss the old Ninja 400/R3 days.
I stand corrected the new mt09 does not have military time or at least I've not seen it in any of the themes. - The clock now has a date though the dash does not appear to display that (maybe there is a theme that I've not seen that uses this) - The dash does show the cruise control speed :) finally - The quality of all the buttons is top noch!!! even the small joystick its proper firm and clicky. Good job Yamaha. - The buttons are amazing! Especially the signal rocker. If you see online reviewers that say its bad, they have no idea what there saying. Press one to activate press again to cancel and also it self cancels. - The pass light is not ... that good (the position of it is too high and far away from the bar) - The screen is ok, but the menu for the screen is verry verry bad its actually a downgrade. They have this 3 page scroll menu that is really annoying thank god you don't have to go into the menu too often - The map navigation is crap ... no one will use that. I feel like the industry is so close to implement google maps just add android/apple auto for the bike and accept nothing less
A lot of really valuable information. Pretty much all the reviews are from people paid to say its great or so new they will love anything they touch. I'm glad you posted this excited to see part 2 and to see the solutions you find for any issues you see with the platform.
Such a good in depth review, it’s usually only after ownership these little things come out. I was ready to put it on my serious must have list but so happy I found you’re post as these things did change my mind about ownership.
Refreshing to hear an honest review. A beautiful bike , but turned off by the seat, plastic, and turn radius. Awesome power, but not enough to overcome for me.
Finally a reviewer that looks critically at a bike, many bikes cost as much as a small car now a days, but still they put them to market with a lot of 80% finishing. Keep up the good work. Subscribed 👍🏻
The issue is that bikes and cars aren't comparable. The production volume for cars is significantly higher, therefore they can afford to get better pricing. Lower volume=more expensive. Also, only the really high end bikes come close car prices. I haven't seen a car for under $20k in more than a decade.
@@gryphongryph that is true as well. But generally, in manufacturing, you have MOQ (minimum order quantity) which will always be more expensive than any higher number of units ordered. You'll also get more bang for buck on all the tooling you developed and paid for, as well. I'm in the manufacturing industry, but I'm definitely ignorant on all the different tariffs, taxes etc.
Pads will transform the brake performance. I recommend Ferodo. Changing those on my R1(track bike) changed the performance more than braided lines and removing the abs system. I used race pads, but I think it will be the same thing for road pads. Give it a try. After that some braided lines will give you less squishines at the lever. The blipper is not the best to be used at low rpm, it should be used mostly in spirited riding. But being deliberate with your shifts will help. This is also true for the R1 etc. Slide control doesn’t have anything to do with lifting or not lifting the front wheel. I’ve have had slide control activated and the front wheel up on my R1. And this is verified trough the data recorded on the R1 CCU. Slide control doesn’t effect anything until the rear wheel starts slipping and I highly doubt this happens on the road that much. You need quite a lot of speed/power + lean angle for this to happen. Ofcourse, my experience is with slick tyres, so street tires will definetly slide earlier.
Indeed you soo correct about the brakes I really really wana upgrade them maybe even the lines ... I'm not sure how much that will cost and if I will lose the warranty I need to research the process. Regarding the slide control I've noticed the SC light blink when I've tried power whiles not so much in regular clutch ups. With the feature turning down the light no longer blinked so I assume that the rear wheel was slipping and the bike intervened. I suspect the tires were the culprit, I've changed my tiers from the S22s to Diablo Roso IV's and I need to re-run some of the tests but the season is almost over ... maybe next year
Done 8000km on mine and hated the seat, changed it straight away. Steering lock is the worst I’ve seen on any bike . Quick shifter up is great down could be better. Agree on the switch control wheel, and left hand switch functions are poorly set up. I’m 6ft 1 and find the riding position uncomfortable on longer rides. The stock mirrors add a good 3 inches to the full width of the handles bar which I do not like when channeling though traffic, so replace them. Light switch is shit. Performance is great, awesome engine, good suspension, brakes good, good in corners.
That's basically my opinion of the bike! :D Up until now I've owned sport and sport turners so even the regular handle bar feels like its another half of a bike length :)) Every time I get on a naked I feel like a bit of a car. It will be interesting to see how well I can lane filter among the super tight city streets looking forward to the season start :D The only thing I don't necessarily aggrege with is the bike could do better with the front brakes and the tries. I don't think there up to snuff for a 11k package. You can get a lot better for that price ... Though if needed and possible I'd easily spend a few extra hundreds for braded brakes and diablo Rosos out of the box.
Can you do a test for me? Power mode 1 - Put the bike in 3rd gear at 35mph and then give it wide open throttle. Then return to 35mph and use 4th gear and do a pull at WOT and tell me if 4th feels more seat of the pants torque. I am curious if the lower gears at lower RPM's are neutered from the stock mapping.
From 60kph 3rd gear is a bit more faster to accelerate than and 4th gear. Realistically you should not do it from a fix speed but rather from a set rpm so for example here's how I know Yamaha has software "nuked" the 1st and 2nd gear. At ~3k RPM in first and especially second its more sluggish to accelerate than in 3rd. In 3rd and 4th gear the bike feels about the same in terms of power delivery and it feels like its less restricted. For reference I have a stock exhaust and no other performance mods done.
Great Video!! Hey what model of Gilles Levers do you have? I am thinking about getting those. I just bought a XSR900 and the stock clutch lever sucks!!.
Nothing special the default yamaha accessories ones: Though note that I do mention in the video that the Gilles clutch leaver is not that good either so I would not have spent the money in retrospect... if the stock sucks too then probably search for something else aftermarket... The adjustment range in the Gilles is not the best if your almost there with the stock ones maybe missing like 2-3 millimeters then they might work for you else if you're looking for a bigger improvement I'd get something else... www.yamaha-motor.eu/lv/lv/products/motorcycles/sport-heritage/xsr900-2022/accessories/billet-front-brake-lever/beb-rffbl-00-00/?path=/?page=3 www.yamaha-motor.eu/lv/lv/products/motorcycles/sport-heritage/xsr900-2022/accessories/clutch-lever-black/b7n-rffcl-00-00/?path=/?page=4
That bike looks awesome in black!! I'm a little surprised that you wound up purchasing this motorcycle at all with the complaints you verbalized. Especially since the defects were all present and obvious from the start. I personally would have purchased something that I could live with on the daily and not think, "cheap switches"and "Crappy screen" and "poor quick shifter" whenever I climb on. I appreciate your perspective and I'll definitely be looking closer if I get a chance to get another Yamaha. The last Yamaha I had was a 2005 Yamaha fz1 and I had trouble finding anything to complain about. I'm currently wanting to get either a XSR900 VS MT10 VS GSXS 1000 VS KATANA. thanks for the honest opinion.
Seat fix is $150. Upholstery shop added 25mm of memory foam shaped to my butt, re-using original cover. Some people just like to moan rather do something about the problem…
Yamaha steering turn-in angles are shortened because their bikes turned in to lock hard when past a certain point, tending to throw the bikes down at low speeds. It took effort to keep them up and pull the bars back out of it. My 2005 FJR was a beast to wrestle when I turned past that point.
Hey Mike! Thanks for another awesome video. I am waving into a used 2022 xsr900 black like yours with only 4,000km on it, but I am not sure about the S22 wearing. When was your first tire swap? I heard people changing the rear tire after 6,000km
I don't think you should swap them at 4000 probably 6000 to 8000k but it really depends on the way you use the bike ... if you do rolling burnouts often :) well. However for regular street use go for around 8000+. Now a more proper way to check do me a favor and google "s22 tire wear mark" on most tires within the large groves you should see small connecting outdent. If you reach that your are not at the end of the tire but you are close
When I sat on the bike at the dealer the seat didn't feel good, but when I test road the bike the seat felt ok. but I was only on the bike for around 15 minutes. its definitely not the best seat. and I don't understand why the seat doesn't go right up to the tank. I didn't really notice things being loose on the bike except for the seat. which moves all around if you touch it. but when riding it it doesn't seem to move. I did think the lcd screen could be bigger and better. Yamaha must've wanted to save some money with the screen. and I heard someone else talk about how bad that scroll wheel is. but no complaints on the handling or engine.
Yes, in fact that is exactly what my next video will end on. Its because of the electronics I do for the first time recommend a 2022 XSR 900 or a MT 09 to a beginner. The only down side is the weight, be mindful of that its not a easy to handle bike while standing still :)
Great review. Finally an honest one without Yamaha's sponsoring. What I do want to know though is if other xsr users agree with your verdict. Can others reply and share their opinion?
I'm trying to be fair to any product but I won't sugar coat anything. It's easy to reinforce your purchase decision by bragging or even falsely stating about how amazing something is (even if just to yourself). I generally try to actively steer away from that pitfall because it guides me in what I want to be better in my next purchase. Most importantly I try to keep a relative scale between things even if sometimes I do compare apples to oranges. There is value in comparing things so long as your comparison framework is declared and in the future I want to elaborate more on my decision process and actively compare more bikes to one another.
wow youtube just notified me of the comment. If you buy second hand don't get fooled the older xsr is nothing like the 2022 model. Honestly I would get the XSR and then change things on it like the seat, tires and brakes... the Suzuki is a verry sad bike :( it has the power but none of the electronics or the character of the CP3 engine it also weight just above 20kg more ... IMO excluding the GSX-8S and Busa, Suzuki makes verry sub par bikes that are generally reflected in the price... there not bad mind you there just bland... I think the GSX-8S is amazing value for the money and in its bracket it shines alongside the new honda hornet
I am tall, over 190cm. I rode around 1000 kms, so my opinion. I have blue colour, so that is already 50% of Yamaha sell success :). Original handlebar is 73cm wide, I need 76cm /I will change it/. I like the display, no problem with it. I do not need only the QS arrows, there could be the outside temperature /more important/. The scroll wheel on right side of handlebar is necessary to push on the top or bottom, not in the middle and it is OK. Yes, turning radius is small, when you want to do short cicrle in parking space, it is not comfortable. Seat is hard but not comfortable. After 100km in a day you feel it /but for example KTM Duke 890 - you mentioned it - I felt hard the seat after 30 kms/. Maybe a longer seat space could be OK for the persons over 190cm of tall. And under the seat you have space only for original yamaha tool, no space for first aid kit. Of course, rear shock from MT09SP could be better option. And I need heated grips of course. I say, XSR is image motorcycle, which makes your day funny, but Tracer 9, with higher comfort, makes that day much longer.
haha true :) I'm somewhat sadden by the display ... it feels really cheap, even the older xsr model was nicer. Though it was not as useful as this at least it was shown some love with the styling. Considering that this is the MT09/XSR screen for the next ~3 years its going to look laughably bad by 2025... maybe they will change it via software updates down the line but knowing vehicle manufacturers I highly doubt it :) From newer bikes the KTM 890 was the closest seat I can recall that is comparable. That seat also made me go ... "I need to change this or add some gel to it asp"
Would you take gsx s1000 over this bike? I can't decide. suzuki has more power, fat rear tyre, which I like, but worst on fuel. yamaha has 24k miles valve check, which is amazing and let's be honest, looks good. Is the turn radius really that bad?
Hey, the turn radius is fairly bad if you come from other sports bike like bikes ... Regarding the Suzuki S1000, I'd pick the XSR 900 because I personally prioritize lighter bikes, bikes that have a IMU and bikes that have cruise control (you will use it on longer trips, you just need to get over the initial step of learning what buttons to press). The cornering abs is amazing I'm never going back to bikes that don't have IMU's. BUT realistically the GSX S1000 is probably better value if your more of a street Rosi ... the gixer feels a bit smoother than the XSR and is more powerful (but realistically 220+ km/h on a naked bike is not something you can enjoy for long)
@@mikebikealot Thank you for your answer. I didn't know IMU was so good. I need to read about it. I was very close to buying XSR900 this week, but I was treated very unprofessional at the Yamaha showroom last week, and because of that leaning more towards Suzuki
@@chrisw4215 oh yes I feel you. I've had the same issue with a local dealership ~2 years ago. I'm somewhat lucky that there is some overlap with multi dealers around this parts at least for the common brands. IMO that is one of the most important things in owning a bike to have a good dealership that wont annoy or anger you. If you need to do a recall or something to the bike especially since you have a warranty the dealership service plays a big role in the purchase decision. Mind you if your chill and calculated and don't push it to what could be considered unsafe for your riding experience the IMU might not be worth it ... There are various implantations of the IMU but most importantly it is used by the bike to make sure that you don't flip for both wheelies and stopes! and secondly it can overwrite your brake pressure and acceleration while cornering (this is also super nice when you hit some sand as I did once). And then there's fluff like on BMW, it knows when your out of the corner to cancel the blinkers automatically or activate the rear brake for automatic hill hold. I've actually not tested the XSR IMU as much as on my Aprilia since I didn't have the bike for too long with decent weather. The bike also felt more unsafe than all my other bikes ... at least until recently when I changed the tires. From what I know off the mt09 the IMU its not as good as the Bosh units. On my RS 660 it was a breeze to do perfect stopies. First time I did it it was by mistake I was cold and tired and I "froze" on the front braked. I was immediately like ok this will end bad but the bike made me look like a stunt rider in front of my friends :O crazy good I did nothing but froze on the brake leaver ... The more advanced units like on the Aprilia also make sure that when you were accelerating it would modulate the power for you to give you maximum attack angles. That helps a lot since it keeps the front wheel under control especially for a short wheelbase bike. I've ran with liter bikes like fireblade and super duke and from ~0 up to ~130 my Aprilia was either faster or kept up but more importantly it was consistent under full throttle ... it made it effortlessly
I came from a 2017 R1 so the scroll wheel system seems like what i was used to with that bike. the rear light and blinkers ill eventually change. The seat is probably similar to what I had on the race bike. not great for long rides but fine for up to an hour or two. I assume better pads will fix the brakes or at least improve them. A good exhaust and flash and I really think it'll be a bike i enjoy more than the R1. triple passing may be harder but everything else should be fun. I'm curious if the shifter is notched so that you can tap it and move the shifter to gp shift.
I've got a Triumph Speed Twin 1200 and am looking for this bike. But after hearing your negatives I'm thinking I might miss the premium feel and looks of the Triumph. I don't know if the all the extra features outweighs that.
I am looking to buy this bike (already tested and tried) and seat is the first thing I would address. I already look at options and Kelpi is one of the best, 320 eur or 640 depends if you want to change original seat or brand new. I owned 2004 and 2018 FJR so switches were always little loose (especially if you are comparing with premium brands like BMW and Ducati) but I sleep sound with japanese bike in the garage. Don't get me wrong I like when something is nice and solid, Moto Guzzi for example makes switches and handlebars looking like piece of art but if you are lucky to own one, you may be disappointed with quirks that probably won't happen on japanese bike. I like your honest review and I won't defend yama but many issues mentioned could be seen at the dealership and surely during test ride. I also understand that when you buy a bike (especially a new one from the dealer) it is often an emotional decision but to be fair you knew what you were buying and hardly there is any competitor that offers so much performance and features in this price range. It would be great to just leave performance and good features and exchange bad features with other bikes but surely the price wouldn't be on this level. Position of switches is always something different between manufacturers and in general switches are expensive to design and produce so they are often reused through years (or decades). If you owned Honda than probably you know that in the past (just few years ago) these bikes had horn almost in the same place where other bikes had indicators and imo that was much more frustrating than mode selector. Speaking to some minor things like display of adjusted speed on cruise control I have 2016 Lexus IS300h and I also don't have this feature so it's not like yama is some special exception. I totally agree that It would be nice to have it like many other things but at the same time we can't expect the same price. Some people in the comments also like to compare this bike to Z900RS where on some markets currently price difference is up to 3000 EUR - almost 16000 EUR for Kawa and 5 years ago I bought for exact same price FJR1300 with all (loose 😃) bells and whistles. Fortunately it is possible to buy used Z900RS for half of the price in mint condition. I wish you long and safe journeys on ur XSR or any other bike 🙂👍
I had a Kawasaki Z900RS Cafe. The ON/OFF fueling on that bike is awful. The CP3 engine and fueling on the XSR900 is far superior and more fun to ride IMHO. This reviewer does not do the bike justice.
I agree to some extent, I've actually tried the 2022 900RS from kawi ... the XSR is much better in terms of riding experience. However the Kawi si absolutely amazing in terms of finish quality it feels a lot more premium. And I'm not a fan of old school dials but the way that bike dash looks and the way the buttons and leavers feel is really really nice. It feels like its made of "metal" ... the XSR feel a bit more plasticky ... more budget like. Don't get me wrong the XSR is a modern bike disguised as a classic ... you get a ride by wire, IMU and cruise control :)) the 900RS is a classic bike disguised as a modern classic
It all comes down to personal preference. How a bike makes you feel is the most important imho. Between different brands and models there is something out there to suit everyone’s taste. For 10K Yamaha designed and engineered and amazing bike. For 12K the Z900RS another option, however the riding experience, rider aids, quick shifter and cruise control on the Yamaha are much more refined for 20% less. Styling is on the eye of the beholder, but looks aside the XSR900 is king.
The horrible seat. Combined with the long tank which causes a seating position that is not sportbike, but not upright either. Never experienced such pain after 1-2 hours of riding before. I kept my XSR900 for two months, and swapped for an MT-09 SP, and now I can ride all day in comfort. Big comfort difference! The difference tho is that the MT-09 SP feels like a wild animal by comparison, it power wheelies in 1st, 2nd and 3rd, and seems a bit wild compared to the XSR900 that feels far more planted and safe due to the longer swingarm. The MT-09 is definitely much better for city/urban riding though, the comfort difference is HUGE.
I placed my order a week ago i expect to be waiting a while. But that gives me time to decide on an exhaust and hopefully have tuning options. If you ever get the model number from the ECU could you paste it to me? My tuner says he can tell me if he already supports the ecu for flashes if i get the number but i cant even find the bike in yamaha's parts sites yet.
I can't take the fuel tank off I have no garage ... the ECU is located under the tank. I'm actually going thru the steps now to figure out what exhaust and tune I can get... my main problem is I currently live in the EU and the emission standard and enforcement is stringent. I can say for a fact the bike has issues in terms of the ECU power profiles. 1st and 2nd gear down low feel like the bike is blocked from accelerating even in its most aggressive profile. You can feel the restriction is gone or less prominent in 3rd gear... I'll make a video about the tune process and exhaust if I find a good option, as it stands my prospects look kind of bleak.
@@mikebikealot from what I've read the fuel ratio is too rich in first as second so I'd assume a flash will actually make it more efficient but most places will disable the fuel cutoff on decel so it squirts a little when you come off the throttle to make it buck less. I can't know for sure how it will test but if subarus from the 90s can pass with just a catalytic converter I assume a cat is sufficient on this brand new motor. Vcyclenut is someone I hearing does the mail in flashes but anyone who tunes 2021 mt 09's should be able to tune this if it's the same ecu. And since it shares the engine and all rider aids with the sp I assume it's gonna be the same ecu.
It’s almost a parts bin bike. It’s got mt09 stuff and controls that are on my ‘20 Tracer. My 2016 xsr900 definitely has the better dash, but I honestly don’t spend much time looking at it. I’m not sure what Yamaha had in mind, because some of it seems like an afterthought. The seat makes no sense, and Yamaha makes bad seats, but the previous gen was at least okay. Nice that they added cruise, but does it really need the tracer swing arm? Plus the steering lock issue? Really confusing, and I was so looking forward to this bike. I love Yamaha triples. I have two right now, and also had two first gen fz09’s. 😢
Honestly, the swingarm is awesome. Compared to the MT09, you lose very little in agility, but gain a ton in cornering stability. The only downside I see is that wheelies are harder. Steering lock is the same on the MT, no idea why everyone started complaining about it on the XSR... it's not great, but you get used to it.
@@dsofe4879 The XSR over the MT09 is harder to maneuver at low speeds and its very much apparent. That why everyone notices it. In addition this bike cornering ability is poor :)) and boy do I have a update regarding that*, spoiler its the tires, the S22's are really bad. Sadly I got into a small accident and haven't been able to edit and upload the 2 videos I planed ... But I'm very much interested in making talking about the tires. The bike changed sooo much after the switch its like I have a new motorcycle.
@@mikebikealot sorry to hear that, get well soon! That's an interesting take, can't say I share the experience. I've run nothing but the S22 since it came out, it's a great tire. Can't say I've noticed a huge difference with the oem-spec S22s that came on the XSR. But then again, I've had zero issues cornering or with low speed handling either.
@mikebikealot I'm not sure what you mean.. this bike (for me) is amazing in the twisties. I was immediately faster on this than my Hypermotard which I've had about a year. I love the S22's. In the past year I've had Pirelli Rosso Corso 3's and still love the S22's.
@@TheDfelan The S22 are definitely a downgrade compared to the Diablo IV, Rosso III, Rosso Corsa 2's... I've never ridden a Hypermotard but cornering this bike is not as stable and fast as an RS 660 or even a KTM 890. Just shimmying side to side on the seat is so much slower and requires more effort that on the other similar price/power bikes ... this is definitely not a corner machine. That does not mean this bike might not fit you better than a Hypermotard the fact that I can easily flat foot it means that it caters more to riders with a short inseam so you might have a easy time moving on it.
I'm glad I found your channel. I subscribed to get your long term review. 👍Keep the shiny side up brother. If you ever get your seat reupholstered if possible, please get a cut away view of the seat material.
Next year, the season is now over and I've hotelled my bike for the winter ... FIY I'm not particularly looking to reupholstermy seat but rather buy a complete new one from someone like Corbin. I'll see what the market offers next year ...
I'm not in the US atm, the Tuono factory 660 is 10900 euros and the XSR 900 is 10650 euros out the door here ... So there really comparable and that was after the price bump this year ... the 660 was actually cheaper on launch by about 1000 euros (when I got my old RS 660) The tuono factory also gets the upgraded suspensions making the value proposition even better. It also comes with really really nice tires compared to the XSR and I'm about to rant regarding the S22's those tires are not good ...
I'm thinking of next year buy a motorcycle for practice and getting license with. I had a hd Sportster 2004 model before that i practice with so i have some knowledge how bike works etc. And my friend recommended me MT09 cause he has a Suzuki. I don't remember his model but it's similar to a MT serie. I like the old generation of the MT09 look but the newest looks very cyber with its headlight. But when i saw the new model of xsr900 i got love with it, i like the 80s retro look and it looks much cooler compare to mt09. Those functions was something that made my mind more on to it too cause the bike seems much more freindly for beginner and all the way to a experienced, which is a bonus for me as a beginner. The seat is one thing i will change if i get this bike and having it in long run. I seen couple of seats that is for this model. So I'm leaning more into XSR900 then MT09. I'm 173 cm tall am i too short? 😅 And thanks for the info there's not alot of videos of this model from private persons then big RUclipsrs that reviewed it before it launched. So it's hard to know if it's a good bike or not but it seems like many like it for what u get.
The seat on the XSR is just slightly tapered towards the tank (compared to some sports bikes) so depending on your inseam you might be able to tap the ground with both of your feet. I would highly suggest you try sting on both an XSR and a MT to see witch seat feel better. You might also look into getting a lowering kit (Yamaha has one I think B5U-F538P-10-00) Also the advantage of having a more sporty height is that you might be more comfortable on the MT09 because its easier for you to reach over with your hand. The XSR might force you to lean over the tank more based on your arms length. Here's an upshot of picking up a 2022 or 2023 XSR / MT09. If you just start riding motorcycles the power modes on the bikes are amazing! Normally I would say that this is too much bike but in this case you can easily limit the bike using a higher DMode and and TCS. The bike can get you into trouble ... if you are not throttle conscientious and not prepare for the bump in acceleration at ~7-8k RPM it might jolt you back and you will be stuck opening the throttle even more. Be careful around bends. One more thing to consider the XSR is quite a heavy bike to move around. The turning circle is bad ... really really bad. It might be important to you based on where you live. In Europe some places are really narrow and require you to wrangle your bike to park it well.
@Mike Bikealot yeah i seen videos of the U-turn xsr has haha it's like a car compared to mt09 and it's a bit strange cause they have the same parts. I wonder if it even can finish the risk education here in Sweden with its turn. 😅 I found a video yesterday too that showed photos on a person if they were 160cm - 185cm tall on mt09 and it seems like most people said mt09 is for people up to 175cm, so i shouldn't have a problem on that one to have feet's on the ground. I checked the price difference too and it is kinda far away from each other on mt09 and xsr900 with like 1000 dollar cheaper on mt09 2022 model. Plus xsr have apparently long delivery time here in Sweden, so a used one the price tag is litterly the same as a brand new one. I'm mostly wanna go with a bike with just few miles to get abit lower price. Only color i like most on mt09 is the gray/orange one though haha but yeah i will test sit on these two models later. They are two interesting motorbike for sure. I tried to check other brands on same level but the look of those doesn't fall for my taste. 😅 👍🏻👍🏻
well the negatives and the poor designed stuff is something I rarely see people talking about. Most online material never even compares the bikes to other models beyond the spec sheet stuff like price/hp/weight .... I kind of hate that. When I buy something I want to know its shortcomings relative to other products and what can could be better on it
I like your non-b.s approach here, however I do have some comments/opinions of my own. I actually like how the seat feels, this is a highly subjective point as all of our bodies are different. I must be in the minority but I wish bikes just straight up didn't have these infotainment screen bullshit. Do people really spend any significant amount of time looking at these screens? Just give me speed, revs, gas, temp and errors. I just want to ride without scrolling through any bullshit. It's a bike, it should be liberating to operate, a pure experience. It is not a car, an enclosed fortress. It's also no surprise they share switches and parts? It would be ridiculously expensive to make new tooling/R&D for every single model. It would cost millions. The smart thing is to do is to share the chasis (sure, tweak geometry with suspension and head angle), engine and electronics with as many models as possible. Look at the the Suzuki GSX-8s and the Vstrom 800DW, that's smart business right there. After all, the main purpose of these companies is to make money. I also don't think the Tuono is comparable to this bike. This bike is solidly placed in the neo-heritage category. The Tuono is fully contemporary, and very hard on the eyes IMO.
here I'll give you some the surface level options I'm thinking thru atm regarding new bike releases: CFMoto 450 nk - super cheap and I want to get back into the 400 class to re-experience my first year of motorcycling. Naked bikes are a bit to uncomfortable when going above 150km especially when there is a lot of wind. This bike hangs around ~120kmh and so it might be the ideal city/intercity naked hooting around. Its also a good tikerer bike. MT09 SP 2024 - according to the specs they've took almost all my issues and addressed them :)) like even the quicksifter according to them is now rev range based ... although I need to ride it to confirm they've fixed it properly and not just on paper. But I would say if you don't have a specific goal like track days in mind the MT09 SP 2024 is the best new naked bike you can buy ATM KTM 990 - usually ktms are unreliable every friend that had a KTM has experienced some problems with them so I'm not going to say its a good buy because its usually not. But KTM and there dealer network did address all of them eventually its just that I've seen it take even a year to do so. However in terms of pure fun you can rarely beat a KTM... I am personally not considering KTMs atm but if you want to go medium high end and don't want a mt09 a KTM is your only option If you are not looking for new bikes exclusively Aprilia Tuono 660 Factory - this is hands down the best mid range naked bike it has good tech (cruise control included) and it was well packaged for the price but the main reason I like it its light like a mountain bike. Seriously if you get to ride one and are fairly conformable riding try to play around with it. It feels like you can jump left to right on it like you do a mountain bike. It also has a mini windscreen and upgrading it to a full screen does not look bad since its a "half naked" bike. That helps a loooot at higher speed. Its literally the benchmark for mid class nakeds atm
@@mikebikealot happy new year. thank you so much for this detailed answer. my price range is up to 12k i would say. the tuono i don't like looks wise. half naked isn't my style. maybe the rs660 then but i would have to test ride it first to see if the ergonomics are acceptable. i test rode the old mt09 and liked it very much but it was so insanely ugly. maybe i can have a better look at the new one this weekend. there is supposed to be a presentation for the 24 models at my dealership. i expect ergonomics to much better than with the old one. the new one is a bit more leaned so you can bend forward more naturally. my only issue with the 24 mt-09 is it's stll a rather ugly bike. especially compared to the xsr900. i test rode the 23 street triple r as well but it felt too tippy when coming to a stand and the sound gave me a headache. despite that it felt great. then i had the cb650r for a short ride but when cornering i felt the bike needed way more force than any of the other bikes i tested. sure it was the heaviest bike and the only one with four cylinders. the ktm duke 990 looks crazy cool but yeah, i heard about problems from other sources as well. i don't want to go medium high end. i come from a mt-03 and all i want is similar ergonomics with better brakes and suspension and an engine that can keep up in city traffic even when cold. if yamaha added some decent suspension to the mt-07 and gave it a front you could look at without crying that would be my choice for the time.
@@nateriver5114 so my first thought would be don't overspend if you come from the mt-03 almost any of those bikes would be an upgrade in almost all aspects. And don't give into peer pressure regarding buying a powerful bike (if you have any). You don't need to jump on a streetfighter or bmw or triumph take it from me the return on fun does not scale with price. Here's my suggestion but I would preface it with the following: I don't really like suzukis I feel like suzuki is one of the defaults that you buy as a "safe option" that being said 2 years ago 2022 at EICMA and after I've had the chance to test out the GSX8S. Its a MT-07++ here's why: - ride by wire so it can have a quicksifter up and down (something cp2 line of bikes can't) even if its a more budget friendly quicksifter - nice dash (much better than even the old gen 2023 mt09) and the controls are easy and nice to use - good build quality - based on where you are the parts and service can be really cheap Down sides (remember this is an improvement over the mt07 in almost all categories): - its fairly sterile like all suzukis it never feels like you want to look twice at them (or at least I never do) maybe you can add a pipe to it and make it sound nice but ... its a suzuki at the end of the day - its also a bit heavy I think it was over 200kg I usually discard 200 class bikes that are not liter bikes - there is no cruise control even though it has ride by wire - wind protection was not that good, in fact it was bad I remember being comparable to the dukes and you sit on those. But again nakeds ... that's a fundamental issue with them - like the mt07 the suspension is cheap and not adjustable or at least it was not back then but that being said I remember it being harder than the mt07s. It was not very compliant over the bumps and again in my book thats a good thing I kind of like suspensions that are a bit more on the sporty side. Other than that you're kind of out of luck atm ... there are no decent naked bikes around the 700 to 900 ccs or at least none that are worth buying except the ones mentioned above One final thought regarding the headache. I also ride with sport helments and I suggest you run earplugs if you can. Or do like I do and run plugphones guardian (thats what I use into my cardo)
@@mikebikealot oh, i totally forgot i to tell you i already test rode the suzuki back in summer. the weight isn't of any issue and it gives a nice ride but i really didn't like the looks so much, especially the fat bck side because the air filter is under the seat. and it's more on the expensive side here. for about 1k more i could get the street triple r. and yes, i often use earplugs when riding but i didn't when test riding the triumph.
Thank you very much for this review. This bike was my top choice but after this review I have decided, for sure, not to get it. The seat in particular really bothers me and I don't want to spend any additional money to get a better one; it should come with one! The turning radius seems ridiculous. Then you point out how the switchgear things seem loose. It just doesn't seem to be well made.
:D Don't need to, have you seen the new mt-09? :D yamaha took my feedback and almost fixed every point I made in this video. Now they just need to release the new XSR with those fixes
WHY in the WORLD do people leave the warning decals on fuel tanks? LOL ...I peeled that stupid ridiculous looking sticker off the moment I got home ....then a little paint thinner etc and wipe off the adhesive....I dont get leaving it in place....what? lol you think it adds collector value??
There's probably a couple reasons why this content creator has only 6 subscribers, and this might be one of them: why buy a bike with all those evident faults only to b!tch about them later on? Or do you buy your bikes without sitting or riding them?
Or maybe because I just posted this video and its my first ... regardless these are deficiencies that are not apparent when you look a bike in the showroom (except the seat you can easily tell that its a problem). However some people don't even get the luxury to see it in showroom so it might be useful for them to know what's up with the bike... In case you've been living under a rock the world is going thru a hard time now and new bikes are kind of hard to get... some dealers don't even get this as a test mule. Its was so new when I bought it 3 months ago, I am one of the first in Europe to buy into this platform and I had no way of knowing all of the quirks.
@@ricardolourizela5961 Of course. Even to this day you can't ride the bike in any dealership for 500km from where I currently live. Literally for the the closet test ride I need to cross into another country. Its a bad market atm you either put down a deposit and get an early slot or wait for months... There are people on Facebook that are barely getting there bikes and have placed the deposit about the same time that I did ... kind of sucks hopefully it will get better in the upcoming years
@@mikebikealot Holy sh&#, man... Where do you live? Here in Algarve my local dealership has 5 XSR 900s and 3 of them available for test ride at any time. At least since late July..
@@ricardolourizela5961 OP's problem is the same problem in much of the world, and certainly holds true her in the United States. Most bikes are very hard to get and dealers will not even let you SIT on one until you have bought it.
Talking about the shifting being to tough lmfao you clearly haven't rode a Harley before. Anything is better than a literal clunk as it goes into gears.
Well we all know we don't buy this for the electronic BS. We buy for the motor, sounds, handling , and wheelies. If you want power modes buy a Ninja 300 or KTM 390. If you can't control with your throttle hand then you should not be riding a bike like this. Just a rant about electronics. People seem to care more about those then the actual bike performance. Turn that sh.t off and enjoy the natural nature of the bike.
Electronics are a lot more important than you think. Its native to think you can outbreak an ABS and IMU system. Everyone that thinks they can are just wrong. In this days to be truly a good motorcyclist you need to compliment the system, lean on its strengths and improve upon it with your own skill. Fighting against it just makes you a bad rider and in general you are taking more risk on for no added benefit. For newer riders heck even seasoned riders stuff like traction control and an IMU can save them in an uncontrolled slide because of unseen dust or just bad unexpected conditions. I don't see a problem with them buying a bike like this if they like the format and the looks. Arguably if it wasn't for the weight and geometry a bike specked like this is much better than a Ninja 400. Also note that you are wrong about the ninja 300/400 and Ktm, they do not have any power modes or fancy electronics there exactly the opposite and realistically they more of what you seek, a plain bike.
I would actually go the extra mile but 3-4k is not reasonable for what I'm suggesting. Though lets explore what 3-4k gets you since I'm actually looking for a bike that has most of the cool stuff but is not over the top and price fair. For example I hate that I need to go all the way to 20k++ and ~170hp to even consider getting electronic suspensions and a electronic steering damper. I know why they do it, because people are more inclined to splash for what is considered a liter bike but I don't like it... the manufactures are actually price and feature gauging us and you really don't notice until you look at the offerings. At the moment I'm not looking into going back to super bikes to get my perfect package but who knows I'll probably relapse in an year. Case in point lets take a top downish view. The new Aprilia Tuono V4 Factory with FULL Ohlins v2 electronic suspension and damper, Brembos, Pirelli, much better dash and Italian exotica tax was ~19k for launch last year. The new MT10 SP that also has a ohlins semiactive suspensions package, nicer dash fully redesigned intake and bored out engine is around 17-18k. However both the examples are new redesigned models while the XSR 900 is more of a bin parts package... the RND has long since been amortized. More so the price difference is enormous between the Factory and MT10SP. Its clear that Yamaha are cheapening out since Aprilia with its exotica tax is turning a profit and with just ~2k there offering a ton of stuff on top. I can easily see a R9 with MT10SP's electronic package for less than 15k, and 13.5-14k for a naked version is not unreasonable. And yes I know the prices have gone up with about 1k since last year ... the XSR is literally 1k more at my local dealership now but the spirit of the argument stands. 2k appears to buys you a lot lot. Heck I be that Yamaha is supper greedy and can sell the SP for a lot less based on the hardware... case in point look at the S1000R a superior package (with DDC its currently 16700) And I'm not asking for much even if the base package is a trimmed down version at least give us an upgrade package. Because I can't really add the things on the bike in aftermarket... you can't add electronic suspensions or a nicer screen or integrated heated grips if the bike's ecu does not come prepped for that. Especially since most likely the internal software has support for it since its based on what they developed for there more "premium bikes". Finally Ducati does this well with things like the Monster, Monster + and now the SP but of course they are more performance oriented and command Ducati prices... I would love that on the XSR ... the XSR Proper with a actually usable seat nicer controls and dashboard maybe even a XSR Pro with semi active electronic suspensions and better oem tires :) its a lot cheaper for the manufacturer to create those packages then us paying ~500$ for a Corbin aftermarket seat that is actually usable (btw I love that seat, not bashing on it).
i really can't believe you bought this bike. There is so much you hate about it you make the bike sound like its a pure parcel of shite. Most of the things you have issues with would have been quite apparent after a 10 minute test ride !!
Yes for the price it could be better. But listen to the whole video there are a bunch of saving graces. The engine is amazing really really compliant the suspensions are just how I like them. As I mentioned in the comments below test riding bikes in the past year was big fail. There are places around the world where you still can't test ride this bike and the purchases are backordered. So you either buy or don't ride, I chose the former. Oh and happy new year!
I've got about 1,000 miles on this bike and love it. I added a Dart windscreen, USB port, iPhone mount, and throttle paddle. Most importantly, I use my Airhawk inflatable seat pad (which I've had for 20 years and move from bike to bike). With the seat pad and throttle paddle/cruise control, I can ride indefinitely in terms of comfort; the only limitations being fuel and bladder range.
One of my other bikes is a '19 Triumph Speed Twin. One of the other commenters, after watching this very detailed and excellent review, indicated that he figured this Yamaha would be a step down in premium feel from his Triumph Speed Twin. Not my perception at all! With my setup, the only thing that I'd agree with the author is really bothersome is the feel/utility of the touch wheel infotainment interface. Not nearly smooth feeling enough nor an ideal interface. Not a deal breaker for me, just could be nicer.
As to getting a Kawasaki Z900RS as an alternative, that bike is several thousand dollars more expensive. More importantly, it's a completely different feel. Very enjoyable ride, but it feels like the perfection of a 70s bike, enhancing all the good parts of those bikes and eliminating most of their downsides (except weight). The XSR900 on the other hand, while providing a semi retro look, feels like the present and future. The quick shift and cruise control are much more fun additions to the riding experience than I would have imagined. Note, if you really want to enjoy the feel of a 70's bike on the cheap, the Royal Enfield 650s do the job nicely.
It's fun to be able to enjoy the Triumph's torque/grunt nature and the Yamaha's screamer nature. Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't! YMMV
Well you say that but then you added a Airhawk inflatable seat pad ... so there is clearly more issues that the scroll wheel with the bike. As for the rest of the problems I'm sure if you've never had other good bikes you can live without perceiving them.
In my defense and to back my points up the new MT09 touched on almost every single thing I critiqued in my reviews. They've changed the dash (they've added military time!!), all the buttons!, THE PASS LIGHT BUTTON (granted I think its a bit to raised so not perfect still but an improvement non the less), they change the amount of FORK TRAVEL! :))
Its like Yamaha's engineers sat down took notes and addressed most of my issues. And its not even been 4 years so the new MT09 midcycle refresh IMO is amazing.
I'm SOO HAPPY with that :) I might just buy a mt09 sp next year. I'm shocked how much they've took from my key points ... now ideally they would transplant those improvements on the XSR package so I can also get a nice looking bike front.
@@mikebikealot Well, I did say "with my setup", which includes the airhawk seat cushion. So, I resolved the seat comfort problem. I agree whole heartedly that the stock seat is only good for relatively short rides, not all day journeys. You're correct that one's past experience with various vehicles represents his or her universe for comparison. I've been riding for 53 years with a baker's dozen of motorcycles, but admittedly my only recent motorcycles are the XSR, Speed Twin, and CRF250l dual sport. It sounds like you have a lot more experience among a variety of modern bikes, which enhanced the value of your review.
@@rick-hm3ji I've come down into the XSR package from the sports bike side. My health has somewhat deteriorated after covid and it's been hard to sport bike a days trip. I don't have a lot of years like less then a decade riding but I've been fortunate to ride Ducatis, Aprilias, Bmws a few Kawys, KTMs and Zeros most of those brands mid to upscale offerings had really really good user experience. So I was a bit thrown back when I jumped to Yamaha since everybody talked them up. So when I noticed all these small issues it kind of surprised me...
I'm also shocked how much they've changed the new mt09 next year it feels like I've just missed the boat or better yet jumped in at an inopportune time. If I would have waited one more year and got the 2024 mt09 this review would have never happened. In January I want to see if I can get an allocation for one... I'm so confused since I could try to live one more year with the XSR and hope they will refresh it in 2025 with the new stuff... its so sad because the white and red 2024 theme on the XSR is just perfect for me I absolutely love that color scheme it reminds me of the old ducati V2 (edit: the ducati v2 2021 livery is still on offering so I guess they've noticed I liked it so much they kept it :)) ) . The 2024 mt09 position is also a bit crunched down over the bars... they changed the ergo a bit for the worse IMO...
That + I want to branch out more and pick up a 400 class bike since I have some friends that constantly brag about the CF Moto 450 engine. It's been so long since I've ridden a small capacity bike that I can just absolutely trash for 2-3h and then head back home!! I miss the old Ninja 400/R3 days.
I stand corrected the new mt09 does not have military time or at least I've not seen it in any of the themes.
- The clock now has a date though the dash does not appear to display that (maybe there is a theme that I've not seen that uses this)
- The dash does show the cruise control speed :) finally
- The quality of all the buttons is top noch!!! even the small joystick its proper firm and clicky. Good job Yamaha.
- The buttons are amazing! Especially the signal rocker. If you see online reviewers that say its bad, they have no idea what there saying. Press one to activate press again to cancel and also it self cancels.
- The pass light is not ... that good (the position of it is too high and far away from the bar)
- The screen is ok, but the menu for the screen is verry verry bad its actually a downgrade. They have this 3 page scroll menu that is really annoying thank god you don't have to go into the menu too often
- The map navigation is crap ... no one will use that. I feel like the industry is so close to implement google maps just add android/apple auto for the bike and accept nothing less
A lot of really valuable information. Pretty much all the reviews are from people paid to say its great or so new they will love anything they touch. I'm glad you posted this excited to see part 2 and to see the solutions you find for any issues you see with the platform.
Really, really good review. Great detail not available elsewhere. Shows the value of owner experience rather than test riders. Thanks Mike.
Well done, thanks for this thorough and thought-out review from a demanding customer.
Such a good in depth review, it’s usually only after ownership these little things come out.
I was ready to put it on my serious must have list but so happy I found you’re post as these things did change my mind about ownership.
Refreshing to hear an honest review. A beautiful bike , but turned off by the seat, plastic, and turn radius. Awesome power, but not enough to overcome for me.
Seems like what one should expect for only$10K. We used to get a lot less. Thanks for sharing.
you are lucky. in my country from 13099euro
Thanks for the honest review. A lot more useful than people just gushing over their machine.
Finally a reviewer that looks critically at a bike, many bikes cost as much as a small car now a days, but still they put them to market with a lot of 80% finishing.
Keep up the good work.
Subscribed 👍🏻
The issue is that bikes and cars aren't comparable. The production volume for cars is significantly higher, therefore they can afford to get better pricing. Lower volume=more expensive.
Also, only the really high end bikes come close car prices. I haven't seen a car for under $20k in more than a decade.
@@2WheelsGood.01 bike prices depends on what market they are sold, in some countries motorcycles are seen as a luxury and are taxed as such.
@@gryphongryph that is true as well. But generally, in manufacturing, you have MOQ (minimum order quantity) which will always be more expensive than any higher number of units ordered. You'll also get more bang for buck on all the tooling you developed and paid for, as well. I'm in the manufacturing industry, but I'm definitely ignorant on all the different tariffs, taxes etc.
@@2WheelsGood.01 you have a valid point 👍🏻
Except this bike doesn’t cost anywhere near what a new small car costs.
What a good review. Thank you. Very detailed. We should demand more
Pads will transform the brake performance. I recommend Ferodo. Changing those on my R1(track bike) changed the performance more than braided lines and removing the abs system. I used race pads, but I think it will be the same thing for road pads. Give it a try. After that some braided lines will give you less squishines at the lever. The blipper is not the best to be used at low rpm, it should be used mostly in spirited riding. But being deliberate with your shifts will help. This is also true for the R1 etc.
Slide control doesn’t have anything to do with lifting or not lifting the front wheel. I’ve have had slide control activated and the front wheel up on my R1. And this is verified trough the data recorded on the R1 CCU. Slide control doesn’t effect anything until the rear wheel starts slipping and I highly doubt this happens on the road that much. You need quite a lot of speed/power + lean angle for this to happen. Ofcourse, my experience is with slick tyres, so street tires will definetly slide earlier.
Indeed you soo correct about the brakes I really really wana upgrade them maybe even the lines ... I'm not sure how much that will cost and if I will lose the warranty I need to research the process.
Regarding the slide control I've noticed the SC light blink when I've tried power whiles not so much in regular clutch ups. With the feature turning down the light no longer blinked so I assume that the rear wheel was slipping and the bike intervened. I suspect the tires were the culprit, I've changed my tiers from the S22s to Diablo Roso IV's and I need to re-run some of the tests but the season is almost over ... maybe next year
Done 8000km on mine and hated the seat, changed it straight away. Steering lock is the worst I’ve seen on any bike . Quick shifter up is great down could be better. Agree on the switch control wheel, and left hand switch functions are poorly set up. I’m 6ft 1 and find the riding position uncomfortable on longer rides. The stock mirrors add a good 3 inches to the full width of the handles bar which I do not like when channeling though traffic, so replace them. Light switch is shit. Performance is great, awesome engine, good suspension, brakes good, good in corners.
That's basically my opinion of the bike! :D
Up until now I've owned sport and sport turners so even the regular handle bar feels like its another half of a bike length :)) Every time I get on a naked I feel like a bit of a car.
It will be interesting to see how well I can lane filter among the super tight city streets looking forward to the season start :D
The only thing I don't necessarily aggrege with is the bike could do better with the front brakes and the tries. I don't think there up to snuff for a 11k package. You can get a lot better for that price ... Though if needed and possible I'd easily spend a few extra hundreds for braded brakes and diablo Rosos out of the box.
Unless they release the R9 next year. I'm definitely picking up the XSR900.
I believe Corbin has custom seat for XSR, i just don't know the price
Can you do a test for me? Power mode 1 - Put the bike in 3rd gear at 35mph and then give it wide open throttle. Then return to 35mph and use 4th gear and do a pull at WOT and tell me if 4th feels more seat of the pants torque. I am curious if the lower gears at lower RPM's are neutered from the stock mapping.
From 60kph 3rd gear is a bit more faster to accelerate than and 4th gear.
Realistically you should not do it from a fix speed but rather from a set rpm so for example here's how I know Yamaha has software "nuked" the 1st and 2nd gear.
At ~3k RPM in first and especially second its more sluggish to accelerate than in 3rd. In 3rd and 4th gear the bike feels about the same in terms of power delivery and it feels like its less restricted. For reference I have a stock exhaust and no other performance mods done.
Great Video!! Hey what model of Gilles Levers do you have? I am thinking about getting those. I just bought a XSR900 and the stock clutch lever sucks!!.
Nothing special the default yamaha accessories ones:
Though note that I do mention in the video that the Gilles clutch leaver is not that good either so I would not have spent the money in retrospect... if the stock sucks too then probably search for something else aftermarket... The adjustment range in the Gilles is not the best if your almost there with the stock ones maybe missing like 2-3 millimeters then they might work for you else if you're looking for a bigger improvement I'd get something else...
www.yamaha-motor.eu/lv/lv/products/motorcycles/sport-heritage/xsr900-2022/accessories/billet-front-brake-lever/beb-rffbl-00-00/?path=/?page=3
www.yamaha-motor.eu/lv/lv/products/motorcycles/sport-heritage/xsr900-2022/accessories/clutch-lever-black/b7n-rffcl-00-00/?path=/?page=4
@@mikebikealot thanks!!
That bike looks awesome in black!! I'm a little surprised that you wound up purchasing this motorcycle at all with the complaints you verbalized. Especially since the defects were all present and obvious from the start. I personally would have purchased something that I could live with on the daily and not think, "cheap switches"and "Crappy screen" and "poor quick shifter" whenever I climb on. I appreciate your perspective and I'll definitely be looking closer if I get a chance to get another Yamaha. The last Yamaha I had was a 2005 Yamaha fz1 and I had trouble finding anything to complain about. I'm currently wanting to get either a XSR900 VS MT10 VS GSXS 1000 VS KATANA. thanks for the honest opinion.
Nothing comes perfect in life except the things you care about or love. You should sell this bike, bro, because you don't seem to like it much.
Seat fix is $150. Upholstery shop added 25mm of memory foam shaped to my butt, re-using original cover. Some people just like to moan rather do something about the problem…
Yamaha steering turn-in angles are shortened because their bikes turned in to lock hard when past a certain point, tending to throw the bikes down at low speeds. It took effort to keep them up and pull the bars back out of it. My 2005 FJR was a beast to wrestle when I turned past that point.
Hey Mike! Thanks for another awesome video. I am waving into a used 2022 xsr900 black like yours with only 4,000km on it, but I am not sure about the S22 wearing. When was your first tire swap? I heard people changing the rear tire after 6,000km
I don't think you should swap them at 4000 probably 6000 to 8000k but it really depends on the way you use the bike ... if you do rolling burnouts often :) well. However for regular street use go for around 8000+. Now a more proper way to check do me a favor and google "s22 tire wear mark" on most tires within the large groves you should see small connecting outdent. If you reach that your are not at the end of the tire but you are close
When I sat on the bike at the dealer the seat didn't feel good, but when I test road the bike the seat felt ok. but I was only on the bike for around 15 minutes. its definitely not the best seat. and I don't understand why the seat doesn't go right up to the tank. I didn't really notice things being loose on the bike except for the seat. which moves all around if you touch it. but when riding it it doesn't seem to move. I did think the lcd screen could be bigger and better. Yamaha must've wanted to save some money with the screen. and I heard someone else talk about how bad that scroll wheel is. but no complaints on the handling or engine.
really good review.
well done my friend!
I bought a ‘23 Yamaha XSR 900 in Legend blue yesterday. Now I have to sell my Z650RS…
Could you recommend this bike for full beginer (raine mod and addition electronic control)?
Yes, in fact that is exactly what my next video will end on. Its because of the electronics I do for the first time recommend a 2022 XSR 900 or a MT 09 to a beginner. The only down side is the weight, be mindful of that its not a easy to handle bike while standing still :)
Great review. Finally an honest one without Yamaha's sponsoring. What I do want to know though is if other xsr users agree with your verdict. Can others reply and share their opinion?
I'm trying to be fair to any product but I won't sugar coat anything. It's easy to reinforce your purchase decision by bragging or even falsely stating about how amazing something is (even if just to yourself). I generally try to actively steer away from that pitfall because it guides me in what I want to be better in my next purchase. Most importantly I try to keep a relative scale between things even if sometimes I do compare apples to oranges. There is value in comparing things so long as your comparison framework is declared and in the future I want to elaborate more on my decision process and actively compare more bikes to one another.
Superb video. If you have a choice of this xsr900 or the 2022 gsxs 1000, what would you choose as they are both about the same price second hand?
wow youtube just notified me of the comment. If you buy second hand don't get fooled the older xsr is nothing like the 2022 model.
Honestly I would get the XSR and then change things on it like the seat, tires and brakes... the Suzuki is a verry sad bike :( it has the power but none of the electronics or the character of the CP3 engine it also weight just above 20kg more ... IMO excluding the GSX-8S and Busa, Suzuki makes verry sub par bikes that are generally reflected in the price... there not bad mind you there just bland... I think the GSX-8S is amazing value for the money and in its bracket it shines alongside the new honda hornet
@@mikebikealot thanks for the response Mike, I ended up getting an MT09 and love it.
@@stockstunna congrats on your purchase! Enjoy your fantastic purchase!
I am tall, over 190cm. I rode around 1000 kms, so my opinion.
I have blue colour, so that is already 50% of Yamaha sell success :). Original handlebar is 73cm wide, I need 76cm /I will change it/. I like the display, no problem with it. I do not need only the QS arrows, there could be the outside temperature /more important/. The scroll wheel on right side of handlebar is necessary to push on the top or bottom, not in the middle and it is OK. Yes, turning radius is small, when you want to do short cicrle in parking space, it is not comfortable. Seat is hard but not comfortable. After 100km in a day you feel it /but for example KTM Duke 890 - you mentioned it - I felt hard the seat after 30 kms/. Maybe a longer seat space could be OK for the persons over 190cm of tall. And under the seat you have space only for original yamaha tool, no space for first aid kit. Of course, rear shock from MT09SP could be better option. And I need heated grips of course.
I say, XSR is image motorcycle, which makes your day funny, but Tracer 9, with higher comfort, makes that day much longer.
haha true :)
I'm somewhat sadden by the display ... it feels really cheap, even the older xsr model was nicer. Though it was not as useful as this at least it was shown some love with the styling. Considering that this is the MT09/XSR screen for the next ~3 years its going to look laughably bad by 2025... maybe they will change it via software updates down the line but knowing vehicle manufacturers I highly doubt it :)
From newer bikes the KTM 890 was the closest seat I can recall that is comparable. That seat also made me go ... "I need to change this or add some gel to it asp"
Would you take gsx s1000 over this bike? I can't decide. suzuki has more power, fat rear tyre, which I like, but worst on fuel. yamaha has 24k miles valve check, which is amazing and let's be honest, looks good. Is the turn radius really that bad?
Hey, the turn radius is fairly bad if you come from other sports bike like bikes ...
Regarding the Suzuki S1000, I'd pick the XSR 900 because I personally prioritize lighter bikes, bikes that have a IMU and bikes that have cruise control (you will use it on longer trips, you just need to get over the initial step of learning what buttons to press).
The cornering abs is amazing I'm never going back to bikes that don't have IMU's.
BUT realistically the GSX S1000 is probably better value if your more of a street Rosi ... the gixer feels a bit smoother than the XSR and is more powerful (but realistically 220+ km/h on a naked bike is not something you can enjoy for long)
@@mikebikealot Thank you for your answer. I didn't know IMU was so good. I need to read about it. I was very close to buying XSR900 this week, but I was treated very unprofessional at the Yamaha showroom last week, and because of that leaning more towards Suzuki
@@chrisw4215 oh yes I feel you. I've had the same issue with a local dealership ~2 years ago. I'm somewhat lucky that there is some overlap with multi dealers around this parts at least for the common brands.
IMO that is one of the most important things in owning a bike to have a good dealership that wont annoy or anger you. If you need to do a recall or something to the bike especially since you have a warranty the dealership service plays a big role in the purchase decision.
Mind you if your chill and calculated and don't push it to what could be considered unsafe for your riding experience the IMU might not be worth it ...
There are various implantations of the IMU but most importantly it is used by the bike to make sure that you don't flip for both wheelies and stopes! and secondly it can overwrite your brake pressure and acceleration while cornering (this is also super nice when you hit some sand as I did once). And then there's fluff like on BMW, it knows when your out of the corner to cancel the blinkers automatically or activate the rear brake for automatic hill hold.
I've actually not tested the XSR IMU as much as on my Aprilia since I didn't have the bike for too long with decent weather. The bike also felt more unsafe than all my other bikes ... at least until recently when I changed the tires. From what I know off the mt09 the IMU its not as good as the Bosh units. On my RS 660 it was a breeze to do perfect stopies. First time I did it it was by mistake I was cold and tired and I "froze" on the front braked. I was immediately like ok this will end bad but the bike made me look like a stunt rider in front of my friends :O crazy good I did nothing but froze on the brake leaver ...
The more advanced units like on the Aprilia also make sure that when you were accelerating it would modulate the power for you to give you maximum attack angles. That helps a lot since it keeps the front wheel under control especially for a short wheelbase bike. I've ran with liter bikes like fireblade and super duke and from ~0 up to ~130 my Aprilia was either faster or kept up but more importantly it was consistent under full throttle ... it made it effortlessly
I came from a 2017 R1 so the scroll wheel system seems like what i was used to with that bike. the rear light and blinkers ill eventually change. The seat is probably similar to what I had on the race bike. not great for long rides but fine for up to an hour or two. I assume better pads will fix the brakes or at least improve them. A good exhaust and flash and I really think it'll be a bike i enjoy more than the R1. triple passing may be harder but everything else should be fun. I'm curious if the shifter is notched so that you can tap it and move the shifter to gp shift.
huh?
I have a xsr 900 I find it OK I like I think this man is only running it do by the sound of him he runs all bikes down that he doesn't like
I've got a Triumph Speed Twin 1200 and am looking for this bike. But after hearing your negatives I'm thinking I might miss the premium feel and looks of the Triumph. I don't know if the all the extra features outweighs that.
I'd probably look at the BMW R nineT as one of the best bikes to buy in the retro class
@@mikebikealot the R nine T is very similar to the Speed Twin. The only difference is the characteristics of the engine and style.
I am looking to buy this bike (already tested and tried) and seat is the first thing I would address. I already look at options and Kelpi is one of the best, 320 eur or 640 depends if you want to change original seat or brand new. I owned 2004 and 2018 FJR so switches were always little loose (especially if you are comparing with premium brands like BMW and Ducati) but I sleep sound with japanese bike in the garage. Don't get me wrong I like when something is nice and solid, Moto Guzzi for example makes switches and handlebars looking like piece of art but if you are lucky to own one, you may be disappointed with quirks that probably won't happen on japanese bike. I like your honest review and I won't defend yama but many issues mentioned could be seen at the dealership and surely during test ride. I also understand that when you buy a bike (especially a new one from the dealer) it is often an emotional decision but to be fair you knew what you were buying and hardly there is any competitor that offers so much performance and features in this price range.
It would be great to just leave performance and good features and exchange bad features with other bikes but surely the price wouldn't be on this level. Position of switches is always something different between manufacturers and in general switches are expensive to design and produce so they are often reused through years (or decades). If you owned Honda than probably you know that in the past (just few years ago) these bikes had horn almost in the same place where other bikes had indicators and imo that was much more frustrating than mode selector. Speaking to some minor things like display of adjusted speed on cruise control I have 2016 Lexus IS300h and I also don't have this feature so it's not like yama is some special exception. I totally agree that It would be nice to have it like many other things but at the same time we can't expect the same price.
Some people in the comments also like to compare this bike to Z900RS where on some markets currently price difference is up to 3000 EUR - almost 16000 EUR for Kawa and 5 years ago I bought for exact same price FJR1300 with all (loose 😃) bells and whistles. Fortunately it is possible to buy used Z900RS for half of the price in mint condition.
I wish you long and safe journeys on ur XSR or any other bike 🙂👍
You just confirmed my decision to buy Kawasaki gorgeous R900RS. Thank you
I had a Kawasaki Z900RS Cafe. The ON/OFF fueling on that bike is awful. The CP3 engine and fueling on the XSR900 is far superior and more fun to ride IMHO. This reviewer does not do the bike justice.
I agree to some extent, I've actually tried the 2022 900RS from kawi ... the XSR is much better in terms of riding experience. However the Kawi si absolutely amazing in terms of finish quality it feels a lot more premium. And I'm not a fan of old school dials but the way that bike dash looks and the way the buttons and leavers feel is really really nice.
It feels like its made of "metal" ... the XSR feel a bit more plasticky ... more budget like.
Don't get me wrong the XSR is a modern bike disguised as a classic ... you get a ride by wire, IMU and cruise control :)) the 900RS is a classic bike disguised as a modern classic
It all comes down to personal preference. How a bike makes you feel is the most important imho. Between different brands and models there is something out there to suit everyone’s taste. For 10K Yamaha designed and engineered and amazing bike. For 12K the Z900RS another option, however the riding experience, rider aids, quick shifter and cruise control on the Yamaha are much more refined for 20% less. Styling is on the eye of the beholder, but looks aside the XSR900 is king.
The horrible seat. Combined with the long tank which causes a seating position that is not sportbike, but not upright either. Never experienced such pain after 1-2 hours of riding before. I kept my XSR900 for two months, and swapped for an MT-09 SP, and now I can ride all day in comfort. Big comfort difference! The difference tho is that the MT-09 SP feels like a wild animal by comparison, it power wheelies in 1st, 2nd and 3rd, and seems a bit wild compared to the XSR900 that feels far more planted and safe due to the longer swingarm. The MT-09 is definitely much better for city/urban riding though, the comfort difference is HUGE.
I look at the price of this bike and....the negatives are expected!
I placed my order a week ago i expect to be waiting a while. But that gives me time to decide on an exhaust and hopefully have tuning options. If you ever get the model number from the ECU could you paste it to me? My tuner says he can tell me if he already supports the ecu for flashes if i get the number but i cant even find the bike in yamaha's parts sites yet.
I can't take the fuel tank off I have no garage ... the ECU is located under the tank.
I'm actually going thru the steps now to figure out what exhaust and tune I can get... my main problem is I currently live in the EU and the emission standard and enforcement is stringent.
I can say for a fact the bike has issues in terms of the ECU power profiles. 1st and 2nd gear down low feel like the bike is blocked from accelerating even in its most aggressive profile. You can feel the restriction is gone or less prominent in 3rd gear... I'll make a video about the tune process and exhaust if I find a good option, as it stands my prospects look kind of bleak.
@@mikebikealot from what I've read the fuel ratio is too rich in first as second so I'd assume a flash will actually make it more efficient but most places will disable the fuel cutoff on decel so it squirts a little when you come off the throttle to make it buck less. I can't know for sure how it will test but if subarus from the 90s can pass with just a catalytic converter I assume a cat is sufficient on this brand new motor. Vcyclenut is someone I hearing does the mail in flashes but anyone who tunes 2021 mt 09's should be able to tune this if it's the same ecu. And since it shares the engine and all rider aids with the sp I assume it's gonna be the same ecu.
Cool review
It’s almost a parts bin bike. It’s got mt09 stuff and controls that are on my ‘20 Tracer. My 2016 xsr900 definitely has the better dash, but I honestly don’t spend much time looking at it. I’m not sure what Yamaha had in mind, because some of it seems like an afterthought. The seat makes no sense, and Yamaha makes bad seats, but the previous gen was at least okay. Nice that they added cruise, but does it really need the tracer swing arm? Plus the steering lock issue? Really confusing, and I was so looking forward to this bike. I love Yamaha triples. I have two right now, and also had two first gen fz09’s. 😢
Honestly, the swingarm is awesome. Compared to the MT09, you lose very little in agility, but gain a ton in cornering stability. The only downside I see is that wheelies are harder. Steering lock is the same on the MT, no idea why everyone started complaining about it on the XSR... it's not great, but you get used to it.
@@dsofe4879 The XSR over the MT09 is harder to maneuver at low speeds and its very much apparent. That why everyone notices it. In addition this bike cornering ability is poor :)) and boy do I have a update regarding that*, spoiler its the tires, the S22's are really bad. Sadly I got into a small accident and haven't been able to edit and upload the 2 videos I planed ... But I'm very much interested in making talking about the tires. The bike changed sooo much after the switch its like I have a new motorcycle.
@@mikebikealot sorry to hear that, get well soon! That's an interesting take, can't say I share the experience. I've run nothing but the S22 since it came out, it's a great tire. Can't say I've noticed a huge difference with the oem-spec S22s that came on the XSR. But then again, I've had zero issues cornering or with low speed handling either.
@mikebikealot I'm not sure what you mean.. this bike (for me) is amazing in the twisties. I was immediately faster on this than my Hypermotard which I've had about a year. I love the S22's. In the past year I've had Pirelli Rosso Corso 3's and still love the S22's.
@@TheDfelan The S22 are definitely a downgrade compared to the Diablo IV, Rosso III, Rosso Corsa 2's... I've never ridden a Hypermotard but cornering this bike is not as stable and fast as an RS 660 or even a KTM 890. Just shimmying side to side on the seat is so much slower and requires more effort that on the other similar price/power bikes ... this is definitely not a corner machine. That does not mean this bike might not fit you better than a Hypermotard the fact that I can easily flat foot it means that it caters more to riders with a short inseam so you might have a easy time moving on it.
seems like vcyclenut is already offering tunes to get full power in second gear and take the restrictions off.
I'm glad I found your channel. I subscribed to get your long term review. 👍Keep the shiny side up brother. If you ever get your seat reupholstered if possible, please get a cut away view of the seat material.
Next year, the season is now over and I've hotelled my bike for the winter ... FIY I'm not particularly looking to reupholstermy seat but rather buy a complete new one from someone like Corbin. I'll see what the market offers next year ...
Isn’t the Tuono 660 more expensive at least in the USA? Even so you are saying you would take the Tuono…
I'm not in the US atm, the Tuono factory 660 is 10900 euros and the XSR 900 is 10650 euros out the door here ...
So there really comparable and that was after the price bump this year ... the 660 was actually cheaper on launch by about 1000 euros (when I got my old RS 660)
The tuono factory also gets the upgraded suspensions making the value proposition even better. It also comes with really really nice tires compared to the XSR and I'm about to rant regarding the S22's those tires are not good ...
@mikebikealot I'm surprised you don't like the S22 tyres. Never really heard a bad word about them for street riding. Usually highly rated.
I'm thinking of next year buy a motorcycle for practice and getting license with.
I had a hd Sportster 2004 model before that i practice with so i have some knowledge how bike works etc.
And my friend recommended me MT09 cause he has a Suzuki. I don't remember his model but it's similar to a MT serie.
I like the old generation of the MT09 look but the newest looks very cyber with its headlight.
But when i saw the new model of xsr900 i got love with it, i like the 80s retro look and it looks much cooler compare to mt09.
Those functions was something that made my mind more on to it too cause the bike seems much more freindly for beginner and all the way to a experienced, which is a bonus for me as a beginner.
The seat is one thing i will change if i get this bike and having it in long run. I seen couple of seats that is for this model.
So I'm leaning more into XSR900 then MT09.
I'm 173 cm tall am i too short? 😅
And thanks for the info there's not alot of videos of this model from private persons then big RUclipsrs that reviewed it before it launched.
So it's hard to know if it's a good bike or not but it seems like many like it for what u get.
I’m a couple cm taller, I can let you know. I pick mine up today or tomorrow.
The seat on the XSR is just slightly tapered towards the tank (compared to some sports bikes) so depending on your inseam you might be able to tap the ground with both of your feet. I would highly suggest you try sting on both an XSR and a MT to see witch seat feel better. You might also look into getting a lowering kit (Yamaha has one I think B5U-F538P-10-00)
Also the advantage of having a more sporty height is that you might be more comfortable on the MT09 because its easier for you to reach over with your hand. The XSR might force you to lean over the tank more based on your arms length.
Here's an upshot of picking up a 2022 or 2023 XSR / MT09. If you just start riding motorcycles the power modes on the bikes are amazing! Normally I would say that this is too much bike but in this case you can easily limit the bike using a higher DMode and and TCS. The bike can get you into trouble ... if you are not throttle conscientious and not prepare for the bump in acceleration at ~7-8k RPM it might jolt you back and you will be stuck opening the throttle even more. Be careful around bends.
One more thing to consider the XSR is quite a heavy bike to move around. The turning circle is bad ... really really bad. It might be important to you based on where you live. In Europe some places are really narrow and require you to wrangle your bike to park it well.
@Mike Bikealot yeah i seen videos of the U-turn xsr has haha it's like a car compared to mt09 and it's a bit strange cause they have the same parts.
I wonder if it even can finish the risk education here in Sweden with its turn. 😅
I found a video yesterday too that showed photos on a person if they were 160cm - 185cm tall on mt09 and it seems like most people said mt09 is for people up to 175cm, so i shouldn't have a problem on that one to have feet's on the ground.
I checked the price difference too and it is kinda far away from each other on mt09 and xsr900 with like 1000 dollar cheaper on mt09 2022 model. Plus xsr have apparently long delivery time here in Sweden, so a used one the price tag is litterly the same as a brand new one.
I'm mostly wanna go with a bike with just few miles to get abit lower price. Only color i like most on mt09 is the gray/orange one though haha but yeah i will test sit on these two models later. They are two interesting motorbike for sure. I tried to check other brands on same level but the look of those doesn't fall for my taste. 😅
👍🏻👍🏻
@@delavorexindustries2698 sure 😊
@@tkraft1442 I can flat foot the bike at 176cm
2023 seats are worse; and what are they thinking for passenger ?
10:20 minutes into the video. And I’m still hearing more negatives then great already. Lmao
well the negatives and the poor designed stuff is something I rarely see people talking about. Most online material never even compares the bikes to other models beyond the spec sheet stuff like price/hp/weight .... I kind of hate that. When I buy something I want to know its shortcomings relative to other products and what can could be better on it
I like your non-b.s approach here, however I do have some comments/opinions of my own.
I actually like how the seat feels, this is a highly subjective point as all of our bodies are different. I must be in the minority but I wish bikes just straight up didn't have these infotainment screen bullshit. Do people really spend any significant amount of time looking at these screens? Just give me speed, revs, gas, temp and errors. I just want to ride without scrolling through any bullshit. It's a bike, it should be liberating to operate, a pure experience. It is not a car, an enclosed fortress.
It's also no surprise they share switches and parts? It would be ridiculously expensive to make new tooling/R&D for every single model. It would cost millions. The smart thing is to do is to share the chasis (sure, tweak geometry with suspension and head angle), engine and electronics with as many models as possible. Look at the the Suzuki GSX-8s and the Vstrom 800DW, that's smart business right there. After all, the main purpose of these companies is to make money.
I also don't think the Tuono is comparable to this bike. This bike is solidly placed in the neo-heritage category. The Tuono is fully contemporary, and very hard on the eyes IMO.
is there any other other bike you could recommend? and i don't care about retro.
well honestly what's your budget? and what do you mainly want to do. Btw happy new year!
here I'll give you some the surface level options I'm thinking thru atm regarding new bike releases:
CFMoto 450 nk - super cheap and I want to get back into the 400 class to re-experience my first year of motorcycling. Naked bikes are a bit to uncomfortable when going above 150km especially when there is a lot of wind. This bike hangs around ~120kmh and so it might be the ideal city/intercity naked hooting around. Its also a good tikerer bike.
MT09 SP 2024 - according to the specs they've took almost all my issues and addressed them :)) like even the quicksifter according to them is now rev range based ... although I need to ride it to confirm they've fixed it properly and not just on paper. But I would say if you don't have a specific goal like track days in mind the MT09 SP 2024 is the best new naked bike you can buy ATM
KTM 990 - usually ktms are unreliable every friend that had a KTM has experienced some problems with them so I'm not going to say its a good buy because its usually not. But KTM and there dealer network did address all of them eventually its just that I've seen it take even a year to do so. However in terms of pure fun you can rarely beat a KTM... I am personally not considering KTMs atm but if you want to go medium high end and don't want a mt09 a KTM is your only option
If you are not looking for new bikes exclusively
Aprilia Tuono 660 Factory - this is hands down the best mid range naked bike it has good tech (cruise control included) and it was well packaged for the price but the main reason I like it its light like a mountain bike. Seriously if you get to ride one and are fairly conformable riding try to play around with it. It feels like you can jump left to right on it like you do a mountain bike. It also has a mini windscreen and upgrading it to a full screen does not look bad since its a "half naked" bike. That helps a loooot at higher speed. Its literally the benchmark for mid class nakeds atm
@@mikebikealot happy new year. thank you so much for this detailed answer. my price range is up to 12k i would say. the tuono i don't like looks wise. half naked isn't my style. maybe the rs660 then but i would have to test ride it first to see if the ergonomics are acceptable.
i test rode the old mt09 and liked it very much but it was so insanely ugly. maybe i can have a better look at the new one this weekend. there is supposed to be a presentation for the 24 models at my dealership. i expect ergonomics to much better than with the old one. the new one is a bit more leaned so you can bend forward more naturally. my only issue with the 24 mt-09 is it's stll a rather ugly bike. especially compared to the xsr900.
i test rode the 23 street triple r as well but it felt too tippy when coming to a stand and the sound gave me a headache. despite that it felt great.
then i had the cb650r for a short ride but when cornering i felt the bike needed way more force than any of the other bikes i tested. sure it was the heaviest bike and the only one with four cylinders.
the ktm duke 990 looks crazy cool but yeah, i heard about problems from other sources as well.
i don't want to go medium high end. i come from a mt-03 and all i want is similar ergonomics with better brakes and suspension and an engine that can keep up in city traffic even when cold. if yamaha added some decent suspension to the mt-07 and gave it a front you could look at without crying that would be my choice for the time.
@@nateriver5114 so my first thought would be don't overspend if you come from the mt-03 almost any of those bikes would be an upgrade in almost all aspects. And don't give into peer pressure regarding buying a powerful bike (if you have any). You don't need to jump on a streetfighter or bmw or triumph take it from me the return on fun does not scale with price. Here's my suggestion but I would preface it with the following: I don't really like suzukis I feel like suzuki is one of the defaults that you buy as a "safe option" that being said 2 years ago 2022 at EICMA and after I've had the chance to test out the GSX8S. Its a MT-07++ here's why:
- ride by wire so it can have a quicksifter up and down (something cp2 line of bikes can't) even if its a more budget friendly quicksifter
- nice dash (much better than even the old gen 2023 mt09) and the controls are easy and nice to use
- good build quality
- based on where you are the parts and service can be really cheap
Down sides (remember this is an improvement over the mt07 in almost all categories):
- its fairly sterile like all suzukis it never feels like you want to look twice at them (or at least I never do) maybe you can add a pipe to it and make it sound nice but ... its a suzuki at the end of the day
- its also a bit heavy I think it was over 200kg I usually discard 200 class bikes that are not liter bikes
- there is no cruise control even though it has ride by wire
- wind protection was not that good, in fact it was bad I remember being comparable to the dukes and you sit on those. But again nakeds ... that's a fundamental issue with them
- like the mt07 the suspension is cheap and not adjustable or at least it was not back then but that being said I remember it being harder than the mt07s. It was not very compliant over the bumps and again in my book thats a good thing I kind of like suspensions that are a bit more on the sporty side.
Other than that you're kind of out of luck atm ... there are no decent naked bikes around the 700 to 900 ccs or at least none that are worth buying except the ones mentioned above
One final thought regarding the headache. I also ride with sport helments and I suggest you run earplugs if you can. Or do like I do and run plugphones guardian (thats what I use into my cardo)
@@mikebikealot oh, i totally forgot i to tell you i already test rode the suzuki back in summer. the weight isn't of any issue and it gives a nice ride but i really didn't like the looks so much, especially the fat bck side because the air filter is under the seat. and it's more on the expensive side here. for about 1k more i could get the street triple r.
and yes, i often use earplugs when riding but i didn't when test riding the triumph.
Thank you very much for this review. This bike was my top choice but after this review I have decided, for sure, not to get it. The seat in particular really bothers me and I don't want to spend any additional money to get a better one; it should come with one! The turning radius seems ridiculous. Then you point out how the switchgear things seem loose. It just doesn't seem to be well made.
Cheap controls does it for me I will go with a Suzuki GSX 1000.
Agree about the seat, scrolling wheel and turning circle…..but you are a little whinging European. It’s a great bike.
Stop moaning!!. Why did you buy the bike?!!
If it's so bad why buy the bike in the first place? Just so you can play the victim on RUclips?
90 percent crying😢!
I suggest make your own bike😂
:D Don't need to, have you seen the new mt-09?
:D yamaha took my feedback and almost fixed every point I made in this video. Now they just need to release the new XSR with those fixes
need a smooth passenger seat; not a hi ; wierd looking thing
If it’s so bad, why have it?
bro your substantial it is too substantial
WHY in the WORLD do people leave the warning decals on fuel tanks? LOL ...I peeled that stupid ridiculous looking sticker off the moment I got home ....then a little paint thinner etc and wipe off the adhesive....I dont get leaving it in place....what? lol you think it adds collector value??
chill out bro; who cares man
It obviously bugs you. Most people it just doesn't bother.
There's probably a couple reasons why this content creator has only 6 subscribers, and this might be one of them: why buy a bike with all those evident faults only to b!tch about them later on? Or do you buy your bikes without sitting or riding them?
Or maybe because I just posted this video and its my first ... regardless these are deficiencies that are not apparent when you look a bike in the showroom (except the seat you can easily tell that its a problem). However some people don't even get the luxury to see it in showroom so it might be useful for them to know what's up with the bike...
In case you've been living under a rock the world is going thru a hard time now and new bikes are kind of hard to get... some dealers don't even get this as a test mule. Its was so new when I bought it 3 months ago, I am one of the first in Europe to buy into this platform and I had no way of knowing all of the quirks.
@@mikebikealot So you did buy your bike without riding it...?
@@ricardolourizela5961 Of course. Even to this day you can't ride the bike in any dealership for 500km from where I currently live. Literally for the the closet test ride I need to cross into another country. Its a bad market atm you either put down a deposit and get an early slot or wait for months... There are people on Facebook that are barely getting there bikes and have placed the deposit about the same time that I did ... kind of sucks hopefully it will get better in the upcoming years
@@mikebikealot Holy sh&#, man... Where do you live? Here in Algarve my local dealership has 5 XSR 900s and 3 of them available for test ride at any time. At least since late July..
@@ricardolourizela5961 OP's problem is the same problem in much of the world, and certainly holds true her in the United States. Most bikes are very hard to get and dealers will not even let you SIT on one until you have bought it.
Talking about the shifting being to tough lmfao you clearly haven't rode a Harley before. Anything is better than a literal clunk as it goes into gears.
Knows nothing about the bike
Well we all know we don't buy this for the electronic BS. We buy for the motor, sounds, handling , and wheelies. If you want power modes buy a Ninja 300 or KTM 390. If you can't control with your throttle hand then you should not be riding a bike like this. Just a rant about electronics. People seem to care more about those then the actual bike performance. Turn that sh.t off and enjoy the natural nature of the bike.
Electronics are a lot more important than you think. Its native to think you can outbreak an ABS and IMU system. Everyone that thinks they can are just wrong. In this days to be truly a good motorcyclist you need to compliment the system, lean on its strengths and improve upon it with your own skill. Fighting against it just makes you a bad rider and in general you are taking more risk on for no added benefit.
For newer riders heck even seasoned riders stuff like traction control and an IMU can save them in an uncontrolled slide because of unseen dust or just bad unexpected conditions. I don't see a problem with them buying a bike like this if they like the format and the looks. Arguably if it wasn't for the weight and geometry a bike specked like this is much better than a Ninja 400. Also note that you are wrong about the ninja 300/400 and Ktm, they do not have any power modes or fancy electronics there exactly the opposite and realistically they more of what you seek, a plain bike.
If they are prepared to go the extra mile will you be prepared to go the extra $3K to $4K. I wonder.
I would actually go the extra mile but 3-4k is not reasonable for what I'm suggesting. Though lets explore what 3-4k gets you since I'm actually looking for a bike that has most of the cool stuff but is not over the top and price fair. For example I hate that I need to go all the way to 20k++ and ~170hp to even consider getting electronic suspensions and a electronic steering damper. I know why they do it, because people are more inclined to splash for what is considered a liter bike but I don't like it... the manufactures are actually price and feature gauging us and you really don't notice until you look at the offerings. At the moment I'm not looking into going back to super bikes to get my perfect package but who knows I'll probably relapse in an year.
Case in point lets take a top downish view. The new Aprilia Tuono V4 Factory with FULL Ohlins v2 electronic suspension and damper, Brembos, Pirelli, much better dash and Italian exotica tax was ~19k for launch last year. The new MT10 SP that also has a ohlins semiactive suspensions package, nicer dash fully redesigned intake and bored out engine is around 17-18k. However both the examples are new redesigned models while the XSR 900 is more of a bin parts package... the RND has long since been amortized. More so the price difference is enormous between the Factory and MT10SP. Its clear that Yamaha are cheapening out since Aprilia with its exotica tax is turning a profit and with just ~2k there offering a ton of stuff on top. I can easily see a R9 with MT10SP's electronic package for less than 15k, and 13.5-14k for a naked version is not unreasonable. And yes I know the prices have gone up with about 1k since last year ... the XSR is literally 1k more at my local dealership now but the spirit of the argument stands. 2k appears to buys you a lot lot. Heck I be that Yamaha is supper greedy and can sell the SP for a lot less based on the hardware... case in point look at the S1000R a superior package (with DDC its currently 16700)
And I'm not asking for much even if the base package is a trimmed down version at least give us an upgrade package. Because I can't really add the things on the bike in aftermarket... you can't add electronic suspensions or a nicer screen or integrated heated grips if the bike's ecu does not come prepped for that. Especially since most likely the internal software has support for it since its based on what they developed for there more "premium bikes".
Finally Ducati does this well with things like the Monster, Monster + and now the SP but of course they are more performance oriented and command Ducati prices... I would love that on the XSR ... the XSR Proper with a actually usable seat nicer controls and dashboard maybe even a XSR Pro with semi active electronic suspensions and better oem tires :) its a lot cheaper for the manufacturer to create those packages then us paying ~500$ for a Corbin aftermarket seat that is actually usable (btw I love that seat, not bashing on it).
i really can't believe you bought this bike. There is so much you hate about it you make the bike sound like its a pure parcel of shite. Most of the things you have issues with would have been quite apparent after a 10 minute test ride !!
Yes for the price it could be better. But listen to the whole video there are a bunch of saving graces. The engine is amazing really really compliant the suspensions are just how I like them.
As I mentioned in the comments below test riding bikes in the past year was big fail. There are places around the world where you still can't test ride this bike and the purchases are backordered. So you either buy or don't ride, I chose the former. Oh and happy new year!