2025 Yamaha XSR900 Neo-Retro

Information from the Yamaha website, and posted due to my interest in this Neo-Retro Marlboro special.

Don’t be fooled by the timeless good looks of the XSR900, because underneath that 80s race bike look there’s some serious high-performance technology. Not only does it come with the smooth EU5+ 890cc CP3 engine with a ton of torque, but it’s also fitted with a lightweight Deltabox-style chassis with Brembo radial master cylinder, lightweight Spinforged wheels and fully adjustable suspension (revised linkage for more progressiveness).

Images from Yamaha website

Surprisingly, as far as we can see, the XSR900 will not be available with Yamaha’s Y-AMT auto-gearbox for 2025. Perhaps Yamaha figures the people who want retro styling (if you think the XSR actually has that look) don’t want an automatic tranny.

So what else is new, then? The XSR gets a new 5-inch TFT screen that connects to your smartphone for infotainment (through the Y-Connect app) and navigation (through the Garmin StreetCross app). Riders can choose from one of four different screen layouts.

The Yamaha Ride Control system, which you control via that TFT, now allows you to select Sport, Rain or Street ride modes, or create two custom-tailored ride modes yourself, with power deliver and electronic safety intervention set where you want it. There’s also a new Back Slip Regulator system that helps you avoid locking up the rear wheel.

The XSR gets a new monoshock with full adjustability and a new linkage, supposedly improving traction.

Yamaha also has a new quickshifter for its 900-series triples, and that third-gen tech is included on the XSR900. Other updates for 2025 include new switchgear and self-canceling turn signals, something we wish the rest of the industry would also adopt…

The seat is also new for 2025, there’s a new handlebar, new footpegs, new adjustable clutch lever and a new USB-C plug in the dash. So while it looks like mostly a visual re-fresh at first, Yamaha did include a lot of small updates on this bike.

The XSR900 has already appeared on Yamaha’s UK website at a price of £11,000