Cult bikes - Share your dream Cult Bike

[jeantarrou]

The dash on it is unique in that it has an analog display style on the screen. I have the 22 XSR and it has some dumb looking bar graph.

I'm so curious, how would you describe the performance of the XSR?

[ducatirdr]

The 2022 XSR900 performance is surprising. Maybe its the gearing but from 0-100 I think its as fast as my Kawi H2 SXSE. The thing is so smooth as well. The feedback from the bike while letting it eat is an intake howl that makes me not need to put a pipe on it. The ease of wheelies is about 7 out of 10 with twins and singles giving the nod for easy wheelies. The throttle is OK in today's fly by wire bikes. It's no shit show like some newer Duc's or other Yamaha's. The handling is sublime and brakes are great. Typical Yamaha feedback with great handling till you reach 9/10's and then it gets vague due to the bars and upright stance. The bike is a ripper if you like expresso or whiskey. It is a blast to ride for an hour then the seat starts to feel thin. It's one of those bikes you ride hard for an hour and then park it and process all that happened. It just is a unique ride that delivers a distilled motorcycle experience.

[Paul_E_D]

The 2022 XSR900 performance is surprising. Maybe its the gearing but from 0-100 I think its as fast as my Kawi H2 SXSE. The thing is so smooth as well. The feedback from the bike while letting it eat is an intake howl that makes me not need to put a pipe on it. The ease of wheelies is about 7 out of 10 with twins and singles giving the nod for easy wheelies. The throttle is OK in today's fly by wire bikes. It's no shit show like some newer Duc's or other Yamaha's. The handling is sublime and brakes are great. Typical Yamaha feedback with great handling till you reach 9/10's and then it gets vague due to the bars and upright stance. The bike is a ripper if you like expresso or whiskey. It is a blast to ride for an hour then the seat starts to feel thin. It's one of those bikes you ride hard for an hour and then park it and process all that happened. It just is a unique ride that delivers a distilled motorcycle experience.

Interesting. Wasn't even on my radar as a performer.

[jeantarrou]

The 2022 XSR900 performance is surprising. Maybe its the gearing but from 0-100 I think its as fast as my Kawi H2 SXSE. The thing is so smooth as well. The feedback from the bike while letting it eat is an intake howl that makes me not need to put a pipe on it. The ease of wheelies is about 7 out of 10 with twins and singles giving the nod for easy wheelies. The throttle is OK in today's fly by wire bikes. It's no shit show like some newer Duc's or other Yamaha's. The handling is sublime and brakes are great. Typical Yamaha feedback with great handling till you reach 9/10's and then it gets vague due to the bars and upright stance. The bike is a ripper if you like expresso or whiskey. It is a blast to ride for an hour then the seat starts to feel thin. It's one of those bikes you ride hard for an hour and then park it and process all that happened. It just is a unique ride that delivers a distilled motorcycle experience.

Jeesh, sounds awesome.

[SteveM]

Jeesh, sounds awesome.

I could be wrong, but I think that's the same CP3 engine that is in my Tracer 9GT.

Here are the specs on both.

XSR900 is 60 lbs lighter!

[OneCheekRider]

The 2022 XSR900 performance is surprising. Maybe its the gearing but from 0-100 I think its as fast as my Kawi H2 SXSE. The thing is so smooth as well. The feedback from the bike while letting it eat is an intake howl that makes me not need to put a pipe on it. The ease of wheelies is about 7 out of 10 with twins and singles giving the nod for easy wheelies. The throttle is OK in today's fly by wire bikes. It's no shit show like some newer Duc's or other Yamaha's. The handling is sublime and brakes are great. Typical Yamaha feedback with great handling till you reach 9/10's and then it gets vague due to the bars and upright stance. The bike is a ripper if you like expresso or whiskey. It is a blast to ride for an hour then the seat starts to feel thin. It's one of those bikes you ride hard for an hour and then park it and process all that happened. It just is a unique ride that delivers a distilled motorcycle experience.

I miss my '16 Anniversary XSR. I had a love/hate relationship with how much attention it got. I had a lot of fun with it, too. I sold it when I bought Kenn's '11 Speed Triple as the Triumph has better suspension, brakes, and a little more power (stock vs stock). The big thing worth mentioning is the XSR's engine case cover would drag at full lean. It wasn't really a problem on the street but the few trackdays I took it to was holding it back. I wonder if that is a similar concern on the Gen 2 XSR. Other than that, it sounds like they fixed everything I disliked on the first gen and made some significant improvements (like CC!) -- wish I could ride the new one, sounds awesome! Maybe I'll pickup the next anniversary XSR...

this might show how close the engine case gets to the ground:

[LuvDog]

While not cult bikes, I’m lucky to have 2 of my dream bikes. My ZX-7R and my 916 were bikes I always wanted

[ducatirdr]

... I sold it when I bought Kenn's '11 Speed Triple as the Triumph has better suspension, brakes, and a little more power (stock vs stock). The big thing worth mentioning is the XSR's engine case cover would drag ...

The best feature of the XSR900 is the price. It was under $10k at the time I bought it before taxes and all. The bike at that price is really hard to beat. The Triumph is in another league of pricing. Much like my 2015 Aprilia Tuono Factory I once had. Those bikes have a way more refined ride quality and are simply some of the best of motorcycling's naked goodness. But the XSR has a high build quality that punches above that price point. The Yamaha longevity will out live the two years I had with my Aprilia before odd things started to happen with its ECU just out of warranty. About the only thing the Aprilia did better on the street was 3rd gear wheelies and sure that Ohlins suspension was a big step up. . .

But for that, slap in the face, quick ride to wipe the day of work out of your brain, pure enjoyment of a simple ride not pretending to be a racer boi, or bland utilitarian ride on the street on an ADV bike, or knuckle drag ride on a Harley, the XSR delivers FUN! That pure, unpretentious UJM set up with17" sticky tires, great brakes, easy tip in handling, in modest styling that an adult can respect all with a howling motor that triggers an adrenal gland squeeze.

I was at Seacoast when I saw someone traded a better than new Streetfighter v4S with $8k exhaust and carbon love sprinkled all over it. The price was $29K. I looked at it and realized while I could afford to swing it I didn't see the need to have it over my XSR. No track days on the XSR, no racing anyone to the cafe, no dick swinging contest on who has the coolest toy. The thing scratches that itch just right.

[SteveM]

The best feature of the XSR900 is the price. It was under $10k at the time I bought it before taxes and all. The bike at that price is really hard to beat. The Triumph is in another league of pricing. Much like my 2015 Aprilia Tuono Factory I once had. Those bikes have a way more refined ride quality and are simply some of the best of motorcycling's naked goodness. But the XSR has a high build quality that punches above that price point. The Yamaha longevity will out live the two years I had with my Aprilia before odd things started to happen with its ECU just out of warranty. About the only thing the Aprilia did better on the street was 3rd gear wheelies and sure that Ohlins suspension was a big step up. . .

But for that, slap in the face, quick ride to wipe the day of work out of your brain, pure enjoyment of a simple ride not pretending to be a racer boi, or bland utilitarian ride on the street on an ADV bike, or knuckle drag ride on a Harley, the XSR delivers FUN! That pure, unpretentious UJM set up with17" sticky tires, great brakes, easy tip in handling, in modest styling that an adult can respect all with a howling motor that triggers an adrenal gland squeeze.

I was at Seacoast when I saw someone traded a better than new Streetfighter v4S with $8k exhaust and carbon love sprinkled all over it. The price was $29K. I looked at it and realized while I could afford to swing it I didn't see the need to have it over my XSR. No track days on the XSR, no racing anyone to the cafe, no dick swinging contest on who has the coolest toy. The thing scratches that itch just right.

Dial back the riding for my skill level, add in even more stealth in the hard bag look, and that's exactly how I feel when I can steal an hour or so during the week on my Tracer 9 GT.