2024 Yamaha XSR900 GP

Racing is in Yamaha's DNA. Our rich history on the track is headlined by riders like ‘King’ Kenny Roberts who piloted his YZR500 to a third consecutive title in 1980.
Yamaha went on to win six 500cc Grand Prix titles between 1984 and 1992 - the GP Golden Era that is worth remembering and celebrating.

So for 2024 the nod to Yamaha’s racing tradition takes another leap with the introduction of the new XSR900 GP. This new model pays homage to some of the most celebrated race machines from Yamaha’s illustrious past in a way never seen before in the Sports Heritage range.

Adorned in one of the most iconic Yamaha Grand Prix colours of all time, the XSR900 GP is available in a heritage livery inspired by the machines ridden by legends such as Wayne Rainey to multiple 500cc Grand Prix World Championships, complete with authentic yellow number boards on both front and rear cowlings.

Combining a sense of 1980s Grand Prix nostalgia with the very latest technology including the iconic, torque-rich 890cc CP3 engine, R1-derived six-axis IMU and lean sensitive rider aids, the XSR900 GP combines Yamaha’s Racing history with modern day performance.

The aim was not to create a replica, but instead release a model that pays the utmost respect to the past, while holding its own with the latest in performance and technology. That is the XSR900 GP.

The XSR900 GP features an upper cowling reminiscent of this era, not only with a clear influence from the 1980s YZR Grand Prix bikes but also with notes of the FZR and TZR production sports machines of the late 1980s and early 1990s. To maintain the race-bike look, the XSR900’s round LED headlamp is replaced by a compact lens module, neatly hidden in the front cowling, creating a sense of unity with the front fairing while maintaining excellent illumination.

The bodywork is not only a symbol of the past in looks alone, but the method in which it is fixed in position is also inspired by the 1980s, with a tubed structure connecting the cowling to the frame and straight brackets supporting the dash creating a rider’s view with a genuine golden era feel.

To emphasise the classic cockpit feeling, the upper fairing stay is supported by a nut structure identical to that used for the original TZ250. In true racing style, this structure is fastened with a beta pin, marking the first time Yamaha has used such a fastening on a mass-produced production model for public road use.

The function behind the move from the curvaceous cowlings of the 1970s to the more squared off style of the 1980s was to both improve aerodynamic efficiency and protect the rider from the wind coming from higher performance; and this is no different with the XSR900 GP.

While the windscreen and individual knuckle guards incorporate a taste of the 1980s; it’s not solely about looks. The power output and gear ratio of the 890cc CP3 engine are identical to that of the XSR900, but the front cowling structure of the XSR900 GP increases both acceleration and top speed while the ducts on the side panels efficiently discharge heat from the radiator to maximise cooling performance. The colour-matched seat cover fits over the passenger seat to complete the racer look with a boxy 1980s style rear end hiding the rear light, while a seat stopper on top of the seat cowling keeps the rider in position to enhance the feeling of acceleration.

The Deltabox-style chassis and swingarm are finished in silver to better evoke the era of the 1980s prototypes and emphasise the character of the Deltabox style frame itself.