Overall rating Next up: Ride & brakes 5 out of 5 (5/5) Author: Adam Child Published: 09 February 2020 Updated: 19 June 2020 With the Yamaha XSR900 the Japanese firm hit the nail on the head. It looks great with its on-trend retro styling and, thanks to Yamaha’s extensive catalogue of accessories, is easy to personalise too. It’s both versatile and fun with everyday usability, very impressive for a bike that comes in an affordable price bracket. Related : 2020 Yamaha XSR700 and XSR900 updates

: 2020 Yamaha XSR700 and XSR900 updates Related: Yamaha XSR900 Abarth first ride The inline triple has come from the highly popular MT-09, with revised fuelling map and also comes with the added benefit of traction control and ABS as standard. During 2016 MCN's Editor at the time, Andy Calton, ran a Yamaha XSR900 as a long-term test bike. Throughout the year he did big miles and made several changes to the bike, and came away smitten. One you've read this review and our owners' reviews, you may consider joining the Yamaha XSR900 Owners' Club on Facebook. Watch: Yamaha XSR900 video review on MCN

Ride quality & brakes Next up: Engine 5 out of 5 (5/5) The handling is as good as it gets for a bike straight out of the box. The XSR is stable, with impressive feedback and mechanical grip. It’s hard to find any fault with it at all. It runs the same shock and forks as the MT-09, but with different springs and settings to manage the different riding position and weight. It doesn’t have the Supermoto feeling of the MT-09, nor does the front end platter like the Tracer’s when you push it.

Engine Next up: Reliability 4 out of 5 (4/5) The motor is the same 847cc Triple that features in the MT-09, producing the same power of 115bhp at 10,000rpm and 64.5ftlb’s of torque at 8,500rpm. Yamaha have also made improvements on the fuelling, which was always a weak point in the original MT-09 and is now nearly perfect.

Reliability & build quality Next up: Value 5 out of 5 (5/5) Despite its relatively low price, the XSR900 is built to an exceptionally high standard. The brackets, fuel tank and clocks are all made from aluminium and not plastic, further adding to the quality feel that this bike ozzes, even the bolts used on the bike are personal to this model. We've got 8 Yamaha XSR900 owners' reviews on MCN, and with an overall score of 4.9 stars out of 5, it's clear it's a very popular bike.

Value vs rivals Next up: Equipment 5 out of 5 (5/5) The XSR900 represents incredible value for money. It uses the MT-09’s brilliant triple engine and has put it in a machine that is bang on trend offering a brilliant bike at an exceptionally good price. It really is hard to see where Yamaha have saved on cost with this machine.