I Already Own My Dream Yamaha. This New XSR900 Has Me Questioning Everything

Apparently, owning your dream motorcycle doesn't stop Yamaha from finding new ways to bankrupt you.

Photo by: Yamaha

By: Enrico Punsalang

Oct 16, at 7:02am ET

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I've owned quite a few motorcycles over the years. Some were faster, some were more expensive, and others were objectively better equipped. I've had the pleasure of owning machines like the Triumph Street Triple RS and Yamaha MT-10, both of which are fantastic motorcycles in their own right. But for some reason, none of them quite scratched the itch the Yamaha XSR900 did. And after years of wanting one, I finally bought my dream bike two years ago.

Mine's a first-generation XSR900, and to this day, I absolutely adore the thing. It's got that rowdy CP3 triple, styling that's aged remarkably well, and just enough technology to keep things interesting without turning every ride into a software demo. Sure, there are faster and more sophisticated motorcycles out there, but I've never really cared. After years of constantly swapping bikes, I figured I'd finally found one worth keeping.

Of course, there's one tiny problem. Yamaha went ahead and made a second-generation XSR900, and I've been drooling over it ever since. Its sharper styling, updated 890cc triple, improved chassis, and more sophisticated electronics are all things I wouldn't mind having. In fact, I've repeatedly told myself that if I ever bought another motorcycle, it'd probably be another XSR900. Perfectly reasonable behavior for someone who already owns an XSR900, and at one point in time owned three MT-07s, right?

Well, Yamaha has now made that hypothetical financial disaster considerably more tempting, particularly with the 2027 XSR900 in Neon White. It's a gloriously nostalgic throwback to the pink Yamaha YZF750R of the mid-1990s. It's got white bodywork, pink and blue graphics, a silver frame, and light-colored wheels. It's the kind of color scheme that makes you wonder why motorcycle manufacturers ever decided everything needed to be black, gray, or some depressing shade of matte whatever.

Photos by: RideApart.com

Source: Yamaha

And underneath all that '90s goodness is the same thoroughly modern XSR900 we've come to know and love. The 890cc CP3 triple remains the centerpiece, paired with a six-speed transmission, quick shifter, cruise control, and lean-sensitive electronic rider aids. It's not some limited-edition performance special, either. It's essentially the same brilliant motorcycle wearing a spectacular new outfit. Which, annoyingly, is more than enough to get my attention.

What do you think?

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For now, Yamaha has announced the new colors for Europe, with US availability still unconfirmed. The current American-market XSR900 starts at $10,599 (with the ultra fancy GP model set to reach the US sooner than later, hopefully), so at least we have some idea of how expensive this particular midlife crisis could become.

And here's the ridiculous part. I have absolutely no intention of selling my first-generation XSR900. Two years and 32,000 miles in, it's still the motorcycle I look forward to riding, and I can genuinely see myself keeping it for years. But this new colorway has me imagining a garage with two XSR900s parked side by side. I spent years chasing my dream motorcycle, finally got it, and thought I'd settled down. Apparently, Yamaha missed that memo.