Unless you’re living in one of those rule-free American states where they let tipsy 13-year-olds ride drag bikes on public roads without helmets, you’ll know what I mean when I say the dreaded words, “Beginner Motorcycle”. They’re the ones learner riders need to buy before they can get their hands on a big, proper bike. Now, when I was learning to ride, there were a bunch of well-known rules for these bikes.
Firstly and most importantly, they had to be really embarrassing. So embarrassing, in fact, that you’d park down the far end of the street and walk to the local cafe rather than be seen on one. Secondly, they had to be totally underpowered, almost to the point of being dangerous bikes to ride. Also, they had to have been owned by approximately 27 other riders before yourself and then passed down to you like some weird tribal ritual or rite of passage.
And lastly, they were to be sold off on the very same day you received your full, “I can buy a real motorcycle now” license and not a second afterwards. In many ways, they were a kind of test to make you prove to yourself and to other road users that you were serious about this whole riding motorcycles thing. So serious in fact, that you were willing to put yourself through many months—or even years—of shame, lack of usable power, and general crapness.
For what seemed like an eternity, manufacturers didn’t really seem to be able to get their heads around this issue. After all, they were selling plenty of these bikes, so all was good in the world. But what they missed was the fact that no one wanted to keep them, so they were shared around like joints at a college party—and as such, a single bike would be sold and then shared many times over. The result? Fewer sales for the manufacturers.
But then someone had a crazy idea. What if—shock; horror—a bike could be OK for beginner riders and look cool? And what if it wasn’t gutless, but instead had a useable amount of power and torque? That would mean you weren’t in danger when you were learning to ride, but once you were proficient, it would still put a smile on your face and wouldn’t need to be revved to a million RPMs up a hill. Enter, stage left, the Yamaha XSR700.
Now in its second generation, the Australian Yamaha XSR motorcycle series consists of two bikes: the twin 655cc 700 and the triple 899cc 900. We’ll focus on the XSR 700 here, but keep an eye out for the 900 review next month.
Some dry technical specs first: this model is unique to Australia insofar as its cylinders are sleeved and its intake is restricted specifically to pass the local LAMS (or Learner Approved Motorcycle Scheme) requirements, meaning that the engine has to be smaller than 660cc’s and its power to weight ratio must be less than 150 kw (or 200 hp) per metric tonne. So the Aussie XSR700 puts out about 7 kW (or 9 hp) under the full-cream OS donk.
The 2022 model has a new LED headlight, a larger front brake disc, and a revised cockpit layout. Its 11:1 compression and gallopy, 270° crossplane-cranked engine outputs 38.3 kw @ 8000rpm (or 51 hp) and 57.5nm @ 4000rpm (or 42 ft-lb), which compares to 55 kw @ 9000rpm (or 74 hp) and 68 nm @ 6500rpm (or 50 ft-lb) of the full power engine.
It weighs in at a beginner-friendly 186 kilos (or 410 lbs), it has a 14 liter (or 3.7 gal) tank, and it gets up to a top speed of about 190 km/h (or 118 mph). The factory tyres are Michelin Road 5s.
Among the other little details to note are the “Link-Type Monocross” rear shock, the UFO-like backlit LCD dash, and, in the case of this particular bike, the lovely retro paintwork that directly references the legendary 2-stroke Yamaha RD350LC from the early 80s.
The right-side-up forks are made by Yamaha and have two-pot Yammie brakes bolted to them. As usual, Yamaha’s fit and finish is spot on, and I noticed exactly zero zip ties, misplaced goop, or saggy wiring harnesses. So, with that out of the way, let’s ride the thing.
General Useability of the 2022 Yamaha XSR700
Around town, the XSR was pretty much perfect. It was easy to steer and really comfy without feeling like a sofa between your legs. I was sitting pretty and lane splitting like a boss in no time at all. The long seat had enough longitude to allow my not-so-slim butt cakes a decent amount of forward and backward adjustment. The mirrors worked well with minimal vibes.
The fuelling was spot-on and not at all snatchy or wanting. The dash has a couple of basic settings that can be cycled through via a switch on the bars or some up-and-down switches on the CD-sized circular cluster.
