~ Auto Buzz ~: Yamaha Announces Pricing Information for New XSR900, FJR1300A, and FJR1300ES Lots of updates for only a little more money.

Thursday, 18 February 2016

Yamaha Announces Pricing Information for New XSR900, FJR1300A, and FJR1300ES Lots of updates for only a little more money.

The question of whether or not Yamaha could keep its FZ-09 inspired XSR900 under the $10,000 price mark was answered today, when the manufacturer revealed pricing information for its newest neo-retro café racer. If you were one of those persons who bet Yamaha could in fact come in under that mark, then congratulations, you win, with the official retail price listed at $9,490 for the Matte Gray model and $9,990 for the 60th Anniversary Yellow & Black model, or roughly $1,300 more than the FZ-09 three-cylinder naked bike that the XSR is based off of.

Yamaha’s XSR900 is best compared to the manufacturer’s well-priced FZ-09 but adds ABS, traction control, and an assist/slipper clutch to the long list of standard equipment. As such, it will come with just a slightly higher price tag in either matte gray or 60th anniversary black and yellow colors.

Important to remember when looking at that price gap, of course, is that the XSR will come standard with a two-level (plus off) traction-control system, ABS, and an assist/slipper clutch that’s claimed to reduce lever effort by up to 20 percent, while also helping to smooth out downshifts. These are all features that the FZ-09 is still devoid of. Similarly, the XSR gets a few other specially tailored bits like hand-buffed aluminum tank cover on the Matte Gray model and aluminum pieces for the rear fender and headlight hanger. There’s also the fact that it costs money to look cool. And our general opinion is that the XSR does, in fact, look cool.

Key updates to the FJR1300A and FJR1300ES include a long-awaited six-speed transmission and LED lights, updates that contribute to just a small bump in price for 2016, to $16,390 for the A and $17,990 for the ES model.

In other news, Yamaha announced retail price for its updated, 2016 FJR1300A and FJR1300ES (electronic suspension) models. Both of those bikes have been updated by way of a new six-speed transmission with updated gear ratios, LED lights, and assist/slipper clutch that has the same benefits as the unit on the XSR900. The ES model will also come standard with Yamaha’s new LED lean-angle sensitive lighting system for better low-light vision in a turn. Price jumps just a bit on both models as a result, with the FJR1300A retailing for $16,390 (versus $15,890 in 2015) and the FJR1300ES for $17,990 (versus $16,890 in 2015). Check out more photos of the 2016 Yamaha XSR900, FJR1300A, and FJR1300ES below.