At the end of October last year, Yamaha Motor released the new 2024 XSR900 GP (XS850GP) retro sports car.
In terms of configuration, the XSR900 GP is modified based on the second-generation retro-style sports street car XSR900 (the model sold in China is XS 900 R). It is equipped with a water-cooled four-stroke inline three-cylinder, DOHC four-valve per cylinder CP3 engine with a bore and stroke of 78 mm x 62.1 mm and a displacement of 890 cc. It meets the Euro V+ emission standards and has the same maximum horsepower output as the street version of the XSR900, which is 87.5 kw (about 119 horsepower).
The body adopts a Deltabox-style aluminum alloy double-wing frame, with a half fairing on the front, which is an important feature of the XSR900 GP, a KYB-matched suspension system, an aluminum alloy racing split handlebar, a digital instrument panel, LED headlights, etc. In terms of the electronic control system, optional riding modes, engine power output mode, and quick shift system are standard.
In terms of exterior style, especially the wide front fairing, the XSR900 GP has a similar shape to the GP500 factory racing YZR500 in the 1980s. In the original standard car state, the fairing only covers the upper half of the front of the car body, and the lower half of the fairing is an optional original modification part (YS Gear). After the installation of the complete set of fairings, the whole car has a stronger YZR500 flavor.
Yamaha Motor said that the 2024 XSR900 GP combines nostalgic appearance design with the latest technology and is the embodiment of their racing history: the Deltabox frame designed for the race track starting in 1982, the “square” design fairing that has been popular in the WGP arena since the mid-1980s, the red and white main colors, and the authentic yellow number plates on the front and rear fairings. A series of designs all contain elements that pay tribute to Yamaha’s racing history.
On May 18-19, the European subsidiary of Yamaha Motor, YRHC (Yamaha Racing Heritage Club), held a nostalgic cycling event at the Paul Ricard Circuit in France. Many racing cars that once dominated the track, such as the 1975 YZR500 (OW23), 1984 TZ250L, modern TZ125, TZ250, etc., appeared on the track together with the 2024 XSR900 GP.
Many legendary drivers from WGP appeared with various racing cars and rode on the track. Among them, the legendary driver from Italy, Giacomo Agostini, tested the new XSR900 GP at the event. Agostini, born in 1942, is the current record holder of the most world championships (drivers’ annual points championship, the same below) in the WGP World Championship: in his career, he won a total of 122 race championships and won the world championship 15 times (eight times in the GP500 level and seven times in the GP350 level).
