Great review! I’m currently trying to rack up miles for the break in and all the positives and negatives mentioned about the xsr700 are spot on. As a former gixxer rider livin the dad life, it’s all the bike I need. I picked this over the speed twin 900 (weight), scrambler night shift (maintenance), SV650 (looks), and rs650 (range). Main reason for my decision was price at $7400 USD new for all its worth.

@ozzyb39

5 ай бұрын

funny to see im not the only dad who was looking at the triumph and ended up checking this out.. the modern classic design is what got me looking but from what ive read its also very reliable.

@flesz_

3 ай бұрын

it costs £8300 in UK

@hulkhulk5141

2 ай бұрын

I’m shopping now and all seem to be 8900$ on west coast. 😮

@Highway9mm

2 ай бұрын

@@hulkhulk5141 east bay Motorsports in Hayward. Unfortunately I don’t see xsr700 on sale.

@hulkhulk5141

2 ай бұрын

@@Highway9mm good looking out, I will keep shopping.

I’ve owned one for two years,they’re great little bikes, and I think great looking combination of retro and modern looks.

Brilliant bike Perfect review for the real world. Mine is 1 week old and I love it. It’s the smallest bike I’ve owned for nearly 30 years and it’s the easiest to use. So good looking and even better in the flesh. Great review Colm 🇮🇪

I’m nearly 66 years old. Only rode a bike up and down a street once when I was about 12 years old. Bought this bike in September and love it. As far as exhaust noise….. why does it need aftermarket exhaust? More noise does not make the bike. Streets really are noisy enough for me. Thanks for the review Mr. Darcy

@kalnwi2023

8 ай бұрын

I like to hear a engine and a nice intake sound is also nice , let the kiddies fawn over loud pipes for now, someday they'll agree with us .

@Corkoth55

8 ай бұрын

@@kalnwi2023 yes! I rode a kawi z900rs at a demo event this summer and i could NOT get enough of that induction sound. forget the exhaust. it was already fun enough.

@mannyechaluce3814

7 ай бұрын

the loud pipe Noise gets very tiring and stressful after awhile, so I kept mine stock, good choice :D

@user-xm4vm2nk5d

2 ай бұрын

I also was a later in life rider. Got my first bike at around 40 yrs old.. 50 now and just got a 700xsr. I am absolutely in love with it, obsessively. Peace

@user-xm4vm2nk5d

2 ай бұрын

Also wanted to add... totally agree with you on the exhaust sounds, I HATE loud motorcycles, they actually anger me because it hurts my ears. I don't care what anyone says, that is how I feel, glad I am not alone in thinking this.

If I were Yamaha, I’d be sending you bikes to review every week! Awesome video dude 👊🏿

happy to see you are trying more neo retro motorcycles styled bikes

A bloke at work had an old vfr800 for 7 years, apart from the chain rusting away it's condition never seemed to change. He bought an XSR to replace it & l watched it turn into a rusty dog of a bike in just 18 months of commuting. I like them, even though it's silhouette is much better than it's real looks, but you'd have to really look after it if used in winter.

So 700cc is now a city commuter? 😂😂 Times done changed a bit

Yamaha makes a stout, smooth running machine. That's pretty light for a 700cc. I might have to check it out. The styling is a bit confused. Change the seat, better mirrors, and who knows... All in all, it's a nice bike. Thanks for the review. Can't wait to see more...

To me for few k more Kawasaki Z900RS checks all boxes gorgeous retro and has The HP! I cant wait until you guys review one.Its way overdue

Great review and an interesting bike. I'm guilty of neglecting motorcycles that on the surface seem boring but you make a video on it and make me think twice.

Great presentation of this lovely bike, thanks for your highly appreciated work, Darcy 🙏

Fair and informative review, cheers.

I think people would have to see the bike in the flesh to appreciate it. Congratulations on your new best friend!

Great video. Love all the "glamour shots". Beautiful bike.

Great review, thanks!

Nice comprehensive review, thank you Mr. Darcy.

Great review and video!👍 The bike looks alright. I think I'd much rather ride my old 1978 XS650 special I had back in my younger days 🤷 I know this modern bike would run circles around my old Yamie but that old XS 650 had CHARACTER 💯 I know I'm not alone, that's why Royal Enfield is doing so well...

I’ve got the old model, it’s my first bike and it’s been great to learn on and still a lot of fun to ride. It was forgiving for those learner mistakes, it’s got way more to offer after, at 6’1” I’ve found it’s comfortable even on longer journeys,and I love about it is how easy it is to work on and personalise. I want to go to something with more character but that wouldn’t be a rational decision as this bike ticks so many boxes.

Gorgeous to ride fugly to look at. If its a retro give it twin clocks. I have test ridden one and it’s a hoot. 70 bhp was the same as my 1978 honda 750-4 which was not considered a city commuter

Nice Review. I had mine here in Canada since 2018 and I love the bike. Once thing is it is very easy to mod and make your own.

Got the Legacy version back in August and really enjoying it. Great bike 👍

great review

Looks nice, and fun to ride!

It certainly has that retro look. The styling reminds me of the old Yamaha RD's of the 80's.

Had been looking for a bike and the Yamaha was my top choice of the new bike's. After more research got myself a GSXR750 🙏

When i was shopping for a bike last November I looked this the MT 07 and the Z 650 I chose, here in the U.S. none of the dealers near me had one there were due around April/May. If they had one siting on the floor I may have pulled the trigger. So I made an executive decision since I am Kawasaki man and put my deposit down on the ABS Z 650 and i waiting until the end of April.

USE CODE: MRDARCY for 10% discount on your carVertical Check. Get 10% off carVertical with this link www.carvertical.com/gb/landing/v3?a=mrdarcy&b=38b26e3a&voucher=mrdarcy

Been eyeing one of these for the past few years to take on commuter duties to save miles on the old Ducati monster.

When ever you talk about Yamaha, you should mention reliability. In general the 4 major Japanese are always at the top for fewest problems, and Yamaha seems to rank first. Also, some of us enjoy riding bikes that are not noisy - that exhaust sounds fine for me I would not touch it. Plus their engineers usually spend a lot of effort to tune the exhaust. I live in South Carolina and I would by that to ride our beautiful country roads.

@MrDarcy-OlMan

9 ай бұрын

We know very little about Yamahas reliability because they’ve never ever replied to us, in 5 years, so we’ve not had any input from owners etc as a result

Just picked up the scrambler XSR700 ‘21 XTribute and what a difference having a non EuroV exhaust on, it’s a really guttural characterful motor similar to a Ducati twin in sound 😎 proper rowdy mate, great back road bikes and bags of power, new bikes down a bit on power on older bikes perhaps?

Got this as my first bike in august! Great fun.

@patrickburke2581

7 ай бұрын

Got mine in September. First bike I have owned. Love it!

@MrDarcy-OlMan

7 ай бұрын

@patrickburke2581 awesome enjoy 😉

Nice paintwork, styling reminds me of the xj650 seca

Saludos me diverti muchísimo esta muy bonita esa moto yamaha❤

I went to the dealer the other day to have a look at one, but they had none. Was surprised to hear them say they are not big sellers, the younger riders prefer the MT-07 styling and people who do buy them are people with an A2 license who get them restricted. I was really surprised by this as I've been learning on the mt-07 so I think the power is plenty for a new rider on A license and prefer this styling.

@MrDarcy-OlMan

9 ай бұрын

OK right, that’s interesting 👍🏼👍🏼

Every Yamaha I've ever ridden has always felt a bit special. Definitely my favourite Japanese manufacturer.

Brill review sir its lovely bike my only downer is single speedo why not old school with seperate rev counter as well love ur reviews

Well, in my eyes it might be very unique bike because I think no one - not even the chinese - will ever copy it!

Great review, would really like to see you reviewing its bigger brother the XSR900, a bike I find very interesting, but feel it would be too small for me, I am 189cm tall. Keep up the good job, looking forward to more reviews 👍🏻

@MrDarcy-OlMan

9 ай бұрын

Definitely on the list. Thanks buddy 👍🏼

should have had a wheel hub bracket for rear lights/ plates as HD did; then you can add a rear rail for luggatge.

I love my iron steed no matter how many cubic inches it got

Funny how a hornet interrupts proceedings.

The problem I find with Car Vertical when checking bikes is that it won't recognise the reg. number, it wants the VIN, which you won't have if you're looking at something advertised on line. It's fine for cars but I've tried several bikes and got nowhere.

@MrDarcy-OlMan

9 ай бұрын

A genuine advertiser should be happy to provide the vin number. Hopefully Car Vertical will read the comments and address the issue 👍🏼

@ThePresidentofMars

4 ай бұрын

Doesnt hpi offer badically the same service

The bike looks like it was put together by a committee.

Great video! I don’t get the "styling" of this bike. To me it looks like jt fell off the production line somewhere at two thirds! I don’t get the retro part either.

Speaking of Yamaha and retro. I'd love to see an XS650-retro to compete with the RE Interceptor. They wouldn't even have to fake a pre unit engine, as the XS has always had a unit construction.

@DerpEye

8 ай бұрын

Why would they? They have a perfect engine (the CP2), which sells. They don't need to make another one.

@martinmuller2809

8 ай бұрын

@@DerpEye So you think that the cp2 bikes compete with the the Interceptor?

😂 looks like lots of car passing by yeah? Anyway good job brother

how does the seating position - comfort wise - compare to a harley cruiser?? is it too cramped at 6 ft?

@MrDarcy-OlMan

9 ай бұрын

The Harley cruiser is infinitely more comfortable 👍🏼

Love this channel..when i hear the son..i see the Dad..and when i hear the Dad..i see the son..great review as always..nice to see you guys do reviews of modern bikes masquerading as classics..slightly better than wearing girls pants and sitting on barbed wire i guess 😉

Two wheels is two wheels,so ain’t going to slate it 😂

I wonder how it would compare to the Kawasaki Z650rs. Kawasaki has it beaten for looks definitely

The Yamaha didn’t look very good in comparison with the Triumph T120 shown in this video. Maybe the bits and pieces stuck willy-nilly give the Yamaha a disjointed appearance.

Nice bike. Kinda reminds me of Honda CB500 we had here in Brazil in 1997-2005. A larger headlight would be better, in terms of design. Great video, watch out for wasps...😅

As others have said, this bike seems a bit incomplete and cheaply designed/made compared with its RRP. I will say the Yamaha 700s hold their value well compared with equivalent Hondas or Suzukis...but so does a Bonneville. Whilst this is slightly lighter than a T100 or Speed Twin it seems like less of a complete bike to me. Triumph have struck the perfect balance between retro and modern, Yamaha has stuck a round headlight on a fully modern bike and called it a day.

Great video! Check out the XSR900 if you can, fantastic bike

But hopefully the frame isn't made of plastic😅So I find the motorcycle totally inconsistent, I can't find a nice line anywhere, it was definitely developed by an AI program😅 The side mirrors, a no go. The sound, what a sound😏. Like I said, it's my opinion. I love my 1200 converted Bandit from 1997. I have to think about what's made of plastic 😅 By the way, your channel is great 👌✨🤍💫✌️cheer's 🍻

Not only is plastic lighter, it does"nt corrode.

@varmastiko2908

8 ай бұрын

It can become brittle with age though. With proper maintenance there might not be much difference in durability between steel and plastic.

@kalnwi2023

7 ай бұрын

and fade, and scratches easy .@@varmastiko2908

Very nice Really nice Right

i started on a xsr 125 was a great bike and reliable, that's what these bikes offer but as you say lacks that character other bikes offer in this range. own a streetbob 114 and its an instant head turner 👀👍

My favourite bike in the 650/700cc class. I was going to get one in Thailand but ended up with a pristine secondhand SCR950 for a good price. Nothing wrong with plastic if it's good quality. As you say, steel is heavy. It's why my SCR weighs so much. Nick J

XSR!

Something weird I noticed here.. you pointed out that the gold and silver stripes on the gas tank are just stickers? I have a 2023 Historic Black XSR700 and mine are honestly painted on, under a clear coat. I can clearly tell that they aren't stickers, and I see on yours they clearly are. Does anyone have any information on why this is? Why are some different, and if mine were stickers I would definitely take them off and just leave the white letters reading Yamaha, imo that would look sick.

@Wolfmast3r

4 ай бұрын

Not sure why, but at least on my XSR '22 model (same color schele as you can see on video) it's just sticker. And I'm totally OK with that because I changed few thing here and there and I was able to peel it off easily. Ohh and you can see it's just sticker in video at 9:55 - on right side of tank is possible to see that small bump of sticker edge.

@paul5683

2 ай бұрын

Kinda like Arai helmets, people think that they are hand painted, but in fact that is a sticker with a clear coat over the top.

lovely; i see 2024 is ruind with hi exhaust. Need passenger comfort, pegs that can be lowered and away form the exhaust. Ditto the 2021 xsr 900 is the only usefull bike for me. !!

I very much enjoyed yours and the old man's videos. One point can I ask why do you have to keep blipping the throttle when the bike is at a standstill.

@MrDarcy-OlMan

3 ай бұрын

Thank you! It’s to show you all what the bike sounds like, not something I do off camera.

@leeinwis

3 ай бұрын

I would do it all the time lol@@MrDarcy-OlMan

What is your leg inseam? I’m taller than you with a shorter torso and would greatly appreciate getting a better understanding of how each of the bikes you test would actually fit me.

@MrDarcy-OlMan

9 ай бұрын

I am a 32" leg inseam 👍🏼

@user-xu7un8wk3z

9 ай бұрын

@@MrDarcy-OlMan Thank you, greatly appreciate the information.

its a well know fact that the engine is sublime. It's used on so many platforms with Yamaha its tried and tested. Full system and the engine sings. Its not the engine that the issue its the EURO 5. Get rid of it all and bingo.

@jayreimer6851

5 ай бұрын

Agree. I have a full Termi exhaust on mine, and it feels and sounds glorious.

Spewing they don't bring the full powered version of the XSR700 to Oz, only the XSR900. XSR700 only restricted here.

@ThePresidentofMars

4 ай бұрын

Couldnt u just remove the restrictor u buy it. I assume its the same sort of restriction to make bikes a2 compliant in europe

@garyk8285

4 ай бұрын

@@ThePresidentofMars Not sure it's that simple. Also, in Oz the XSR700 is a 655cc motor, as opposed to the 689cc worldwide. Better off just getting another model here.

@ThePresidentofMars

4 ай бұрын

@garyk8285 seems kinda like false advertising to even call it a 700 at that point might as well be a xsr 650

@garyk8285

4 ай бұрын

@@ThePresidentofMarsYeah, indeed

The fuel tank is slightly Yamaha retro but that's about all that is.

@felipedourado5721

9 ай бұрын

Correct. And if you look closer you perhaps gonna see that it has a lot to do with the paintjob (reminiscent of the Yamahas of late 70ies) but not that much to its shape. Don't no about you but for me this bike doesn't quite do it. I mean, it takes more than a paintjob to earn retro credits, isn't it? Peace from Brazil. ✌

@iivaridark6850

9 ай бұрын

If one looks at a XS650, one might think what these people thought when they designed the XSR700 and where did those people who designed the XS650 go... I miss the XS650 people truly!

@felipedourado5721

9 ай бұрын

@@iivaridark6850 I guess you are wright about the type of bike Yamaha guys were thinking (and the intended target buyer) when they design both bikes with some 50 years apart but man, those ol' XS650 were waaaaay more beautiful and characterful than those XRS of nowadays. At least, IMHO. Regards from Brazil. ✌

mmm ... There is no doubt that Yamaha XSR700 is a decent motorcycle. But if I were to go for a light weight bike I'd go to the Ducati Scrambler Icon. Air Cooled Motorcycle yet the new version is not lacking in modern features or power. It clicks all the boxes for the slot it attempts to achieve IMO. Yes a Ducati requires more expensive maintenance and is more expensive to purchase but you get what you pay for. And what you get with the Ducati Scrambler is more of genuine retro but modern a motorcycle as well. SO yeah, I think if you guys can you should do a review on the updated Ducati Scrambler Icon soon. God Bless ...

@MrDarcy-OlMan

9 ай бұрын

Thanks! Yes indeed 👍🏼

This or the Kawasaki Z650RS that you've recently reviewed? I'm doing my big bike lessons on an MT07 and now Yamaha are on the shortlist 🙄

@mostlyjovial6177

2 ай бұрын

Hey. No idea if you’ll see this at this point. Honestly, either is fantastic, though if you value that little extra effort in the details and feel, I’d go for Kawi. I love the XSR, believe me, I wouldn’t own one if I didn’t. But the Z650RS does what the XSR does just better. Only reason to get the XSR is if you value a more aggressive ride. The CP2 is a bit meaner than Kawi’s chilled out inline 2

@leegreveson

2 ай бұрын

@@mostlyjovial6177 Thank you for the reply and your experience of the XSR. I think the Z650RS has it in the looks department and I kind of got the feeling the engine was linear and not all that exciting. However, that might be a good thing to a new rider such as myself. All that being said, I'm also considering the RE GT650, especially the Mr Clean tank, but would want that on the blacked out engine but with spoked wheels not the alloys, so really, a semi customised version! I'd be buying second hand either way but the Kawasaki would have to be in the green livery. Enjoy your XSR, it is an eager platform in my limited experience 😎

Reminds me of the bikes from The Lost Boys.

@leeinwis

3 ай бұрын

I was there, 1000 years ago when that came out !

Loud pipes, not thanks, I like to hear the vehicles sneak behind and around me :D

@kalnwi2023

7 ай бұрын

I like to hear the engine, and that intake noise is sweet when you give her some beans as well !

English roads, are you not in Wales anymore? Are the side panels an optional extra, what about a centre stand? Also missing from most reviews, are there luggage options available for the bike.

@MrDarcy-OlMan

9 ай бұрын

No the Ol Man is in Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Weight Saving is good Thing on this Yamaha I think Damage that Tank? Just buy a new Plastic Cover! as you say if you want more Metal go for a Royal Enfield

Nice commuter if you can afford a few bikes

The XSR700/900 doesn't really look "retro" to me; pretty much just an MT with a seat and headlight swap. The XSR125/155 on the other hand is quite good looking.

@northernriderpov

9 ай бұрын

I have the XSR125 Legacy and it's a lovely little machine !

@DerpEye

8 ай бұрын

True. The Kawasaki duo 650 and 900 RS are much more retro looking bikes.

@Thomas_Tan4577

6 күн бұрын

Very true. 125 n 155 version very nice. But in my country. 125 is enough but only 155 avail. I chose Mutt 125 instead.

I really like the idea of this concept but the execution is so off.. retro looks combined with one of the best modern parallel twin engines. Should’ve been a match made in heaven, but in reality the looks are so off. If it looked more like the Z650RS then it would’ve been the perfect retro bike.

I was disappointed the moment you said, plastic😄

Big strong man like you afeared of a teensy tiny little bug....

drop it a bit, plastic may just scratch or flex, metal, well we all know how that works :D

aha -- no stupid gold forks ;;;;

Not as ugly as the vitpilen, I will give it that but it is a big "no thanks" from me. The old XSR700 did not look too bad though.

Most of the new street and adventure bikes have more suspension travel than the late 70s motocrossers and this results in tall seat heights, driving shorter riders (under 6ft -- over 50% of the market) to the used market with bikes having lower seat heights and lower centers of gravity.

i like thid bike,but its tiny

Dude, dont say its small, you are tall, its not small

0:56 Had to stop the film, this is NOT an NSU badge . . . sorry, carry on . . . : )

@MrDarcy-OlMan

9 ай бұрын

What’s an NSU?

@jmlupoludowicy1239

9 ай бұрын

@@MrDarcy-OlMan NSU Motorenwerke AG or NSU, was a German manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles and pedal cycles, founded in 1873. Acquired by Volkswagen Group in 1969, VW merged NSU with Auto Union, creating Audi NSU Auto Union AG, ultimately Audi. The name NSU originated as an abbreviation of "Neckarsulm", the city where NSU was located.

@loddude5706

9 ай бұрын

@@MrDarcy-OlMan - 19thC. Car & bike maker based in Neckarsulm, Germany; now part of Audi . . . or, 'Non Serviceable Unit' : )

Its lovely except they must have run out of ideas regarding the headlight and either an insteument pod has fallen off or the designer just wanted to f**k wirh everyone's Feng-Shui!! 😱

@1234567marks

9 ай бұрын

The headlight designer previously worked for B&Q in the plant pot development section, he has carried that design knowledge through to the Yamaha quite successfully I would say 👍, the cynical amongst us could almost come to the conclusion that the design is there to tempt the buyer into buying a Yamaha bikini fairing to cover said plant pot, but surely not eh! 🙂

@MrDarcy-OlMan

9 ай бұрын

That’s interesting because generally, we review modern classics and cruisers, and a round headlight is desirable; much more so than insect eyes

@stevied6286

9 ай бұрын

@@MrDarcy-OlMan I totally agree but when viewed from the side it seems small and very low on the forks which seems to not be in keeping with the classic lines of the bike..that's what I was referring to,😁

@MrDarcy-OlMan

9 ай бұрын

@stevied6286 ok got you 👍🏼

@stevied6286

9 ай бұрын

@@1234567marks hahaha that's made me Giggle .best answer to a gripe in YT I ever heard 🤣🤣🤣

I don't like it.. not sure why, but it looks odd, like it's not quite sure where it fits in. Doesn't sound very good either.

@Anthony-lm8fx

9 ай бұрын

All it needs is an exhaust

I'm sure it is a fine bike, but it is seriously ugly. Looks like one of those rat bikes that people make when they have smashed the fairings on their sports bike and can't afford to replace them :-(

@Jonathan-L

9 ай бұрын

Yes, fully agree on the 'rattyness' factor. If the wheels weren't round, I'd say that bike has been in a train smash.

Real world riding is not the English roads or UK roads ! So it would be good to know if it could cruise at 130 km/ hr & how it handles at higher speeds. Your channel is watched world 🌎 wide & I like the content unfortunately we ride faster than what is legally allowed in uk. Nice review !

@MrDarcy-OlMan

23 күн бұрын

Thank you, I appreciate that. But I live in the UK on these roads so I can’t say how it feels on a nicely paved road haha

I think Arnie in Predator sums this bike up nicely; “You are an Ugly MF”. There’s nothing retro about it other than being a retrograde. It’s a total mess trying desperately to do what Kawasaki did with their current Zs and failing dismally and that off centre clock and the 6 hex bolts on the top of the tank (which no doubt will soon corrode) just completes it; it’s as if they were deliberately messing with us. You waited a long time for a ‘classic’ Yam, time to move on already me thinks.

Plastic,yes point taken.

@leeinwis

Ай бұрын

Inexpensive to replace and weighs much less, only noticeable up very close .

Good bike but zero styling

@user-sw2lv3zp6o

9 ай бұрын

Good bike, great styling.

@iivaridark6850

9 ай бұрын

It is a style of a self made in a very dark garage!

@mylowest

7 ай бұрын

@@user-sw2lv3zp6othis is the superior opinion

@SpectralOoze

7 ай бұрын

It's a color thing. The red and white one looks incredible, same for the green ones.

elle n’est pas sexy cette moto

I dont understand why you keep on bringing Royal Enfield up. There is nothing in the Royal Enfield line that matches or even comes close to this bike's performance or reliability.

@twowheeledparadox

9 ай бұрын

He did say it's an option if you want something more characterful but don't need as much performance. Perhaps you missed the point.

Can't see any retro in this . Looks like a dogs dinner. Bits and pieces all over the place. Yamaha may have some good engines but the styling is all over the place these days.

@leeinwis

Ай бұрын

No taste

Nah. Not for me! Definitely can’t be described as retro.

Nah not the prettiest Yamaha 👎

@raihanmuhammad2819

5 ай бұрын

Bad taste

Video must be about motorcycles not 🚗 carrvertical. Focus should be on product not 3rd party products.

@MrDarcy-OlMan

4 ай бұрын

1 minute of the video is about carvertical. This is my living so without doing adverts we couldn’t make the videos at all!

ugly bike cfmoto 700 more power,better looking ,a lot cheaper

@judge831

9 ай бұрын

CF Moto Chinese bike = bad. Also, it's ugly. The Kawasaki Z650RS looks better. The Triumph Trident looks the best and sounds the best.