The garage door creeps up, I fasten my helmet, pull on my gloves and turn the ignition to the right, all it takes is a quick blip of the electric starter for the Yamaha XSR700 to fire into life.
Patiently sitting there, it’s rumbling with a deep and throaty note produced by the inline twin powerplant, contrary to the almost electric sound of its modern counterparts.
I throw my leg over, kick up the stand, make some final adjustments and flick down my visor. I’m ready to take this mid-weight machine to the road.
I shift into second – my standard take-off procedure – and roll off the clutch, complimented by just enough throttle engagement. I reach the end of my driveway, turn left and shift up to third as I immediately commence the descent down the hill.
I take a series of turns, flicking through mainly third and fourth gears before I finally make it onto the highway. I can now open up the amazing engine of this motorcycle, and it doesn’t disappoint.
The incredible acceleration has me at speed before I even know it, yet there’s still enough torque on tap if needed. Cruising, it’s smooth, handles bumps and imperfections in the road, all while providing enough feedback to keep you on your toes.
It’s time to take the XSR on a more demanding route, so I exit the highway and work my way down the gears, applying just a small portion of the twin-disc front brake. The bike rumbles and crackles – my favourite sound of this beauty that always puts a smile on my face.
I take a number of turns and even more hills before I make my way onto a notorious stretch of road – there are 180-degree turns, steep hills, rough roads and stunning landscapes.
It’s another opportunity to open up the engine, this time the sound echoes between the trees and still sounds deep and throaty high in the rev range.
It pulls and pulls, yet stops exactly when I need it to. Entering tight andk windy turns is an absolute pleasure, the motorcycle is planted and keeps to its line with ease while powering out is a smooth and delightful experience.
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Now it’s time to pull up and adore the aesthetics of this fine machine, again, it rumbles and crackles as I click down the gears. Sure, this bike definitely looks modern and quite techy, and there is a number of sections of the bike that could do with some modifications to enhance its overall appearance, but it’s a balanced blend of modern and classic.
Riding a modern-classic for next to 12 months has been exceptional to say the least – it’s reliable, packs plenty of punch, handles like a dream and most of all, has a classic taste to it.
