YAMAHA XJ900 DIVERSION (1994 - 2004) Review

Version: Xj900s

Year: 1997

Annual servicing cost: £300

Got it as a winter bike for 600 GBP and spent another 300 on tyres, hoses and a set of blue spot calipers off a xjr1200. It was to replace a fj1200 which went down on black ice the previous year. There was 40 odd k on the clock but I believe it was really 140k by the condition it was in. Even with freshly balanced carbs I can't get more than 40 mpg or 200 + miles to a tank as some folks seem to manage, my commute is duel carriage way and motorway so you would expect a little better. But this doesn't put me off, big and heavy it might be but all day comfort and reliability makes up for any issues.Most importantly if you put it up the road it didn't cost a fortune to buy or replace.

Buying experience: Most people who get a bike like this expect to put loads of trouble free miles on them, no matter what you pay you probably got a bargain.

Year: 1998

Comfort Worst weight Yes

Year: 1997

Annual servicing cost: £80

Had a 125 for years then passed my bike test aged 52!. This is my first large bike which I have had since Nov 18 and love it. It only had 9900 miles on the clock when bought and have added 6000 miles since. Very comfortable to ride and easy to handle, good mpg also. The shaft drive gives you a very smooth ride. Changed the continental tyres that were on it to avon storm 3d xm's and the handling was much better, especially in the wet. Upgraded the brake hoses last year from standard to Hel stainless braided hoses front and back which has really improved the bikes braking. Not planning on changing anytime soon.

Year: 1995

Good all rounder and a good upgrade to the 600

Buying experience: Bought from a dealers £1000Don’t over pay

Version: XJ 900 S

Year: 1996

Annual servicing cost: £50

Wanted to get a bike but didn't have a lot of cash to spend on one. Previous owner said he didn't feel safe on it, although he was on the shorter side and i am 6'2''. Came with Givi Rack top box and all the sensible mods such as, Bar Risers, Touring Screen, Crash Bars, Fender Extender, Rear Hugger.Rode it 89 miles to get it home and it was a pleasure. Plenty of real world power goods stance on the road and a very good level of comfort. Tyres needed replacing as the ones which were on were old and slippy in the wet. Michellin Road Pilot 4 made it feel like i was riding a sports bike.Have done over 1000k+ miles in the month i have owned and it has performed great.If there was ever any middle ground between a full on tourer and a sports bike, this is it. Shaft drive and oil cooled for low maintenance, but thin enough to filter through traffic. You could argue a VFR or something may do a similar job, but with the drawback of a chain instead of shaft drive and maybe not so much of an upright riding position? Would be interested to know what people would suggest, Deuville? Although a little down on power compared to the Diversion. It is a heavy thing mind you so smaller riders may be intimidated. Simple old school bike which gets you where you want to go with little or no fuss. Its not a sports bike, so it wont set your heart on fire. But it is still a lot of fun for someone who just wants a do it all bike that works at real speeds in the real world.

Buying experience: Managed to pick up my XJ900S for a grand with 23k on the clock. Was advertised for GBP 1100.00

Year: 1995

Annual servicing cost: £40

has never let me down. Very simple to service which cuts costs as I can do it my self

Buying experience: I bought from a dealer 20 years ago

Year: 2000

Annual servicing cost: £50

Had the bike for 7 years and have been across Europe on it no problem. I have confidence in the bike that it will get me to where I want to go and get me back. Hard pushed to think what I would replace it with.

Buying experience: I bought the bike in 2008 for £1500 with 17K miles. Previous owner was short in the leg and the bike had fallen over on him ( few scratches on silencer and paintwork) otherwise like new. He had reduced the oil quantity in the front forks and put heavier oil in an attempt to lower the bike which made the bike dip at slow speed and the carbs were a mile out. ( no wonder it fell over on him )

Year: 1998

Best feature os the silky smooth ride on the open road. Worst feature is low speed vibration and heavy at low speed too.

Buying experience: Private sale. Very happy experience.

Year: 1998

Annual servicing cost: £150

Purchased from Scotland so first ride back 330 miles home in snow/rain/drizzle 2 up, rear puncture on M6 just to add to the fun and the bike coped admirably - including a great blast down the A7 - and this after being on the bike for just 15mis! I was going to just use for daily commuting but after a month ownership it's now got a set of panniers and ready for trips away - it's good easy fun to ride and a surprisingly good mile eater

Buying experience: Private sale, excellent experience, advertised at £850 got it for £800 - paid for the fuel back home, I've seen D9's for everything between £500 and £3k - after owning this model for a short time I can see why they're so well liked and regarded, mines a keeper - cheapest bike I've had for a long time and cracking VFM

Version: S

Year: 2001

Annual servicing cost: £150

I always overlooked this bike when buying. I love this bike already after 2 weeks.

Buying experience: I bought private from a really cool Bulgarian Chef in London. He gave me an amazing price and the bike is in superb condition. It is worth around £1400 & paid £950. He had it up for £1000.

Version: 4KM

Year: 1996

probably the most boring bike (a little) money can buy.... I got this bike as a daily commuter. it's just about what it does everyday if you want but only if you have no other option. in fact it's a bit too heavy for city use, a bit too light (it could certainly benefit from a 6th gear) for real touring. corners like a tank when the fueltank is full. but the good things are: shaftdriven engine, low cost and easy maintenance, starts everyday, low fuel consumption, cheap to buy,...

Year: 2004

Just bought a 2004 XJ900 with 6000 miles on the clock, 1 owner from new. i paid £700 which is about right i guess. it's been fantastic, i cant fault it at all. 55mpg all day long, no rattles or shakes

Buying experience: i bought from dealer for £700 as it was a part exchange

Year: 1994

Annual servicing cost: £150

Buying experience: Bought private for 700£

Most people overlook these slightly old and boring looking machines but they would do well to consider them. While the mechanics are definitely rather basic and the old style carburetors mean a little bit of willing choke is necessary to start the beast on a frosty morning, you couldn't hope for a more reliable bike. The seat is comfortably low and the weight of the rather large engine are low in the bike's center of gravity, making it quite easy to control her when walking it about. 90bhp is roughly the same sort of power you would expect to see out of a BMW R1150RT, demonstrating that while the mechanics are a little bit old it's no slouch. Unlike any other bike I have owned, the Diversion is plenty happy to gently pull around at 2,000RPM, with little to no surging like you get on many fuel injected bikes at that rate of engine rotation. There's easily enough poke to shame cars and even some smaller sports bikes at the lights, though the engine gets a little wheezy and breathless above 6,500RPM. The suspension is decidedly soft, especially the front forks, so the bike is never going to be doing knee down frantic frolicking but its more than capable down a twisty country road, if you respect the weight and use it to your advantage when muscling the bike through a corner. Easily the best thing about the bike is the dash; so many old bikes have horrendous information displayed on a frankly awful dash. The Diversion 900 is not so; the dials are large, pretty darn accurate (tested with GPS speed meters) and easy to read; the fuel gauge seems pretty accurate, and the backlighting at night is superb. There are only two niggles that ruin an otherwise excellent bike. I think the bike could really have done with a 6th overdrive gear; motorway work is easy but the engine always feels like its spinning a little bit higher than is strictly necessary. A nice 6th gear to reduce the bike to 4,000rpm at 70mph would be lovely, and economical. The other thing is a consequence of excellent build quality. it is a real pain in the derriere to do any form of electrical maintenance as the wiring boxes AND the battery are all buried under umpteen body panels on the right hand side. I understand WHY they have done it, and the solid quality feel of it all is definitely confidence inspiring but it makes charging the battery quite a length affair as getting to it isn't that easy. other than that, I can't fault it. It'll ride happily, long distance, two up with absolutely no complaints and will put a smile on your face while doing it.

1995,Thursday morning 05:30 my Honda cb125tde was stolen! That was the end of my biking life. 2011 talking to mate who past his full motorbike liciences, riding a bandit 500. i told him about my goal of touring on a bike. you get a bike we are off! june 2012 - converstaion with a northerner at my place off work informs me? 1996 xj900s £500 and it is yours, went to the wife like ya do! she turned to me and said who am i to block your goals!. It is a great mechine, handles great, looks great makes me smile by the way i am off to France for my four day tour. It has been mentioned alot it is realy easy to work on.

I've had the Divi 900 2 years now and I love it, easy bike to work on, you look after it and nothing will go wrong. It rides and handles well, ok its no sports bike but it will keep up with the crowd, big plus is the air cooled four cylinder engine thats will run for ever, mine as reached 61,200 and still sounds like new, easy to maintain engine. It handles the twisty roads very well for a sports tourer and will run all day on motorways.Big petrol tank so not many stops. A bike that is also easy and cheap to alter for your needs if you are under 5'9" So if you are looking for a sports tourer don't over look the Divi.

i have had my divi for about a year and use it for work and pleasure and so far has not misssed a beat, it is ridden in all weathers and i have done 3 tours with 2 more to come this year ,it averages 60mpg on long runs and 48 round town, i cant praise it high enough and even after 12 months i cant wait to get on it not, encountered any glitches so far apart from seized choke cable and rear brake caliper i love this bike so much i cant think of anything to replace it except a newer one in few years time,if you are in the market get one you will love it.

I've had a selection of bikes over the years (haven't we all). The most recent being a CB1300 and an Aprilia Caponord. The XJ900 kind of beats them all really. Mine cost £1500 on eBay and only had 7000 miles on the clock. I've no idea why it was so low mileage but the dent in the tank led me to believe someone had fallen off at low speed & stuck it in the garage as they didn't want to get back on.... Anyway - I ride all year round in London and this is absolutely the most reliable bike I have ever had. It has never failed to start even on frosty days after 2 weeks layoff and it's not covered & is left in the street. It sounds really good when you crank it up. I can get around Old Street roundabout as fast as sports bikes and frankly - in the city you couldn't buy a better bike - that's why it's a courier hack of choice. It's not really that fast and it's a bit floppy suspension-wise, the brakes could also be a little better but with the shaft drive & a build quality that would put BMW to shame I can't complain about this bike at all. If you were wanting a CBF1000 there's no point. Save yourself about £3000 and buy one of these. It rocks. That said - I\d like a KTM 990 Supermoto for the weekends, oh and maybe a Road King....

Just got a '94 model with 12k on the clock, its a lovely tidy clean bike. My previous bike was a CB1300 X4 so this isn't as torquey as that or as fast but I am enjoying hustling it around a little. Its very light (in comparison) and came with a set of Yamaha Diversion panniers fitted and a top box, the only other custom part is a taller screen which suits my 6' 4" frame nicely. It seems a very tall bike to me and quite narrow but the engine is very willing, the shaft drive in nice and while it may not be as exciting as the X4 it still has brought a smile to my face. Looks like it will b great for touring a little with my wife on the back and so far its been ultra comfy. I would recommend this to anyone who doesn't do race days and wants a cheap all rounder for work and pleasure, lots of after market bits available and loads of cheap spares on E-bay. Brilliant.

I have a GSXR1000k1 for myself and the 900Diversion for touring with the wife and we both love it. It is so much fun it should be banned. It also a nice change from the madness of the gsxr1000. Dare i day it but i have more "fun" on the Divy than on my gsxr, hence its up for sale!

I've always wanted a true "all rounder". This is it - well, almost. The only real vice this bike has is the headlight, which is truly pathetic. My Honda 125 scooter is miles better! Also, the bike is a bit on the heavy side, and the fuel consumption is a poor (in my opinion) 42-45mpg. This compares unfavourably to the K100RS I had, which easily averaged 52mpg while delivering similar performance. If only Yamaha had used fuel injection. Finally, at 6ft 1", I find the screen too low for comfortable long-distance riding. As far as quality goes, I've never risked riding it in the winter (unlike the BMW).

Solid and reliable bike giving all year round riding and reasonable weather protection and 200 mile tank range (more on longer business trips). Comfortable two up with good passenger comfort. Quick enough for me. Bridgestone tyres work best for me, 8k from rear and 10k from front and thats not riding at a snails pace. Paint work still looks good with regular cleaning. No other maintenance apart from mid year oil change. Strengths: Dependable, comfortable, shaft-drive. Weaknesses: Little on heavy side but this does not affect riding.

I HAVE OWNED THIS BIKE FOR 10 YEARS (BORING I KNOW) BUT MY PREVIOUS BIKE WAS A HONDA 750 KZ -REALLY OLD. THE COMPARISON WAS REMARKABLE THE YAMAHA STOPS IN THE WET (GOOD BREAKS) THE MOTOR IS BULLET PROOF (ALL I HAVE DONE SINCE THE FIRST FEW SERVICES IS CHANGE THE OIL AND FILTERS. THE SHAFT IS MAINTAINCE FREE. THE TYRES ARE GOOD (AVON SOMETHINGS), THE RIDE IS EXCELLANT ALTHOUGH I THINK I NEED TO LOOK AT THE SHOCKS, THE FINISH IS EXCELLENT ALL ORIGINAL PAINT AND BITS INCLUDING THE EXHAUSTS. I REGUARLY RIDE THIS BIKE ONE AND TWO UP AND CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT TRIP. THE BIKE GOES AS FAST AND HANDLES AS WELL AS I NEED IT TO AND STILL TOPS THE TON + WHEN MR PLOD IS NOT WATCHING. I WISH YAMAHA HAD MADE A NEW SIMILAR SHAFT DRIVE TO REPLACE THIS MODEL. I AM THINK OF A NEW FAZER 1000, PERHAPS I WAIT UNTIL THEY FIX THE FUEL INJECTION. Strengths: RELIABLE LOW MAINTAINACE FUN. Weaknesses: NOT TRENDY.

After a lay off of a few too many years I bought the XJ900S. I live in Cornwall but was working in the Midlands so needed a tourer to carve through the summer traffic heading into Cornwall. I am 6'3" tall and find it pretty comfortable, I do get a bit of wind blast on the helmet but just dropping down a few inches takes me into the shelter of the screen. it has a large tank and will easily do further on a tank than I am prepared to sit ...so as I was doing 300 mile trips I found it convenient to have a fuel stop and a coffee at 150 miles, half way through my trip. Fuel gauge and warning light are very handy. Now I have sorted the forks and brakes out it really does move, got a good grunty engine and a great induction growl when you give it a handful. It will never break any land speed records but that isn't what I got it for nor is it designed for. However I took it to the Isle of Man in 2005 and I never disgraced myself on it going round the circuit with friends on sportier bikes. Strengths: Simple no nonsense, reliable tourer with gutsy well proven engine. Weaknesses: Forks are soft, replaced the springs with Ohlins and upgraded the brakes with HH pads and braided brake lines.