Yamaha take the retro vibes to the max with seven custom-painted XSR900 GPs for Wheels and Waves

Yamaha Europe have turned the nostalgia dial up to 11 with a range of seven special XSR900 GP retro sportsbikes finished in a range of bespoke liveries inspired by motorcycles of the 1980s and 90s.

Based on the popular XSR900 retro platform (itself a derivative of the Yamaha MT-09), the £12,506 XSR900 GP combines Yamaha’s torquey 890cc three-cylinder CP3 motor with striking bodywork reminiscent of a YZR500 two-stroke Grand Prix bike.

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First teased at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed as a DB40 concept, the production version has proved incredibly popular – dominating the interest on the Yamaha stand at every trade show on the run into this year’s riding season.

All seven special bikes appeared at the recent Wheels and Waves motorcycle show in Biarritz, France, in late June and paid tribute to iconic models from Yamaha’s history.

Built in collaboration with the brand’s ‘Yard Built’ custom program, teams from both Yamaha Europe and the distribution network produced bikes – including Yamaha France who arrived with a blue and white tribute to Christian Sarron’s 1984 title-winning TZ250.

Also in the list was Yamaha Italy, who displayed a red and white machine built as a nod to the partnership of Noriyuki Haga and Colin Edwards, who took victory at the 1996 Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race aboard a Yamaha YZF750.

Yamaha Motor Europe themselves produced a tribute to 13-time 500cc Grand Prix race winner Randy Mamola and his smoking 1987 YZR500 race bike (main image). The Lucky Strike-clad race bike took Mamola to three wins and second in the championship that year.

Yamaha UK also got involved, producing a yellow and purple homage to Yamaha’s 1993 Daytona 200 victory at the hands of four-time 500cc champion, Eddie Lawson. Riding a Vance & Hines FZR750RR OW-01, he beat Scott Russell by just 0.051 seconds.

See a gallery of all the bikes at the top of this page.