Yamaha

I must state from the start, I have a great affection for both of these bikes, having ridden them both pretty extensively over the last year. I love middleweight twins in general (heck, I own a Triumph Bonneville 900), and these motorcycles are an absolute thrill to ride. We have ridden every current iteration of Yamaha’s 689cc engine, in their Tenere 700, R7, XSR700, and last year’s MT-07, and that “CP2” crank is a torque monster for its displacement. Then my recent stints with the new CB750 Hornet have sold me on Honda’s new little beast, and their 755cc Unicam stinger mill that powers it.
This will be fun, to say the least.

Yamaha XSR700: Back to Basics

by Christian Pierce | Aug 6, 2025 | Bikes & Gear | 2 |

For most riders, there exists a motorbike that made us fall in love with motorcycling. These are the near-perfect bikes that seal our fate and turn us into lifelong motorcycle enthusiasts. In riding the 2025 Yamaha XSR700, my passion for two-wheels was instantly renewed by this same experience. This is one of those bikes, one I will speak of years from now, as one of the best motorcycles I’ve ever ridden. So, prepare yourself for a glowing review of the XSR700, as I celebrate my rejuvenated appreciation for motorcycling thanks to this stellar offering from Yamaha.

MZ’s Moto Memories: 1994 Yamaha FZR1000

by Mark Zweig | May 20, 2025 | Legendary Bikes | 1 |

One day I got a call from a guy who said he had a 1994 Yamaha FZR1000. He was moving out of state and really needed to get rid of it. But there was one catch. It had to be gone by that night. He had parked the bike in his shed about two years earlier, and now, though it had a new battery and would crank like mad, it wouldn’t start…

First Ride: 2025 Yamaha R9

by Ryan Nolan | Mar 19, 2025 | Bikes & Gear | 0 |

Fast forward a few months and I happily found myself packing my track gear and jumping on a plane for sunny Sonoma, California for the official Yamaha R9 press event at Sonoma Raceway. With such anticipation and hype around the bike over the years and having recently watched the bike debut in World Supersport with a win, I was extremely excited for the opportunity to be one of the first people stateside to throw a leg over the bike.

MZ’s Moto Memories: Yamaha Road Star Warrior

by Mark Zweig | Feb 18, 2025 | Legendary Bikes | 9 |

I had never owned or even ridden a “power cruiser,” and even though I had owned a couple H-D Sportsters by then. I was really more of a sportbike or “standard” kind of guy. But there was something that appealed to me about that Warrior besides its blacked out looks and the 135 ft lbs of torque churned out from its massive V-Twin. It had sportbike style wheels on it, and dual front discs. It looked like I could actually RIDE the thing. So impulsively, I bought it. I think I paid $5500 which was about half of what it had cost new.