Well this is a bit of a left-field move.
Yamaha‘s apparently working on an XSR900 that will be accessible to A2 license holders in Europe – and if the unit hits off like we think it will, the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer’s decision will likely result in a nice boom in sales.
The news comes from a press release launched in Italy this past week (covered by RideApart), where the brand purportedly detailed the upcoming XSR900’s A2-compliancy to be available soon – like, September soon.
This means that the XSR will be at the top of the list of current A2-compliant machines, the foremost of which will be Honda’s CBR500R/CB500X, Ducati’s Scrambler Sixty2 and Royal Enfield with their iconic Interceptor 650/Continental 650/Himalayan.
For those of you (like myself) who live in topography where EU-based A-level licensing isn’t a thing, ‘A2’ is simply a license category in Europe where riders must stay for two years, building up experience on their compliant machine of choice before upgrading to full A certifications.
“Riders must be at least 18 years old to obtain an A2 license,” explains the report.
“Bikes within the category must not exceed 47 horsepower…[and] Unless the rider is 24 years of age or older, they cannot skip the intermediate A2 class, forcing many youngsters to learn the ropes on more manageable bikes.”
We can’t wait to see how Yammie will be refreshing the XSR900. Stay tuned for updates here, via our shiny webpage, drop a comment letting us know what you think, and as always – stay safe on the twisties.