Here is our first impression following a first ride on theYamaha SCR950, which is closely based on the XV950.
BOOOMPH! AS the SCR950’s front tyre hits the bump in the dirt road the forks compress almost to their bottoms, and the handlebars twitch violently. From my position standing up on the wide foot-pegs I’m thrown momentarily off-balance, before the Yamaha recomposes itself and rumbles along contentedly again.
Any bike could generate a similar wobble when ridden off-road, but few scramblers would be knocked quite so out of shape by a Sardinian dirt-road divot that was so shallow I’d barely noticed it. Then again, the SCR950 is distinctly different from any others in the growing street scrambler class, because it is essentially a fairly lightly modified V-twin cruiser.
The SCR is closely based on the XV950 — known as the Star Bolt in the US, its main market — whose launch in July 2013 gave the first hint that Yamaha were emerging from their lengthy credit-crunch influenced hibernation. Both models date back further to the XVS950 Midnight Star with which Yamaha introduced the 942-cc, air-cooled V-twin engine in 2009.
Neither of those low-slung cruisers seems like obvious inspiration for a street scrambler. But Yamaha wanted to expand their Sport Heritage division with a classically styled, vaguely dual purpose rival to models including BMW’s R nineT Scrambler, Ducati’s Scrambler Desert Sled and Triumph’s Street Scrambler.
The XV, with its SOHC, 60-degree V-twin engine and traditional twin shock chassis, seemed like the simplest starting point. Its essentially dated engine and chassis layout offer old-school charm to compensate for the lack of modern engineering or performance. The eight-valve unit has been updated slightly to get through Euro 4, but its maximum output of 54 PS at 5,500 rpm hasn’t changed for eight years.
この記事は Bike India の June 2017 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Bike India の June 2017 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Tussle for Supremacy
Having watched the racing action from afar during the first two rounds of the Honda Idemitsu Talent Cup (HITC), we got a chance to take a closer look at the proceedings in round three. Here is how the weekend zoomed past
Multiple Winners
The third round of the TVS One-make Championship saw the emergence of multiple winners as the favourites struggled to do the double-race win
The Title Fight Becomes More Intense
The weekend at Mandalika turned out to be a spectacular display where the title contenders, Jorge Martin and Francesco Bagnaia, locked horns while Marc Márquez's and Enea Bastianini's chances at the title diminished
Andrea lannone is a WSBK Winner
Nicolo Bulega, Andrea Iannone, and Alvaro Bautista headlined the weekend for their respective Ducati teams as they blew past the competition on their Ducati Panigale V4 R motorcycles
Italian Domination
The weekend at Cremona saw the Italian, Danilo Petrucci, dominate his home race astride his Ducati
Bastianini Shines in Final-lap Thriller
Just like the previous race at Misano, this one also served up a thriller but for very different reasons. Here is how it unfolded
No Dearth of Drama
Marc Márquez had to wait for 1,043 days for his 60th MotoGP race victory, but his 61st race win only took another seven days
Kolli Hills on an NX 500
We rode from Bengaluru to Kolli Hills astride a Honda NX500 and it was a memorable ride for many reasons
For the Easy Life
Triumph India believe there is a market for a friendlier version of the Speed 400. Here is what you should know about that version, called the Speed T4
The Star Reborn
We finally got our hands on the new BSA Gold Star 650 and took it for a long spin. Here is our first impression