Some motorcycles beg to be ridden in anger. Others drip with nostalgia. If you draw a Venn diagram of those two paradigms, you’ll find the Yamaha XSR900 GP smack dab in the middle of the intersection.
The Yamaha XSR900 GP just about melted our servers (and lit up our comments section) when it first broke cover in October of last year. Drawing inspiration from Yamaha’s illustrious racing heritage, it’s a homage to iconic bikes like the Yamaha TZR250 and YZR500 OW01, reimagined on the modern, three-cylinder XSR900 platform. And its retro sportbike underpinnings make it one of the most striking factory bikes currently on the market.

But does the Yamaha XSR900 GP look as good in the flesh as it does in photos" Is it all show and no go" And what’s the Portuguese coast like this time of year" I headed to the picture-perfect coastal town of Ericeira, on Yamaha’s invitation, to find out. Between consuming disproportionate amounts of fresh seafood, exquisite wines, and sublime desserts, my peers and I sampled some of the region’s best backroads?and even squeezed in a photo op on the famed Estoril race circuit. But we also rubbed shoulders with the people behind the XSR900 GP’s development, gaining insight into its compelling backstory.

If the sport heritage motorcycle segment is a niche, then the Yamaha XSR900 GP occupies a niche within that niche, by prioritizing performance without sacrificing style. It’s a tiny ...