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Is this a sign that a Yamaha MT-10-based XSR is on the way?

The XSR GP name has a nice ring to it. Could we see the R1 being clad in retro fairings in the near future?

Earl Lee Earl Lee on May 04, 2022
Yamaha XSR 900

Yamaha’s been celebrating its 60th world GP anniversary for a little while now with a bunch of special models like the R15M, the Aerox, and the Yamaha R7. There is a bit of history behind those bikes’ paint jobs, but here’s a little news bit that could get you excited if you’re a fan of team blue and their XSR line of bikes.

We all know that Yamaha’s MT and XSR series are basically the same bikes but in different flavors so why hasn’t Team Blue done what we all want and offer the Yamaha MT-10 in XSR clothing? 

Perhaps this evidence could signal the coming of the XSR1000, but it seems that Yamaha’s going to recreate the R1 first with XSR design language, similar to the GP bikes that were raced back in the 1980s. 

Yamaha XSR GP Trademark Application

Yamaha Europe submitted a trademark filing for the name “XSR GP” at the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) for the right to use the name. This can result in several outcomes for the XSR nameplate, perhaps the MT-10/R1’s engine can finally get a retro-inspired design to go on top of it. It’s not impossible for Yamaha to branch the XSR brand out into the realm of retro-inspired sportbikes, just look at what Triumph did with the Speed Triple RR, or what Honda is doing with the Hawk 11. 

As it stands, the XSR series in the country uses the MT-15/155, MT-07/700, and MT-09/900 platforms from Team Blue, and out of all of those platforms, only the MT-10 is all alone with the R1 without a retro-inspired model. 

However, while we’re jumping the gun a little bit thinking that the R1 and MT-10 will get the XSR treatment, it’s not out of this world to think that the Tuning Fork brand could do something of the sort. The “GP” in XSR GP could mean that a new crop of XSR-style bikes will come up, and perhaps the flagships will be the first in the lineup to do so inferring from the trademark application. 

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