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The updates in the 2022 Yamaha XSR900 widened its rivalry with the Kawasaki Z900RS, which continues to be the same motorcycle since its launch.

Whenever the rivalry between Yamaha and Kawasaki gets discussed, the two motorcycles which paint the discussion mostly are the blue-eyed boy Yamaha YZF-R1 and the green poison Kawasaki ZX-10R. However, there’s more to the story than just the liter-class rivalry, as there are several motorcycles from both the bike makers that are head-on rivals.

Two such motorcycles are the Yamaha XSR900 and Kawasaki Z900RS – the two best neo-retro roadsters from the Japanese giants. The Yamaha XSR900 and Kawasaki Z900RS stole the world’s attention at EICMA held in different years, with the XSR900 coming in at EICMA 2015 and the Z900RS in EICMA 2017. To date, both the motorcycles managed to keep the game neck-to-neck.

But now, a new XSR900 came in 2021, which has upped its game with a slightly-revised fuel tank and tail section and new electronics. Meanwhile, the Z900RS has remained unchanged since 2017. Are the changes in the Yamaha XSR900 that good to give it a significant edge over the Kawasaki Z900RS? We compare both these motorcycles comprehensively to find out the answer.

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To meet more stringent Euro 5 emission norms, Yamaha upped the size of the Crossplane inline-triple engine of the previous iteration of the XSR900. Out went the 847cc engine to welcome a new 890cc inline-three engine, which was greener and more powerful than before. The new 2022 version of the Yamaha XSR900 retains this upsized inline-three, liquid-cooled, 12-valve, 890cc engine, which claims a power output of 117 hp @ 10,000 rpm and a peak torque output of 68.6 lb-ft @ 7,000 rpm.

On the other hand, the liquid-cooled, inline-four, 948cc engine of the Kawasaki Z900RS engine has remained unchanged since the motorcycle’s debut in 2017. The inline-four mill of the Z900RS has an extra cylinder and is larger than the 890cc inline-three engine of the XSR900. However, the inline-four of the Z900RS operates at a lower compression ratio of 10.8:1 compared to the 11.5:1 of the XSR900. It results in a lower power output of 109.5 hp @ 8,500 rpm but a higher torque output of 72.3 lb-ft @ 6,500 rpm. Both these motorcycles here get 6-speed gearboxes with assist and slipper clutch.

While the higher torque output of the Kawasaki Z900Rs should give it an edge over the XSR900 in urban conditions, the Yamaha here weighs almost 50 lbs lesser in comparison. The lower curb weight and the higher power output help the XSR900 attain a better power-to-weight ratio, which gives it a marginally better quarter mile time.

With this latest update, Yamaha has ensured that the XSR900 joins the league of the best-equipped motorcycles from the house of triple-tuning forks. It now gets a host of electronics and riding aids, including the six-axis IMU with cornering ABS and lean-sensitive traction control, slide control, engine brake control, and wheelie control. All these features have taken the agility and safety of the new Yamaha XSR900 to a new level.

Compared to the XSR900, the Kawasaki Z900RS feels a bit basic, with only a standard dual-channel ABS and traction control. The Z900RS’ part-digital instrument console with a small LCD panel between two rounded analog pods looks more in sync with the neo-retro theme. But the full-color TFT unit in the XSR900 is much more informative and futuristic to look.

Both Yamaha XSR900 and Kawasaki Z900RS come bestowed with the charm of conventional neo-retro roadsters, making them classy-looking machines. However, with the recent update, the Yamaha XSR900 has emphasized the ‘neo’ prefix more.

In addition to the full-color TFT instrument console, the XSR900 also gets a more modern-looking LED illumination all around. It also looks muscular with the beefier-looking fuel tank, larger aluminum swing-arm, and the new café-racer-like seat with a hump in its design.

Both the motorcycles here come equipped with fully-adjustable upside-down telescopic forks with a 120/70 ZR17 tire at the front and a back-link mono-shock with a 180/55 ZR17 tire at the rear. However, the Z900RS has a shorter wheelbase by almost 1 inch, which should add slight agility in its favor.

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In its updated form, the new Yamaha XSR900 has become more ‘neo’ than ‘retro’ with a more muscular design. But when it comes to neo-retro roadsters in general, a cleaner look with more focus on the ‘retro’ part is always appreciated. It is where the Z900RS inches ahead with its more old-school essence in its design. However, looks are subjective indeed, and many might prefer the newness in the XSR900 more.

If you move past the form part, things become a bit clearer. The XSR900 has additional new-age features like an all-LED illumination and full-TFT instrument console and has a long list of riding aids, none of which come offered in the Z900RS even as an option. Adding more woes for the Z900RS is its higher asking price of $11,949 – almost $2,000 more than the better-equipped Yamaha XSR900.

There you have it. If you are someone who makes reasonable decisions considering all factors, the Yamaha XSR900 is the one your brain should pick, based on the better specs it claims. However, some people keep their hearts ahead of their brains for motorcycles. And, to them, the Z900RS might appeal with its more ‘retro-ness’ despite a heavier price tag.

Hailing from India, Jeo has grown up dreaming about a red-colored Porsche 911. This fascination led him to study more about cars and their functionality in his automotive engineering days from the past. His passion for writing about cars directed him towards blogging, which he has been doing for almost a decade.