Yamaha XSR 900 Yard Built - XR9 Carbona par Bottpower - 2020 — Specifications

When a generous base like the XSR 900 meets the expertise of a preparer obsessed with lightness and efficiency, you get something like this XR9 Carbona signed Bottpower. Far from a mere stylistic exercise, this machine draws its DNA from the Spanish workshop's victories at Pikes Peak, that crazy race where every kilo counts and torque is king. Indeed, with its 115 horsepower and 87.3 Nm, Yamaha’s CP3 three-cylinder was a perfect candidate for such a metamorphosis.

The result is a motorcycle that breathes compactness and aggression. Bottpower has recentered everything around the engine block, sculpting a massive front and a tapered rear that evokes an athlete poised on their supports. The comparison to a pitbull, advanced by their designer, is well-deserved. The massive use of carbon fiber, for the tank cover, the tail, but also the wheels and the handlebar on the prototype, is not just about looks. It’s an obsessive weight reduction that allows the machine to be lightened by nearly 29 kilos, bringing it down to a floor of 158 kg fully fueled. This is in the realm of a track machine that has kept its plate.

The main interest of this Yard Built project lies in its relative accessibility. Unlike many unique creations, Bottpower offers a complete kit to transform your own XSR 900 or any motorcycle based on the CP3 platform. The preparer promises adaptation without modification of the perimeter aluminum frame, a significant argument for the informed enthusiast who dreams of a custom motorcycle. The kit includes the essentials for style and aerodynamics, but the prototype shows the way to the ultimate preparation with its Akrapovic exhaust and carbon wheels.

Who is this beast for? Certainly not a novice. It’s the motorcycle for the seasoned track rider looking for an extreme track-day base, or the demanding collector who wants a radical and functional interpretation of Yamaha’s neo-retro. The price, flirting with 15,000 euros for the kit alone on a base that you must already possess, clearly places the adventure in the realm of pure passion. Faced with competition from custom preparations, Bottpower stands out with its racing pedigree and a near-industrial approach to the kit, offering a seriousness and reproducibility that are rare.

Ultimately, the XR9 Carbona is much more than just a makeover. It’s a philosophical reinterpretation of the XSR 900, where every part is redesigned for pure performance. It proves that beneath the retro lines of the Yamaha beats the heart of a true sportbike, which was just waiting for that. A machine that does honor to the Yard Built program by pushing its logic to the limit.