Back in the ’50s and ‘60s, a post-war generation, unsatisfied with the status quo, decided that if you didn’t like something, you simply changed it yourself.
Anything with an engine and wheels was fair game, giving rise to new niches encompassing everything from hotrods to dragsters and dune buggies.
Motorcycle customization followed a parallel path, with road bikes stripped down to the new essentials of chopper and bobber ethos, adapted for street racing (cafe racers), or altered for dirt and off-road challenges (scramblers).
These days, manufacturers are plumbing both the past and future for any kind of “cool” that will bring a new generation of motorcycle fans to the fold.
And, narrowing our focus to scramblers, we find new bikes following a refreshed version of the old recipe – knobby tires on spoked wheels, a raised exhaust, a short seat, wide pegs, a smallish tank, a single headlight and a minimal gauge package.
There are choices aplenty already by Ducati, Triumph and BMW, to name just a few. But, featured here, we have a new entry in affordable Yamaha style – the 2017 SCR950.
The “SCR” part of the name is obvious, thanks to the obvious scrambler clues and cues – wide crossbar-style handlebars, an upright seating position atop the one-piece, low-profile bench seat, the 2-into-1 upswept exhaust, fork boots, spoked aluminum wheels and vintage graphics marking a flangeless gas tank and retro racing-style side number plates.
The “950” part of the equation is also pretty easy to figure out. Like scramblers of the past, this bike builds on a stripped-down bones of a street bike, in this case, the Yamaha Bolt, already a hipster-flavoured adaptation of the classic cruiser.
The Bolt’s 942 cc SOHC 60-degree V-twin provides the punch with oomph to spare. The grunt is capably handled by a wide ratio five-speed gearbox that puts power to the pavement via a carbon fibre-cored belt drive.
And a lovely snarl pulses out of the pipe on acceleration, although that’s not the only sound you’ll hear from the saddle.
Ramping up to speed onto the highway for the first time, I thought a Jeep was tailgating me until I remembered that the knobby Bridgestone Trail Wing tires were probably responsible for all the enthusiastic howling in the background.
Hmm, so add the skid plate from the accessory list and we’re set up for real and rigourous off-roading, right?
Well, not so much.
The SCR950 is more about the retro scrambler style and flavour than true enduro capabilities, and I’d expect to see it facing off-road challenges about as often as the four-wheel drive SUVs normally seen parked at the mall.
The SCR950 does, after all, weigh in at a highway-comfortable 248 kg (547 lb) and the adopted Bolt’s street-style suspension with 120 mm (4.7”) of travel up front and only 70 mm (2.8”) of travel in back would bottom out on any of the bigger bounces.
Besides, there are whole classes of off-road motorcycles that have evolved far beyond the rudimentary adaptations of early scramblers.
Yamaha’s own dual-purpose XT250 and TW200 bikes, for example, and a long list of other competitive and recreational dirt bikes better suited for serious bush bashing.
But that’s not saying you couldn’t get off the beaten path and at least explore some backcountry gravel roads on the gnarly, block-patterned tires of the SCR950.
And with “less is more” versatility perfectly suited to its theme of “rugged simplicity”, the SCR950 has the abilities to be an enjoyable all-rounder.
There’s not much to complain about. Yeah, the air filter housing gets in the way of your right knee. The metal pegs are widely spaced and real shin-barkers.
There’s no ABS. And there’s no tach, no fuel gauge either, just a warning light and range countdown. But the simple round LCD gauge does offer a digital speedo, clock, odo and twin trip meters selectable through a thumb switch on the right grip.
I averaged 4.2L/100km (comb) during my test ride, which would have translated to a respectable 300 km range from the 13-litre tank.
And I think I could have ridden the SCR950 a lot further than that.
Granted, the simple bench seat is not exactly long-haul comfortable, but the stylish looks, neutral riding position, potent V-twin and stirring exhaust note create the kind of riding ambiance that keeps you grinning as the kilometres click by.
The 2017 Yamaha SCR950 currently lists for $10,199 and Yamaha will kick in a $400 parts/accessory credit for any sales finalized before the end of August.
Check one out.
2017 Yamaha SCR950
ENGINE: 942 cc air-cooled SOHC V-twin
FUEL DELIVERY: 35 mm dual bore throttle body fuel injection
TRANSMISSION: Five-speed with belt drive final
SUSPENSION: Front 41 mm fork, 120 mm (4.7”) travel; Rear preload adjustable premium dual gas-charged piggyback shocks, 70mm (2.8″) wheel travel
BRAKES: Front 298 mm disc with two-piston caliper; Rear 298 mm disc with single-piston caliper
TIRES: Front 100/90-19; Rear 140/80-17
SEAT HEIGHT: 830 mm (32.7”)
WHEELBASE: 1,575 mm (62”)
CURB WEIGHT: 248 kg (547 lb)
FUEL CAPACITY: 13 litres
COLOURS: Vivid Red Cocktail, Dark Bluish Metallic Grey
PRICE: $10,199
WEBSITE: Yamaha MotorSports
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Keyword: Yamaha’s Scrambler – WHEELS.ca