Yamaha Xsr155

"Best small retro available — just buy a clean, unmolested example."

The XSR155 is essentially a VVA-equipped MT-15 wearing a café-racer costume, and honestly that's not a bad thing. The 155cc single pulls surprisingly hard once the variable valve timing kicks in around 7,500rpm — you'll feel the surge and it never gets old in traffic. Build quality is genuinely impressive for the class; switchgear feels solid, the TFT dash is crisp, and Yamaha's reliability record on this engine is bulletproof. Used examples are popping up everywhere now, typically between 2-3 years old with 5,000-15,000km. Check for aftermarket exhausts fitted by boys who thought they were Valentino Rossi — they usually gut the baffle and kill low-end grunt. Inspect the front fork seals and rear shock linkage bearings; hard urban riding takes its toll. Tyres are often neglected on this class of bike, so budget for replacements immediately. The ergonomics split opinions. Clip-on style bars look period-correct but the riding position is more aggressive than the retro aesthetic suggests. Taller riders above 180cm will find it cramped on anything longer than a 45-minute commute.