When it comes to retro modern motorcycle designs, it's hard to fault Yamaha's takes in recent years. Sure, I might still be a little salty that we don't get the XSR900GP in the US, but that's only because it's absolutely glorious in terms of styling, and I also think they'd sell like hotcakes. But I digress.
Our very own Enrico has already told you how much he loves his XSR900, which is the much bigger brother to the diminutive little Yamaha XSR155. To be clear, the adorable little thumper with an almost perfectly square bore and stroke (58 x 58.7 mm) isn't offered in the US market. Instead, you'll find it offered in a number of countries across Asia. Very specifically, new variants frequently roll out in Indonesia first, and then may or may not move on to other markets in the region.
It's been around for a few years and offers the kind of meticulous, chef's kiss retro-modern styling that the XSR line is known for. Only, it's in a perfectly sized package for local market demands, which favor small-displacement, agile, and stylish little bikes like the XSR155.
Offering a claimed 14.2 kilowatts (about 19 horsepower) at 10,000 rpm, alongside 14.7 newton-meters (about 10.8 pound-feet) of torque at 8,500 rpm, the XSR155 balances enough power for congested urban areas with a propensity toward gently sipping fuel. It also has a six-speed manual gearbox.
So, if you're Yamaha Indonesia, how do you take the popular little XSR155 and make it more appealing for the new year? Apparently, if 2025's catalog is anything to go by, you introduce the perfect shade of brown as a new colorway. No, I'm serious.
Brown is a more interesting motorcycle color than it might frequently get credit for. Done right, it evokes a sense of history, and of place. How many fantastic brown leather saddles and matching handgrips have you ever seen and admired? Or brown leather (or leather-trimmed) motorcycle gear? Or saddlebags, even? That's what I'm talking about. Done right, it instantly takes you back, regardless of how old you might physically be. It's a time-traveling color when applied well.
For 2025, Yamaha Indonesia offers the XSR155 in a new colorway that it calls "Metallic Brown Authentic," and if the name doesn't indicate the brand's intentions, I'm not sure what does. Crucially, there's a sweet little gold pinstripe around a dark gray stripe bisecting the tank on each side.
So you've got this wonderful, warm metallic brown tank, but it's exactly the right amount of that metallic brown. It's not too much of one color, because that contrasting stripe adds the visual accent your eyes and brain need to keep the whole composition fresh and lively.
Gallery: 2025 Yamaha XSR155 (Indonesia)
Yamaha prides itself on offering styling on the XSR line that it refers to as "timeless," and it's not wrong. That's part of what makes it so appealing to both new and old riders alike. It offers a sense of consistency, regardless of whatever else might be going on in your life, or even in the larger world. The reassurance that things might not be great sometimes, but this classically modern bike will be here for you all the same, as your faithful companion.
Also, it's the kind of color that probably looks absolutely stunning in person, in ways that won't come through well in photographs. Unless this color comes to the US on a different bike, I probably won't be able to confirm whether my suspicion is correct. But mentally, I'm picturing a nice little glint of metallic flake in the paint that just gives a nice little shimmer in direct sunlight, and I hope it's as nice in reality as it looks in my mind.
