The Raider is Yamaha's Rocker.

Yamaha's latest addition to their cruiser line-up is the new Raider XV1900.

Based around Yamaha’s huge 113 cubic inch (1854cc) air-cooled pushrod 48-degree V-twin it has  pretty radical styling for a production bike. 

To our eyes, of all the Japanese factories Yamaha has always been the best at interpreting custom looks, and the Raider does nothing to dispel that belief.

Called the XV1900 Custom in Canada, the Raider is available in a standard and an “S” version with MSRPs of $17,999.00 and $18,499.00 respectively.

R6 comes in "Canadian Edition" too (shown)

There are enough changes in the R6 to qualify it as a completely new bike.

An all-new frame is said to improve the already razor-sharp handling, the swingarm is modified with the same goal and the seating position is slightly changed.

The engine has had more than 50 changes to reduce friction, coupled with an upgraded ECU, new slipper clutch, and the addition of the variable intake trumpets introduced on the R1 last year.

Thicker brakes, upgraded suspension, and modified aerodynamics all add to the race track focus of the bike. The Canuck "CE" model will retail for $12, 599, with the regular "everybody else" edition a hundred bucks cheaper.

WR250X gets super moto

Definitely coming to Canada in 2008 is the WR250X, a Supermoto version of Yamaha’s excellent dirt and MX 250 four-stroke. 

Actually, that’s not quite true, as Yamaha says the fuel-injected engine is entirely new, and of course the bike comes with huge forks and brakes and high-end suspension units.

No doubt it will be a serious giggle for those who prefer their riding a bit on the anti-social side.

MSRP is $7,699.00. 

XT250 is the more basic Yamaha 250 dual-sport.

Two more new dual-sport 250s will appear in Canadian showrooms:  

The WR250R is the on-off-road version with the same FI-equipped, liquid-cooled engine as the super-moto X-model.

MSRP is $7,299.00 (that's $400 less than the WR250X).

And then there's the XT 250, a two-valve, carbureted, air-cooled single that makes a little less power and has fewer fancy bits, but also costs almost two grand less than the perkier WR model.

MSRP is $5,499.00.

Not likely to be seen in Canada (this year), this is apparently Yamaha's European answer to the wildly popular Honda CBR125.

With looks closely modeled on the R1/R6 hyper sports models – even including a low-slung Moto GP style exhaust – the YZFR is claimed to offer the same user-friendly size and ease of use of the little Honda, but with a claimed higher performance level.

Okay, it’s not a parallel twin and it’s not even a 650, but the new XS-V1 Sakura is a new prototype from Yamaha unveiled at the Tokyo motorcycle show.

It’s purely a styling homage (and why not – despite Editor ‘arris’s love for the things – the XS650 was wobbly and vibratory … a bit like the editor actually …) but with an all-new 1000 cc air-cooled v-twin motor and stylized triple discs.

No word on what happens next. We guess if the masses give the thumbs up, then it might even get into production. ‘Arris, get yer deposit down quick!