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Launched by Yamaha in 1991, the air-cooled inline-four XJ400S Diversion was built under the banner of "ending the era of judging a bike by its spec sheet," aiming for touring-friendly usability. But it never quite connected with the naked bike boom of its time.
'Declaring an end to the era of talking about bikes purely in specs' — what this machine raised was a clear objection to the replica wars. Giving it a name meaning 'diversion,' right in the middle of an era competing on horsepower and aluminum frames, took no small amount of courage. It didn't land back then simply because it was too early. Now that the era has matured, the Diversion's question finally lands.
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It's such a classic-bike thing where the concepts that didn't land end up getting appreciated later — a bike I'd love to see with today's eyes.
First time hearing the name Diversion — I feel like I've also heard it was popular overseas in a different displacement.
It was probably an air-cooled four in a different direction from air-cooled bikes like the XJR400.
An air-cooled four with this kind of philosophy — I'm curious what specifically set it apart from other manufacturers' nakeds at the time.
Aiming for touring-oriented usability and missing the naked-bike boom — it's a shame how the concept and the market just didn't line up.
Maybe the concept was just too ahead of its time — it seems like the kind of thinking that would be appreciated today.
'Putting an end to the era of judging bikes by spec sheets' — that catchphrase must have been a pretty bold statement for its time.
The stance of challenging the spec race feels like a very Yamaha, philosophical approach to development.
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