The 2015 Yamaha SR400 looks almost like an exact replica of the 1978 SR500 that made the platform beloved around the world. This 399cc, air-cooled single is kickstart only. Talk about keeping it simple. It takes balls to release a bike in this day and age that is kickstart only, but we think that kind of throwback authenticity could make it more popular in some corners.

Yamaha has added a few updates to keep the bike compliant with emissions standards and to make it a little easier to own. It will be fuel-injected and have a compression release on the handlebar, which should make it easy to start.

So why 400cc instead of 500cc? The Japanese tiered license has a 400cc limit and, by creating one bike that Yamaha can sell worldwide, they can keep prices lower than if we got our own version. The new SR400 will have an MSRP of $5,990 and will go on sale this June.

Yamaha says they did significant market research in Japan and the overwhelming consensus was that they preferred the bike without an electric start. Will a kickstart-only air-cooled single that looks like a refugee from the disco era get the hipsters excited in 2014? We’ll be curious to see if the American market will appreciate the nostalgia or be turned off by the possible inconvenience.

2015 Yamaha SR400

Engine type	Air-cooled single, 2 valves per cylinder
Displacement	399cc
Bore x stroke	97.0mm x 62.7mm
Compression ratio	8.5:1
Fuel	Electronic fuel injection
Transmission	5-speed, chain final drive
Clutch	Wet multiplate
Frame	Double-cradle steel frame
Wheelbase	55.5 inches
Rake	27 degrees
Trail	4.4 inches
Front suspension	Telescopic fork
Rear suspension	Swingarm, dual shocks
Rear wheel travel	4.1 inches
Front tire	90/100-18
Rear tire	110/90-18
Front brake	268mm single disc
Rear brake	150mm drum
Fuel capacity	3.2 gallons
Wet weight	384 pounds
Seat height	30.9 inches