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Custom Bikes Of The Week: 24 March, 2019

The best cafe racers and customs from around the web.
This week’s all about Yamaha, with a veritable squadron of cool customs from every genre—including a new SR500 from Shinya Kimura. There’s also a very cool Guzzi Le Mans sneaking in from Italy. Let us know which one you’d ride home, because we can’t decide.

Moto Guzzi Le Mans III by Ruote Fiere
Moto Guzzi Le Mans III by Ruote Fiere Chris is far more of a Guzzista than I am, but even I can’t resist the charms of this peculiar—yet alluring—Le Mans. It’s the work of Davide Caforio over at Ruote Fiere in Italy, who’s masterfully blended a pseudo-endurance look with some sweet engineering.

This Le Mans is packing a 1,100 cc square barrel motor, Dell’Orto PHM 40 mm carbs and a beefy stainless steel exhaust system. Adding to the list are a Silent Hektik ignition system housed in a Mandello Racing timing case, a lighter flywheel, and a Ram Racing machined clutch. Oh, and a custom oil cooler too.

Moto Guzzi Le Mans III by Ruote Fiere
Davide’s fiddled with the geometry too, with a steeper head angle, and a pair of 45 mm Marzocchi forks in billet triples. The rear shocks are by off-road car gurus, Oram, and feature Öhlins bits inside. Three-spoke alloy wheels from Italian firm EPM are controlled by a custom braking system, pieced together from multiple sources.

The bodywork’s a masterclass in motorcycle Tetris too. A one-piece composite tank and tail unit covers a fuel cell and a whole bunch of working bits. And there’s a Leo Vince silencer hiding inside that splendid aluminum belly pan. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg—our friends over at The Bike Shed have the full skinny. [More]

Yamaha WR450F by Le Motographe
Yamaha WR450F by Le Motographe Yamaha’s WR450F is an off-road weapon of note…but can it custom? French Workshop Le Motographe, says oui. When their American client asked for a street legal, off-road custom, the Le Motographe team of Jerome and Yvan went wild.

They redesigned the enduro with a hand-built exoskeleton, for a radically different aesthetic. There’s a hand-made tank sitting inside the frame, with a red leather seat and a custom rear fender. The airbox and exhaust are one-offs too, and the guys even shed a little extra weight, with a Lithium-ion battery.

Yamaha WR450F by Le Motographe
The changes have resulted in 10 kg weight loss, and a 5 hp boost in power. And Le Motographe have tuned the suspension too, specific to their customer’s weight. So even though this WR450F looks hella quirky, it should be bananas to ride.

What’s more, Jerome and Yvan have a couple more of these in the works. They’re almost done with a supermotard version, and there’s a flat track version planned next. [More]

Yamaha XJR1300 by Wrench Kings
Yamaha XJR1300 by Wrench Kings The XJR1300 is one of the last true modern UJMs. This 1999 specimen has all the muscular goodness of the stocker, ramped up with a huge hit of classic racer style. And we have Dutch shop Wrench Kings to thank for that.

Wrench Kings took the big Japanese four, and re-dressed it in hand-formed aluminum bodywork from The Custom Factory. Then they treated to a livery straight out of the 70s. The tail sits on a custom subframe, the seat’s wrapped in leather, and there’s an LED tail light neatly mounted out back.

Yamaha XJR1300 by Wrench Kings
The team also installed Tarozzi foot controls and clip-ons, new switches, Brembo master cylinders and Daytona clocks. There’s a full complement of Motogadget-ry too, and bits like the frame and wheels have been powder coated.

The airbox has been replaced by a row of pod filters, and the twin exhausts are from Cobra. But this wasn’t some half-assed hop up—the bike’s been properly tuned on the dyno. Numbers now sit at 127 hp and 130 Nm at the back wheel…so this XJR goes as good as it looks. [More]

Yamaha XT250 by Mokka Cycles
Yamaha XT250 by Mokka Cycles Budapest shop Mokka Cycles have a knack for building svelte, cute off-roaders. This little XT is one of their best yet—loaded with everything you need, and nothing you don’t.

It’s a 1982-model XT250; a punchy little enduro with no electric starter, and therefore no battery. Mokka took full advantage of this, trimming the Yamaha right down to the basics. But don’t let its unassuming looks deceive you—every nut and bolt on this XT’s been touched.

Yamaha XT250 by Mokka Cycles
There’s a custom subframe and seat, custom aluminum fenders, and a clean, high-mounted stainless exhaust system. The front wheel’s been swapped from a 21” to a 19” rim, for a more balanced stance. Classic motocross bars, Mokka switches and Ceriani headlight ears round out the package.

The paint is super-classy too—a riff on Yamaha’s liveries from back in the day. Mokka tell us that all they wanted to do, was build the bike they reckon Yamaha should be selling today. An OEM retro 250 cc enduro? Count us in!

Yamaha SR500 by Chabott Engineering
Yamaha SR500 by Chabott Engineering Shinya Kimura over at Chabott Engineering in California has made a name for himself as a master metal shaper. His motorcycles have a raw, asymmetrical feel—like they creeped out of his mind directly into metal.

This SR500 has all the hallmarks of a classic Chabott build. Even though the individual shapes seem random, there’s a harmonious flow going on from front to back. Everything’s hand-made, from the elongated fairing, right through to the straight-through exhaust in the tail.

Yamaha SR500 by Chabott Engineering
The donor’s actually a 1978 SR500 frame, with a 2018 SR400 motor wedged in. Shinya rebuilt the motor with a new piston and camshaft, then added a Keihin CR carb and Honda XR250 oil cooler. There’s also a Kawasaki KX250 swing arm, Works Performance shocks and Dunstall forks.

The rear brake’s from a XS650, the front brake’s from a 1969 Yamaha TD3 racer, and the wheels have been shrunk to 16”. I was lucky enough to see this alluring machine in the flesh at the Mooneyes show in Japan…my favourite bit? That bizarre trio of headlights. [More]

Yamaha SR500 by Chabott Engineering

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2 stroke motorcycles BikeExif flat track Other Motorcycle Blogs Racing Motorcycles street tracker Yamaha motorcycles

This scary TZ750 flat track racer is also street legal

This Yamaha TZ750 flat track racer is also street legal
When we were talking to Brad Peterson about his XR750 street tracker a month ago, he let slip that he also had a TZ750 in his garage. And it too was street legal.

An explosive Yammie two-stroke with classic flat track good looks is too hard to resist, so we just had to show it. But we’re not sure if we want to ride it: Brad may have balls the size of church bells, but we don’t.

This Yamaha TZ750 flat track racer is also street legal
The TZ750 was one of the most extreme flat track racers of all time: it was banned after one race win in the mid 70s, and Kenny Roberts would hit 145mph going down the straights.

Steve Baker was another rider who wrestled with the TZ750. “One of my buddies showed me a picture of Steve Baker’s original dirt tracker, and said that a TZ750 would make a crazy street tracker,” Brad recalls. “That one picture, which is still pinned to my garage wall, started this adventure.”

This Yamaha TZ750 flat track racer is also street legal
This TZ750 is built around a replica of a Champion Racing frame. And it’s not any old replica: the original Doug Schwerma design has been replicated and built by Jeff Palhegyi, a man with a very solid reputation in the twin worlds of motorsport and Yamaha tuning.

“I don’t have enough luck to ever come by one of the original six Champion-framed TZs,” Brad admits. “So putting together a replica is as good as it’s going to get for me.”

This Yamaha TZ750 flat track racer is also street legal
Nestling in that frame is a 1977 TZ 750D motor built by Scott Guthrie Racing, a company that has set over 380 land speed records. (This particular TZ motor owns several records itself, in other vehicles.)

The ‘D’ spec motor got a 30 horsepower boost over its three predecessors, and in stock formed pushed out 120 hp. This one has been outfitted with Lectron carburetors and has been gas flowed and tuned specifically for street use.

This Yamaha TZ750 flat track racer is also street legal
Those glorious expansion chambers are again Jeff Palhegyi’s work. He’s topped them off with a pair of tiny mufflers from TZ Mike.

“I’ve found you can’t sneak around on it much,” Brad says. “It’s an angry beast of a bike that makes an enormous amount of noise and leaves a trail of two-stroke smoke like you can’t believe.”

This Yamaha TZ750 flat track racer is also street legal
Like many flat track machines, this TZ750 is running Yamaha YZF-R6 forks, mated to the frame with custom triples. An R6 donated its brakes too—including the front caliper, and the front rotor (with a custom disk carrier).

Santa Fe Motors supplied the 19-inch rims (shod with Dunlop rubber) and there’s a quick-change rear hub, alongside another R6 caliper and rotor and Race Tech shocks.

This Yamaha TZ750 flat track racer is also street legal
The bars are from Flanders, one of the oldest names in the bending fraternity, and are graced with brake and cylinder masters from Brembo. The Scitsu tach and temperature gauges are original, though.

The discreet lighting from Baja Designs is required to make the TZ street legal. “It’s a total loss electrical system,” Brad explains. “Can’t remember when I charged the battery last. Crazy long life!”

This Yamaha TZ750 flat track racer is also street legal
The low-profile bodywork is by First Klass Glass. Brad painted it himself—in the Yamaha Canada red colors of #32 Steve Baker, of course.

“It’s legit street legal,” he adds. “Title, lights and all. Race bikes and motors are originally sold without titles, so I spent a lot of time working through the processes to get it to the street.”

This Yamaha TZ750 flat track racer is also street legal
The TZ750 has no starter, but it will bump start in less than six feet. “Once I figured out the right spark plug to use, it’s crazy how easy it starts. Originally Yamaha recommended two plugs—one for warming up and a second for racing—but I found a happy medium.”

The TZ might be legal to ride on the street, but the power band is akin to a light switch. “When the revs hit about 7,000, it lights the back tire up violently—and at the same time lifts the front wheel, pulling hard all the way to 11,000,” says Brad.

This Yamaha TZ750 flat track racer is also street legal
Brad lives in the same town as Steve Baker, who’s still a regular at the small local flat track. And there are plans in the works to get Baker and the TZ750 together in Canada on a 1/2 mile this summer.

We reckon Baker is a brave man, but it should be epic.

Images by John Meloy and Pierre Robichaud.

This Yamaha TZ750 flat track racer is also street legal

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BikeExif Custom Motorcycles Dakar Rally North East Custom Other Motorcycle Blogs Restomod Yamaha motorcycles

Dakar style: A Yamaha Super Ténéré restomod from Italy

A Yamaha Super Ténéré restomod from North East Custom
This Sunday, the Dakar Rally kicks off again. If you suffer from rally fever but don’t have the stones to actually race through Peruvian deserts, let this Yamaha Super Ténéré be your medicine.

First produced in 1989, the twin cylinder XTZ 750 Super Ténéré was the big brother of the XTZ 660 Ténéré. Both bikes were named after a notoriously difficult, sandstorm-prone section of the Sahara desert, which featured on the Paris-Dakar route in the 1980s.

A Yamaha Super Ténéré restomod from North East Custom
This 1992-model XTZ has been reworked by North East Custom, a shop in Padua run by brothers Diego and Riccardo Coppiello. They’re not twins, but it’s impossible to tell the two bearded Italians apart—and they both like anything with knobbly tires.

So although they don’t exclusively focus on off-roaders, they have a real affinity for the genre. (Their stunning Yamaha XT500 restomod was a showstopper at our Wildays stand last year.)

A Yamaha Super Ténéré restomod from North East Custom
Here, they took everything good about their customer’s Super Ténéré, and amplified it. “The idea was to bring to life the ‘desert spirit’,” explains Diego, “while adding a fresh touch, to make it more modern and slender.”

The most obvious change is up front. North East have binned the Yamaha’s original fairing in favor of something more svelte, and more akin to modern rally bike designs. The new unit was hand-built using fiberglass, and designed to incorporate the original instruments and headlights, with a new acrylic glass cover to protect the beams.

A Yamaha Super Ténéré restomod from North East Custom
Even though it doesn’t look like it, the Super Ténéré’s practical 26-liter fuel tank is still in play. And Diego and Riccardo designed their new fairing to attach via OEM mounting points, so that they could attach it to any XTZ 750 without any hacking.

All the bodywork further back is custom. North East built new side covers, and a sharp new rear fender. Then they matched it up to a custom saddle—shaped like a modern enduro bike seat and covered in vinyl.

A Yamaha Super Ténéré restomod from North East Custom
It’s a super-neat arrangement, capped off at the end by a slim LED taillight, and a license plate bracket that also carries a pair of LED turn signals.

Take a look at the space between the side panels and rear fender, and you’ll spot a pair of red plates. Remove those, and you’ll find an array of mounting points that the brothers have welded to the frame, designed to carry a variety of luggage accessories. Clever stuff.

A Yamaha Super Ténéré restomod from North East Custom
As for the rest of the Super Ténéré, North East have upgraded all the right bits—and left alone the bits that work.

There’s a new Bitubo shock out back, with Bitubo springs giving the front end a boost. The wheels are stock, but wrapped in new Continental TKC80 rubber. And the brakes have been treated to new discs, and a Brembo master cylinder up front.

A Yamaha Super Ténéré restomod from North East Custom
The motor is stock, but North East put it through some routine maintenance. They also upgraded the air filter to one from K&N, and re-jetted the carbs with a Dynojet kit. The exhaust is a mash-up of Arrow headers and a modified Virex silencer.

North East have taken care of the smaller details too. A pair of spotlights is mounted low down for maximum nighttime visibility, and there’s a single mirror that can fold away when you venture off-road. And since the bike’s not meant for professional rally racing, there’s a Givi phone case and mount where you’d normally find a road book.

A Yamaha Super Ténéré restomod from North East Custom
As for the livery, Diego and Riccardo shunned the Super Ténéré’s original 90s vibe for a contemporary mix of gloss white and matte black. Custom ‘Super Ténéré’ decals and sponsor logos add a hint of red—and a little extra race flair.

We’re not sure we’d survive even one grueling day of the Dakar. But for regular dual-sport riding with a little retro rally flavor, this Super Ténéré is just the ticket.

North East Custom | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Filippo Molena

A Yamaha Super Ténéré restomod from North East Custom

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Banana Bike! An XS650 inspired by 1970s chopper bicycles

Banana Bike! A Yamaha XS650 inspired by 1970s chopper bicycles
I’ll let you in on a little secret: the Bike EXIF team doesn’t always agree on what’s hot and what’s not. But no motorcycle has polarized opinion as much as this whacky Yamaha XS650.

In the end, fun and goofiness prevailed. And so we present Bonanza Krad, a bicycle-inspired Yamaha, from the hands and minds at Germany’s Benders Company.

Banana Bike! A Yamaha XS650 inspired by 1970s chopper bicycles
Based in Wiesloch, Benders is a five-man team founded by Christian and Raphael Bender. The brothers grew up fiddling with bikes, selling them to finance new projects or to travel.

For this build, they went right back to their youth—drawing inspiration from the Kynast Bonanza bicycles of the 60s and 70s—a kid’s chopper bike popular in Germany, similar to the American Schwinn Sting-Ray and the British-made Raleigh Chopper.

Banana Bike! A Yamaha XS650 inspired by 1970s chopper bicycles
“A customer came into our shop with his old XS650,” Christian tells us. “He’s a journalist, musician and painter, and in the discussion about what he does, we shared some stories from our childhood. We talked about Bonanza bicycles, and the idea of a ‘Bonanza Krad’ was born.”

Even though the idea was totally left field, Benders still wanted the 1981-model Yamaha to be as much fun to ride as possible. So they tore into the motor first, boring it out to 750 cc. The rebuild included new pistons, revised compression, a new ignition, and a switch to a 270 degree firing order.

Banana Bike! A Yamaha XS650 inspired by 1970s chopper bicycles
They also installed better carbs, and fitted a pair of K&N filters. Under the hood, they rewired the whole bike around a Motogadget m.unit controller. And they ripped out the starter—so this XS is now kick-only.

Moving to the chassis, Benders shortened and looped the subframe—then kept going with a sissy bar of comedic proportions. The king & queen saddle is (obviously) a one-off, and together with the rest of the rear end, nails the retro banana-bike look effortlessly.

Banana Bike! A Yamaha XS650 inspired by 1970s chopper bicycles
The back’s finished off with a set of slammed shocks, and a tail light that’s mounted into the back of the passenger seat. Plus there’s a modified aftermarket fender, originally intended for a Harley.

The Bonanza aesthetic is equally well represented up front. Benders sourced appropriate handlebars, headlight and grips from local vendors, then finished them off with bar-end turn signals, mini switches and modified levers.

Banana Bike! A Yamaha XS650 inspired by 1970s chopper bicycles
As for those springs on the forks—they don’t do anything, except mimic the ‘fake’ springs on the original Bonanza. The XS650 still rolls on its stock wheels and brakes too, but they look as good as new now.

Then there’s the centerpiece of the build: that hand-made fuel tank. Benders shaped it from steel, designing it to mount over the frame’s backbone and sit ‘in’ the frame, rather than on top. It feeds the carbs via a small aftermarket fuel pump.

Banana Bike! A Yamaha XS650 inspired by 1970s chopper bicycles
That lever on top is an original Sturmey Archer stick shift—similar to what you’d find on an old Bonanza. This one was sourced from eBay and modded to fit. It does nothing more than look the part and switch the headlight on and off.

The rest of ‘Bonanza Krad’ is adorned with thoughtful little details. These include a two-into-one exhaust system with an extended muffler, a set of forward foot controls, and bicycle pedal on the kick-start lever.

Banana Bike! A Yamaha XS650 inspired by 1970s chopper bicycles
And despite the Yammie’s silly looks, it’s been finished to a remarkably high standard. The engine’s been cleaned up and refinished, and the frame powder coated.

But it’s the paint that seals the deal. Benders brainstormed ideas with the client, then turned to Michael Schönen of Lackmuss to execute it. It’s a killer livery, with retro logos sending it over the top.

Banana Bike! A Yamaha XS650 inspired by 1970s chopper bicycles
For many motorcyclists today, a banana-bike is where their two-wheeled obsession started. And this XS650 is the perfect double hit of irreverence and nostalgia.

So which side of the fence are you on? Is this an abomination, or are you itching for a ride?

Benders Company | Facebook | Images by Sven Wedemeyer of Wheels of Stil

Banana Bike! A Yamaha XS650 inspired by 1970s chopper bicycles

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Custom Bikes Of The Week: 2 December, 2018

The best cafe racers, trackers and restomods of the week
A pair of Yamaha cafe racers from the opposite ends of the capacity spectrum, Roland Sands gets stuck into the Indian FTR 1200, and some sad news from the Vincent scene.

The Egli-Vincent Godet 1330 Cafe Racer
Vale Patrick Godet The renowned Vincent builder Patrick Godet passed away on Tuesday. His Swiss friend Fritz Egli (yes, of Egli-Vincent fame) made the announcement and requested privacy.

Godet was well known for his exquisite restorations, and restomods such as the 1330 Cafe Racer and the less radical Sport GT. These used Black Shadow engines with increased displacement (measuring 99 RWHP) squeezed into the Egli-Vincent frame, with Fritz Egli’s approval.

The Egli-Vincent Godet 1330 Sport GT
I clearly remember stumbling across one of these several years ago at the Wheels & Wheels festival in Biarritz, and it was truly a sight to behold.

Godet was also active in the French classic racing scene, riding a Black Lighting and building smaller capacity ‘Grey Flash’ machines for others to race in events like the Bikers Classic at Spa-Francorchamps. Fittingly, one of his bikes was also displayed in the famous Art Of The Motorcycle exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in 1998.

Yamaha SX225 Scorpio cafe racer
Yamaha Scorpio Cafe Racer By Jowo Kustom Yamaha’s bare-bones Scorpio 225 is one of those bikes that flies under the radar. Which is just as well, because it’s plasticky and unattractive. It’s mostly sold in Indonesia and the Philippines, with the occasional shipment heading to Australia and New Zealand for riding school and commuter duties.

As we all know by know, Indonesian custom shops are remarkably inventive, and a shop called Jowo has managed to turn the Scorpio into a thing of beauty.

Yamaha SX225 Scorpio cafe racer
Under the tutelage of leader Yohanes ‘Anes’ Marse, the Jowo crew have heavily modified the frame and swingarm, and reconfigured the exhaust port on the single-cylinder engine to take twin headers.

The plastics have been replaced with new unibody metalwork, and most of the wiring and cabling has been neatly concealed. The overall effect is slim and elegant, with subtle touches like the fork shrouds adding to the visual balance. Exceptional work on a very unpromising donor. [Via]

Yamaha XJR1300 cafe racer by Ian Ketterer
Yamaha XJR1300 by Ian Ketterer Yamaha quietly dropped its mighty XJR1300 a couple of years ago — another casualty of ever-tightening emissions regulations. And although the 1251cc brute had a solid following in Europe and Australia, it never made it over to the States.

The occasional XJR1300 custom has popped up over the years, and this is one of the cleanest we’ve seen. It’s from South African garage builder Ian Ketterer, who operates under the name Blacksilver Customs.

Yamaha XJR1300 cafe racer by Ian Ketterer
“I’ve always wanted to build a proper muscle bike cafe racer,” he says. “It was a bucket list thing and this build gave me the opportunity to do it.”

He’s added the front end from a Yamaha YZF-R1, designing and machining new triple clamps himself to make it fit — and shortening the wheelbase slightly in the process to sharpen the handling. There’s a matching R1 wheel at the back too, which required a new axle and swingarm mods.

Yamaha XJR1300 cafe racer by Ian Ketterer
A new subframe keeps the ‘bone line’ level from the fuel tank back to the tip of the tail, and Ian even designed a new front fender to stop the oil cooler from clashing (literally) with the new front end. A fine example of pro-level engineering from a home builder. [More]

Honda Shadow 600 bobber
Honda Shadow bobber by Seb Kustom We love an oddball custom that raises a smile, and this quirky bobber from France fits the bill. The enigmatic builder known simply as Sébastien spent several years on this project, grafting on a rigid tail and turning Honda’s bland middleweight cruiser into a bike that would draw a crowd wherever it’s parked up.

Séb usually works on more conventional fare, such as the BMW K series or the Kawasaki Zed. But while rummaging through the dusty attic of his grandmother, he discovered a Yamaha 125 DTMX tank and a Marchal fog light, which once belonged to his father.

Honda Shadow 600 bobber
Séb’s father then helped with the heavy lifting on the Honda’s frame — which is just as well, because getting that DTMX tank to fit was a fulltime job in itself. The wheels are Harley, the saddle is from Biltwell, the pegs are from a BMX bike and the ‘oil tank’ is fake: it hides a large portion of the wiring. Très intelligent! [Via]

Roland Sands Design’s FTR 1200 Super Hooligan
Indian FTR 1200 Super Hooligan by RSD They say that trends are cyclical, but this is ridiculous. Indian’s new FTR 1200 road bike is inspired by the FTR 750 flat tracker, and now Roland Sands has taken the FTR 1200 and converted it back into a tracker ready for the Super Hooligan class.

It may sound ludicrous, but the RSD tracker looks very good indeed. Most of the mods are technical: the 120 hp engine has been detuned to deliver power as smoothly as possible on the track, there are adjustable triple clamps to increase the steering lock and modify the geometry, and the battery has been moved to just in front of the back tire.

Roland Sands Design’s FTR 1200 Super Hooligan
Other mods include new engine cases, dual throttle bodies, and a few secret ingredients lifted from the FTR750 racer (and a Pikes Peak racebike that RSD also built).

The oil cooler has been ditched—apparently it’s not necessary—and weight has dropped a whopping 53 pounds to 456 (206 kilos) at the curb. Best of all, Roland Sands Design are apparently putting together an accessory package of flat track bits for Indian, which should include new wheels, pedals, levers, grips and more.

As if we needed additional reasons to put the FTR 1200 on the wish list … [More]

Roland Sands Design’s FTR 1200 Super Hooligan

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BikeExif cafe racer Custom Motorcycles Greg Hageman Other Motorcycle Blogs Yamaha cafe racer Yamaha motorcycles Yamaha MT-07

Solid Gold: Greg Hageman restyles the Yamaha MT-07

Yamaha MT-07 by custom builder Greg Hageman
Wrap any decent Yamaha in a good King Kenny livery, and you’ve got an instant crowd-pleaser. But this Yamaha MT-07 from Greg Hageman is much, much more than just a pretty paint job. It’s one of the most successful MT-07 conversions we’ve ever seen.

We’re used to featuring XSR700s on these pages, but the MT-07 (previously known as the FZ-07 in the States) is essentially the same bike. Its 689 cc parallel twin motor is lively, its chassis is nimble, and its price tag won’t hurt your wallet too much. You just need to tweak the styling—which Greg has done with a master’s touch.

Yamaha MT-07 by custom builder Greg Hageman
This particular MT-07 is a 2017 model belonging to Michael Martens, and it’s the fourth Hageman-built bike in his garage. (The first was a Virago that graced the cover of one of our previous calendars).

“Greg and I have become good friends since the Virago build,” Michael tells us. “Collaborating with someone of his talent is amazing, and he is so damn genuine; one of the good guys in this business.”

Yamaha MT-07 by custom builder Greg Hageman
The project fell into Michael’s lap through pure serendipity. He happened to be with Greg, when Shun Miyazawa from Yamaha USA stopped by to discuss a couple of Yard Built projects. Greg ended up with the MT-07 and an XSR700 in the garage, and started working on both.

“The MT-07 had already been modified some,” Michael explains, “when Shun asked Greg to progress the XSR, so that it would be finished in time for promotional efforts already scheduled.”

Yamaha MT-07 by custom builder Greg Hageman
“I told Greg I would be happy to break in the 07 for him—and I just fell in love with the character of the little twin in the compact chassis.”

“We grappled with what to do with the MT, then settled on living with the stock tank panels and seeing what Greg could do to clean the bike up and give it a more vintage, racier vibe.”

Yamaha MT-07 by custom builder Greg Hageman
The MT-07 isn’t quite as neat and tidy as the XSR700, with a more plastic, layered design that presents aesthetic challenges. So while Greg didn’t faff around with the actual tank panels, he did tweak bits and pieces around them. That included replacing all the black plastic bits with matte carbon fiber parts from Powerbronze.

The rear end saw a more radical reworking. Greg rebuilt the subframe, then fabricated a steel tail section that included a pair of side number boards. The actual seat is a solo unit from the XSR700.

Yamaha MT-07 by custom builder Greg Hageman
Out back, he embedded a pair of round LEDs behind a mesh screen. “They evoke a trend used on Ferrari 488s and the late model Ford GT,” says Michael. The front lighting is equally classic, with a big round bucket packed with LED internals (including integrated turn signals).

Greg’s matched his work on the rear half of the MT perfectly to the stock lines—but there’s also a ton of subtle changes that push this build over the edge.

Yamaha MT-07 by custom builder Greg Hageman
Look closely, and you’ll notice that the Yamaha’s modern hoops have been switched for classy split-spoke numbers from Exact. And they’re wrapped in Pirelli Phantoms; the same retro-inspired rubber that the XSR700 wears.

Michael pitched in here too, sourcing a set of Brembo brake discs so that he could get rid of the stock—and modern-looking—wave discs.

Yamaha MT-07 by custom builder Greg Hageman
Greg then installed different radiator side covers, and moved the rear brake reservoir to under one of the number boards. There’s also a front fender from Rizoma, and a rear hugger from Puig.

With all these changes, the MT’s digital stock speedo stuck out like a sore thumb, so it was swapped out for the round unit from the XSR. The cockpit also got a set of Triumph Speed Triple bars, Pro Taper risers, Biltwell Inc. grips and a pair of bar-end mirrors.

Yamaha MT-07 by custom builder Greg Hageman
The exhaust is a full stainless system, made by Jake Green of Mantra Moto. It uses a pair of slash-cut Cone Engineering mufflers, drawing inspiration from the MV Agusta Brutale.

Michael’s particularly chuffed with the headers, which run straight down for a more classic vibe than the curvy OEM setup.

Yamaha MT-07 by custom builder Greg Hageman
Greg used an aftermarket airbox eliminator with a K&N filter, then got 2WDynoworks to re-flash the ECU. The suspension’s been tweaked too—with a new shock and a cartridge kit in the forks, both from Öhlins.

Then there’s that iconic paint scheme—executed by Moe Colors, with a candy gold rather than a straight-up yellow. “The speed blocks and number ‘2’ evoke King Kenny’s OW31,” explains Michael, “while the matte carbon and candy gold mash-up is a trend observed on the latest Porsche 911s and McLarens.”

Yamaha MT-07 by custom builder Greg Hageman
As a final touch, the crankcase and valve cover were stripped of their original bronze hue, and powder coated satin black by Joe at ProFab in Tampa. It’s the sort of change you’d only spot if you knew the original bike inside and out.

“One of Greg’s hallmarks is that the finished product could have been produced if the factory had the balls to do it,” says Michael. “Greg’s bikes are built in a garage, but they don’t appear garage built.”

Yamaha MT-07 by custom builder Greg Hageman
It’s a good-looking bike, no doubt—and it’s also a runner. “For urban riding, this is the tool,” says Michael. “She has just the right balance between power and chassis, with the Öhlins suspension.”

With the MT-07 in Michael’s garage, we’re pretty sure his other Hageman MC bikes are going to start feeling neglected.

Hageman MC | Facebook | Instagram | Images by (and with thanks to) Don Gawf

Yamaha MT-07 by custom builder Greg Hageman

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BikeExif Custom Motorcycles deBolex Engineering Other Motorcycle Blogs Yamaha cafe racer Yamaha motorcycles

Juiced! A McLaren Orange Yamaha MT-10 from deBolex

A McLaren Orange custom Yamaha MT-10 from deBolex
The Yamaha MT-10 is about as mental as naked bikes get. The 998 cc inline-four makes a stonking 158 hp and 111 Nm of torque, and backs up those numbers with razor-sharp handling. But with layer upon layer of angular plastics—and even fake air ducts—it’s the antithesis of everything the modern custom scene stands for.

That’s a minor hurdle for our friends in south London, deBolex Engineering. Partners Calum Pryce-Tidd and Des Francis have developed a reputation for building tasteful motorcycles using traditional methods and meticulous re-engineering.

A McLaren Orange custom Yamaha MT-10 from deBolex
Now they’ve used their skill set to rework the Transformers-like MT-10 into a machine that is still mechanically aggressive, but far more refined visually.

The project was based on a brand new MT-10, commissioned by a company called Bonesheart to promote a custom motorcycle lottery.

A McLaren Orange custom Yamaha MT-10 from deBolex
With an open brief, deBolex set out to refine the lines of the Yamaha. “It was particularly challenging to slim down, being such a big bike,” Calum explains.

“Without redesigning the frame and tank, we would be limited by the existing skeleton and all the electronics that sat on and around it.”

A McLaren Orange custom Yamaha MT-10 from deBolex
Step one was to peel off as much plastic as possible. Parts like the Yamaha’s faux air intakes and robot-esque headlight assembly went straight into the bin. That immediately put the bike on a visual diet—but it also exposed a ton of wiring that needed to be relocated.

Then it was time to build the big naked up again with fresh, custom bodywork.

A McLaren Orange custom Yamaha MT-10 from deBolex
Calum and Des are supremely old school in their techniques. They almost exclusively work with aluminum, bending and shaping it by hand to create fresh bodywork.

Their biggest inspiration comes from classic racecars—a design ethos that clashes massively with the MT-10’s ultra-modern design. But somehow, they’ve made it work.

A McLaren Orange custom Yamaha MT-10 from deBolex
The updates include a new headlight nacelle, with recessed LED headlights and a neat little smoked windscreen. The stock MT-10 speedo is nestled behind it, and it’s flanked by teeny LED turn signals.

There’s a custom-built mudguard lower down too.

A McLaren Orange custom Yamaha MT-10 from deBolex
DeBolex kept the stock fuel tank, but fitted a gorgeous Rizoma gas cap to it. Then they built up new panels to fill the gaps left by all the plastics they ditched.

Those include a small pair of wings on the tank, and larger sections lower down to hide away electronic components and the radiator expansion bottle.

A McLaren Orange custom Yamaha MT-10 from deBolex
Next, it was time to fabricate a new tail section to match the tank’s lines. And it’s here that deBolex’s obsessive attention to detail really shines. Peek around the back, and you’ll see how the tail hump is completely enclosed underneath, without a single hard metal edge showing.

The taillight, license plate holder and rear turn signals are perfectly integrated too. And the Alcantara- and vinyl-clad seat (upholstered in-house, mind you), pops off quickly via the stock seat latch, giving the rider quick access to the primary electronics.

A McLaren Orange custom Yamaha MT-10 from deBolex
We’ve quizzed deBolex on these considerations before, and they’ve explained that their ethos values design and practicality in equal measure.

With the MT-10 already lauded for its road holding and handling, there was little need to fettle the geometry, or upgrade the suspension or brakes. The guys simply installed fresh Metzeler rubber for more grip.

A McLaren Orange custom Yamaha MT-10 from deBolex
They did upgrade the exhaust system though. It now features hand-made stainless steel headers, terminating in a Spark silencer.

And they tweaked a few finer details too. The cockpit’s kitted with Rizoma bars and bar-ends, Renthal grips and Accossato controls. There are Pro-Bolt fasteners throughout the bike, and Calum and Des even went to the trouble of refinishing the rearset mounts in black.

A McLaren Orange custom Yamaha MT-10 from deBolex
Then there’s that color. Orange isn’t everyone’s cup of tea—but this isn’t just any orange. “Bonesheart chose the colour,” Calum tells us, “taken from the McLaren 570s.”

“It’s a pearl [Ventura] orange, perfectly painted by Image Design Custom. The tail carries our 1/1 emblem, since the bike is part of our ‘One of One’ series.”

A McLaren Orange custom Yamaha MT-10 from deBolex
We never thought we’d have a crush on an orange Yamaha MT-10—but color us smitten. And knowing that deBolex haven’t hampered the capability of the ‘hyper naked’ makes it even sweeter.

deBolex Engineering | Facebook | Instagram | Photography by Tom Horna of Autohouse London

A McLaren Orange custom Yamaha MT-10 from deBolex

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Auto Fabrica BikeExif cafe racer Motorcycle Gear Other Motorcycle Blogs Yamaha cafe racer Yamaha motorcycles

On Sale Now: The 2019 Motorcycle Calendar

The 2019 edition of the world's most popular motorcycle calendar is now on sale.
The world’s most prestigious motorcycle calendar is back. The 2019 edition of the famous Bike EXIF wall calendar showcases 13 incredible new customs, including Max Hazan’s supercharged KTM, the BOTT XR1R Pikes Peak Racer and BAAK Motocyclettes’s BMW R nineT.

The 2019 edition of the world's most popular motorcycle calendar is now on sale.
The cover star is the Auto Fabrica Yamaha XS750, one of the most popular motorcycles ever featured on Bike EXIF. We’ve also got Sportsters from Rough Crafts and One Way Machine, Justin Webster’s beautiful CB550, and PAAL Motorcycles’ Kawasaki KZ650. Adding a touch of radical engineering is desmoBIBU’s incredible Buell Blast.

Max Hazan's supercharged KTM custom motorcycle
You can never have too much of a good thing, so this 13-month motorcycle calendar is sized at a mighty 17 x 11 inches. It’s printed on 128gsm art paper with a 260gsm laminated art card cover, discreetly hole-punched. And there’s a little space for writing notes between the dates.

The 2019 edition of the world's most popular motorcycle calendar is now on sale.
Each calendar is delivered shrinkwrapped with a board stiffener for protection, and is remarkable value at just $15.99/£13.00. That’s the same price as the last six years, despite increased production costs.

Here’s how to get yours:

US and Canada: Order direct from the publisher Octane Press.
UK and Europe: Order from the Bike EXIF Equipment store.
Australia, New Zealand and Rest of World: Order from the Book Depository.
Trade enquiries Call Octane Press at 512.761.4555 or email sales@octanepress.com for details.

The 2019 edition of the world's most popular motorcycle calendar is now on sale.

Categories
BikeExif cafe racer Custom Motorcycles Hookie Co Other Motorcycle Blogs Yamaha cafe racer Yamaha motorcycles Yamaha XS650

Double Vision: Two Yamaha XS650 cafe racers from Hookie

A pair of 1981 Yamaha XS650 cafe racers from Hookie Co.
The correct answer to ‘How many bikes?’ is always ‘one more.’ And these two dapper Yamaha XS650s from German wunderkind Nico Mueller and Hookie Co. illustrate the point beautifully.

The Dresden-based outfit landed the build commissions from two different sources. But since the briefs came in at almost the same time, and were so similar, the guys decided to tackle them as a pair.

A pair of 1981 Yamaha XS650 cafe racers from Hookie Co.
“Both clients wanted a classic cafe racer,” says Nico. “A parallel twin with clean lines and some modern electronic components. As soon as all the CB750 builds in our garage were finished, we hooked straight into it.”

That’s why you’re looking at two almost-identical bikes, separated only by paint and a few small tweaks. Even the donor bikes were a match—they’re both 1981 Yamaha XS650 Specials. (The Special was the ‘cruiser’ of the XS range, with goofy pullback bars and a teardrop fuel tank.)

A 1981 Yamaha XS650 by Hookie Co.
Neither donor was in particularly good condition, so Hookie Co. rebuilt both motors and treated them to fresh finishes.

The carbs were refurbished too, and re-jetted to run with pod filters. Each bike was then upgraded with a set of stainless steel exhaust headers, terminating in aftermarket reverse cone mufflers.

A 1981 Yamaha XS650 by Hookie Co.
Next it was time to fiddle with the frames. They were stripped, de-tabbed, shortened and looped at the rear, and then coated black.

“The Yamaha XS650 has a perfect stance right out of the box,” says Nico. “The frame is very simple, and we got a nice clean look after removing all those brackets and holders.”

A 1981 Yamaha XS650 by Hookie Co.
Hookie fabricated a pair of matching bum stops and seats, and embedded a small LED taillight in each rear frame loop. Underneath the seats you’ll find custom-made electronics trays, with the batteries lurking further down, near the swing arm.

The bikes have naturally been rewired too, and now run Antigravity Lithium-ion batteries, with control units and keyless RFID ignitions from Motogadget.

A 1981 Yamaha XS650 by Hookie Co.
The similarities continue: both XS650s have had their forks rebuilt and lowered 2”, with new YSS Eco-Line shocks fitted out back.

The stock hubs have been re-laced to Sun Remo aluminum rims, which are wrapped in Shinko E270 tires. Hookie rebuilt the brakes too, and installed new front master cylinders.

A 1981 Yamaha XS650 by Hookie Co.
The most apparent change—other than color—is in the handlebar set ups. One wears traditional riser bars, while the other wears clip-ons. Both feature Biltwell Inc. grips, and Motogadget bar-end turn signals and switches.

The speedos are from Motogadget too, and sit on brackets from Hookie’s own aftermarket parts catalog. And yip, the 5 1/2” Bates-style headlights are also a match.

A 1981 Yamaha XS650 by Hookie Co.
With so much in common, Hookie needed two distinct liveries to set the bikes apart. “And so the characters of ‘Whippet’ the dog and ‘Bengali’ the cat were born,” says Nico. “One of the customers is a big cat lover, and has a Bengel cat as a daily companion.”

“We loved the idea that he will bring his cat when he collects his bike from us! Starting from this idea, we designed the personality of each motorcycle, reflecting the character of the dog and cat.”

A 1981 Yamaha XS650 by Hookie Co.
For their makeovers, the stock XS650 tanks were sent off to the well-known German artist Chiko’s Pinstriping. One came back deep and textured, the other one more geometric in nature.

“Bengali got the same color as the irises of the cat’s eyes, and the grey of Whippet is flat, with a frosted look.”

A 1981 Yamaha XS650 by Hookie Co.
A few more subtle touches help refine the concepts. Bengali gets a pop-up gas cap, a brown leather seat, and black and silver finishes on its motor. Whippet gets a black Alcantara seat, and a combination of black and anthracite engine finishes.

A 1981 Yamaha XS650 by Hookie Co.
Hookie Co. have proven once again that they have a sharp eye, and a well-honed set of skills. The XS650 wears both outfits extremely well, and we’d be hard-pressed to pick a favorite.

How about you: would you take home Bengali, or Whippet?

Hookie Co. website | Facebook | Instagram

A 1981 Yamaha XS650 by Hookie Co.

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Bad Winners BikeExif Custom Motorcycles Other Motorcycle Blogs supermoto Yamaha motorcycles Yamaha XT 600

Street Thrasher: The XT 600 gets the supermoto treatment

The Yamaha XT 600 gets the supermoto treatment from Bad Winners
No list of retro enduros is complete without the noble Yamaha XT 600. Manufactured for almost two decades until 2003, it ticks all the important boxes: basic, versatile and reliable.

But what if you’re not looking for a trail weapon per se? The XT 600 makes a pretty rad supermoto too, if executed just right. And Walid, from Parisian shop Bad Winners, sure knows how to design a motorcycle.

The Yamaha XT 600 gets the supermoto treatment from Bad Winners
He didn’t set out to customize an XT 600. “The XT picked me,” he tells us. “I had it in the workshop for three years—I got it from a client who had to leave town for a job in Australia.”

“But I didn’t want to ride it as it was. I had this clear idea for an air-cooled supermoto—an old-school supermoto from the 90s.”

The Yamaha XT 600 gets the supermoto treatment from Bad Winners
The Yamaha in question was a 1991-model XT 600 E with a mere 13,000 km on the dial. And since it belonged to a client, Walid had previously serviced it—so he knew it was in good nick. With no fix-ups needed, he could move right on to the fun stuff.

But first, he had to take the XT’s stance from trail bike to street thrasher. On went a set of 17” Excel hoops, laced up to the original Yamaha hubs, and now wrapped in Dunlop’s Sportmax Mutant supermoto tires.

The Yamaha XT 600 gets the supermoto treatment from Bad Winners
The Yamaha’s OEM Nissin brakes were deemed good enough, so they were simply upgraded with stainless steel lines.

Moving to the suspension, Walid trimmed 80 mm off the front forks, and equipped them with stiffer springs. The rear was upgraded with a new YSS shock, also with a harder-than-stock spring. “I didn’t want to have a smooth trail bike,” was Walid’s reasoning.

The Yamaha XT 600 gets the supermoto treatment from Bad Winners
Even though the motor’s internals were left alone, it was treated to a new coat of black. Two Keihin CR35 carbs were installed, along with open filters to replace the old air box.

The exhaust headers were custom built in stainless steel, and terminate in a TEC muffler. (Yes, they’re wrapped, but Walid says it’s because they generate too much heat.)

The Yamaha XT 600 gets the supermoto treatment from Bad Winners
Cosmetically, the XT 600 shed all of its stock bodywork. Walid retrofitted the fuel tank from a Yamaha RD250, and fabricated a set of ‘shoulders’ to drastically alter its shape.

“The inspiration is from the Husqvarna 701 Supermoto,” he explains. “When you look at it from behind, the lines are like a bodybuilder’s shoulders: massive. I wanted that same shape for the XT.”

The Yamaha XT 600 gets the supermoto treatment from Bad Winners
They’re functional too; each side is covered with a mesh screen in front, with stealthy LED headlights and turn signals hiding inside. The fuel tank’s capped off with a Yamaha XJR1300 gas cap.

The XT’s tail section received an equally radical reworking. Rather than a simple cut-n-loop job, Walid ditched the entire subframe and started from scratch.

The Yamaha XT 600 gets the supermoto treatment from Bad Winners
The new arrangement cuts a much more aggressive contour, with side panels and abrupt rear fender that are welded on rather than bolted on. It’s a curious move, but Walid tells us he simply wanted as few bolts visible as possible.

There’s a new leather-covered seat up top, and a neat compartment underneath for electronics. In there, you’ll find a small Lithium-ion battery, and a new loom built around a Motogadget m.unit control box.

The Yamaha XT 600 gets the supermoto treatment from Bad Winners
The cockpit features Renthal bars and grips, Motone switches, and a teeny tiny Motogadget speedo mounted up on the bars. The front’s finished off with a custom-made number board and fender combo.

No supermotard is complete without some bright coloring—and no Bad Winners bike is complete without a sharp livery. Walid originally wanted to use a similar design to one of his previous builds, but when he couldn’t make it fit the tank contours, he started playing around with it.

The Yamaha XT 600 gets the supermoto treatment from Bad Winners
Once he’d settled on the dazzling scheme you see here, he handed the tank over to Aerografik to lay it down. The rest of the XT’s parts were finished in either blue or black.

This former trailie now looks fun, aggressive and ready to eat the streets. But even though Walid built it to his taste, he won’t be enjoying it for long. As is the curse with building custom bikes for a living, it’s already for sale.

Somebody please buy it before we do.

Bad Winners | Facebook | Instagram | Photos by Guillaume Petranto

The Yamaha XT 600 gets the supermoto treatment from Bad Winners