{"id":12746,"date":"2015-05-20T12:01:26","date_gmt":"2015-05-20T17:01:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bikeexif.com\/?p=19971"},"modified":"2015-05-20T12:01:26","modified_gmt":"2015-05-20T17:01:26","slug":"dissident-a-new-yamaha-yard-built-xjr1300","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wearyrider.com\/index.php\/2015\/05\/20\/dissident-a-new-yamaha-yard-built-xjr1300\/","title":{"rendered":"Dissident: A new Yamaha Yard Built XJR1300"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Dissident:<\/a>
\nThree years ago, Yamaha Europe kicked off its Yard Built<\/a> program with the Wrenchmonkees’ stunning ‘Monkeefist’ XJR1300. Since then, we’ve seen a steady stream of killer customs from some of Europe’s best builders, including Deus, Benders, Marcus Walz and JvB-moto.<\/p>\n

And now we have ‘Dissident,’ a super-streamlined XJR1300 from the Portuguese builders with the weird name, it roCkS!bikes<\/a>. Osvaldo and Alexandre are familiar with the XJR series, and to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the iconic street bruiser, they’ve delivered one of the best custom XJRs yet.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Dissident:<\/a>
\nChoosing the Porto-based workshop was a gamble on the part of Yamaha’s product manager Shun Miyazawa. But it’s paid off. \u201cIt roCkS!bikes were high on the list of builders we wanted to work with,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

“Their experience working on the 1200 and 1300 models shows: they can build stunning customs without losing the heart of the original.”<\/p>\n

\"Dissident:<\/a>
\nAs with all Yard Built bikes, the brief was to modify the machine without cutting or welding: showing how far a ‘plug and play’ solution can transform the look of the XJR1300.<\/p>\n

Osvaldo and Alexandre are civil engineers by day, and their engineering skills are plain to see. Their bikes all have \u2018monocoque\u2019 one-piece tank and seat\/tail units, requiring precision and attention to detail. <\/p>\n

\"Dissident:<\/a>
\nOn Dissident, the handcrafted metal flows in one unit\u2014stretching from behind the triple clamps all the way to the tail, which conceals recessed LED lighting.<\/p>\n

Suspension dynamics have been upgraded with YZF-R1 forks, modified to fit the XJR1300 steering column. Motogadget supplied the bar-end turn signals, plus a hi-tech Motoscope dashboard\u2014which is mounted on a custom CNC-machined aluminum bracket, and protected by a hand-fabricated bikini fairing. The clip-on bars, grips, rearsets and pegs are all from LSL. <\/p>\n

\"Dissident:<\/a>
\nThere’s also a complete new braking system from the Swedish masters ISR, connected with Hel Performance hoses. That includes new master cylinders and monster 340mm dual discs up front, with six-piston calipers to apply extreme force. The wheels are 17-inch tubeless Kineo spoked rims, shod with Pirelli Angel GT sport touring rubber.<\/p>\n

On top of the tank is an aluminum Monza-style gas cap, and just behind it is an unusual \u2018medallion\u2019 featuring Yamaha’s tuning fork symbol. The hand-made leather seat is a masterpiece of craftsmanship, and clips into the one-piece monocoque in true caf\u00e9 racer style. <\/p>\n

\"Dissident:<\/a>
\nOn both sides of the engine, the covers are lightweight aluminium items with glass windows to reveal the engine internals. There’s a compact oil cooler to keep temperatures down, and a seamless custom 4-into-2 stainless exhaust system to raise the blood pressure.<\/p>\n

The paint job bucks the current trend for minimalism, and we’re all for it. It’s a sublime reinterpretation of the classic Yamaha colours of the 70s and 80s, with pearl white, black and gold\u2014and of course, the legendary speed blocks.<\/p>\n

\"Dissident:<\/a>
\nIt roCkS!bikes are making small production runs of all the pieces used on this machine, which is good news for XJR1300 owners. (Check them out in the high-res gallery<\/a> on our Google+ page.) Contact It roCkS!bikes via their Facebook page<\/a> for pricing, and if you need to see the bike in the metal before handing over the cash, head over to the Bike Shed London<\/a> event this weekend.<\/p>\n

Yamaha Motor Europe<\/a> | Yard Built Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n