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The world's most exciting custom motorcycles and cafe racers.

Top 5 Yamaha XJR1300 Customs
2/28/2015 11:01:13 AM

The big news on the custom scene right now is the launch of the revised Yamaha XJR1300. The old bruiser has been revitalized and repackaged into two variants: a standard version with wide bars and a seat big enough for two, and a Racer with clip-ons, a small fairing and front fender, and a solo seat.

There was never anything wrong with the 'old' XJR1300, but there's plenty to like about the new one (below). The styling has been tidied up, with a slimmer tank that exposes more of the engine.

Handling is good, with fully adjustable suspension and Öhlins shocks. Build quality is flawless, and new monobloc front calipers have upgraded the braking to 21st century standards.

The man behind this renaissance is Holland-based Yamaha product manager Shun Miyazawa, who is also driving the Yard Built custom project. Not surprisingly, the new XJR1300 is easy to modify—so we’ve picked out five of the best recent pro builds to provide a little inspiration.

Wrenchmonkees 'Monkeefist' Revealed two years ago, this was the first of Yamaha's 'Yard Built Specials.' And it still looks amazing today. The bodywork is standard, but the front end is from a YZF-R1. The spoked wheels are custom-built, with a 19-inch at the front and an 18-inch at the back for an old school look. The stainless steel exhaust system returns to the twin-muffler megaphone look of older XJRs, and helps the bike hit 118 rear wheel horsepower on the dyno. Good news for fans of the Wrenchmonkees' distinctive style: a collection of custom parts is now available.

More images | Wrenchmonkees

Keino Cycles 'Rhapsody in Blue' A springer front end is not what you'd expect to find on a modern Yamaha. But New York-based master builder Keinosuke 'Keino' Sasaki has made it work, and given the XJR1300 a dash of elegant, old school style. Keino's decision to slim down the tank predated the 'new' XJR1300, and the stubby tail unit adds to the feeling of compactness. Brembo brakes, exposed air filters and a sinuous custom exhaust system increase the sporting vibe.

More images | Keino Cycles

It roCKS!bikes 'Stealth' Osvaldo Coutinho and Alexandre Santos are two of Portugal's leading builders. The name they've chosen for their company may be odd, but the thinking behind this 2003-spec XJR1300 is common sense. The mods have been designed to save weight, and include Kawasaki ZXR forks, Brembo brake calipers and a new steering stem. The carbs breathe through CNC-machined velocity stacks and the exhaust system is titanium. Motogadget provided the digital dashboard and hand controls, and the finish is low-key rather than flashy, with a matte varnish covering the new paintwork.

More images | it roCkS!bikes Facebook

The Sports Custom XJR1300 café racer Most customs from Thailand are small-capacity, go-anywhere machines. But not all: this brutal-looking XJR lives on the streets of Bangkok and comes from a lesser-known builder called The Sports Custom. The tank, seat and tail unit are custom fabricated, lending the bike a aggressive and hunched-forward stance. Clip-ons and rearsets change the riding position to match, and we're betting those upswept mufflers make the bike easy to hear above the cacophony of Bangkok traffic.

The Sports Custom Facebook

Deus Italy 'Project X' Deus has built two eye-catching XJR1300 customs: the endurance themed 'Eau Rouge' (bottom shot, right) and the stripped-back 'Project X' (above). Here, the goal was to reduce weight and shift the visual focus on to the air-cooled engine—and it works beautifully. The bodywork is all-new, hand-fabricated in aluminum, and the bars are wider than stock. There's new Öhlins suspension front and back, a Brembo brake system, a titanium exhaust from Leo Vince and super-light Marvic magnesium wheels. If you like the look, Deus now makes a kit to fit your own XJR1300.

Yamaha Europe XJR1300 product page | Yamaha Yard Built | Facebook

 

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Bike EXIF

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Bike EXIF

The world's most exciting custom motorcycles and cafe racers.

Yamaha DT250 by One Down Four Up
2/26/2015 11:01:52 AM

Every year, hundreds of custom motorcycle lovers descend on Portland, Oregon, for the One Motorcycle Show. This year Wayne Corbett and Gabrielle Jones of One Down Four Up made the trip, and left with a trophy.

They trekked north from their headquarters in Redding, California, to show off Gabrielle’s new ride: this stunning 1975 Yamaha DT250.

"We originally bought the bike for Gabrielle to turn into her daily driver," explains Wayne. "But we sat on it for about a year, waiting to find the right inspiration."

"Then we ran into an old flat track racer around town. He let us dig through his barn full of old race bikes and parts, where he pulled out his old riding helmet from under a dusty OSSA frame. It was an old Bell Star painted in a yellow, orange and red color scheme; from there the design was born."

Between the two of them, Wayne and Gabrielle handle all design, repairs, fabrication, upholstery and photography in-house. With fresh inspiration, they decided to turn the Yamaha DT250 into a flat tracker—taking additional cues from the AHRMA vintage flat track class guidelines.

Since the DT250 would run primarily on-road, a balance had to be struck between performance, reliability and practical considerations. One Down Four Up gave the engine a refresh—squeezing more power out of it by re-jetting the stock carb, and fitting a K&N filter and a tuned, nickel-plated Circle F expansion chamber. According to Wayne, "it’ll pull the front up in almost any gear."

The stock oil injection pump was retained and a new oil tank installed below the fuel tank. (Look above, and you’ll see the extra oil cap poking out behind the steering stem.) This new set-up lets Wayne and Gabrielle fuel up anywhere without having to mix gas or carry extra containers.

The electrical system has been upgraded via a 12-volt alternator, with an integrated electronic ignition. This allows the team to run LED lights at both ends. Hiding under the seat is an Antigravity 4-cell battery.

To upgrade the suspension, One Down Four Up bolted on a Yamaha XS650 front end—splicing the XS triple trees with the DT’s steering stem, and upgrading it with tapered bearings. Later model 35mm XS forks were chosen to accommodate chunky dirt track tires.

Out back, an aftermarket Yamaha SR500 swingarm was modified to fit the DT250, simultaneously bringing down the bike’s weight and extending its wheelbase. Fellow Californians Works Performance supplied a set of custom-built shocks, which included offset eye mounts to accommodate the difference in width between the frame and swingarm.

When it came to tackling the DT250’s bodywork, One Down Four Up set out to shed as many pounds as they could. They fitted an aluminum TT-style fuel tank and fabricated an aluminum tailpiece, modifying the subframe to support it. Brown leather was used for the seat and carried through to the grips.

Other aluminum parts include the number plate, skid plate, rear sprocket and fuel and oil tank caps. Another Californian company—Buchanan’s Spoke and Rim Inc—built up a typical flat track wheel set for the bike: 19-inch Sun rims laced with stainless steel spokes and shod with Maxxis DTR-1s.

As a nod to the old Bell that inspired it, the Yamaha DT250 was finished in a delightfully vintage white, orange and yellow scheme.

We love it and so did visitors to the One Show: Gabrielle’s flat tracker walked away with the People’s Choice award at the event.

A few more tweaks, and it might start appearing at the local racetrack.

One Down Four Up website | Facebook | Instagram

 

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Bike EXIF

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The world's most exciting custom motorcycles and cafe racers.

Happy Landings: Clockwork's CB750 custom
2/24/2015 11:01:50 AM

Samuel Guertin used to spend his days wrenching on choppers—the kind that fly. But after a decade working as a helicopter mechanic, he decided that customizing cars and bikes was more fulfilling.

So he changed his flight path and Clockwork Motorcycles was born, with a base in the countryside half an hour east of Montréal, Canada.

This CB750 custom is called Fury, and it's Clockwork’s fourth build. "When I found the donor—a 1971 model—it was pretty funny to look at," explains Samuel. "It was a weird, failed attempt at a gothic bobber-slash-chopper. It deserved better fortune."

Samuel decided to make the CB750 a little more chunky and curvaceous. It was time for a well-judged series of subtle nips and tucks.

That meant shortening the frame at the rear to a more bobber-esque length, while the swing arm was extended by two inches and hooked up to a pair of Progressive Suspension rear shocks.

The extra visual bulk required more meat up front, so Samuel has installed a set of Suzuki GSX-R600 forks. They're non-inverted units for a more period correct feel, and fitted via a custom-made aluminum triple tree and front hub. The GSX-R also donated its front brakes—now fed by a Nissin master cylinder via braided stainless steel hose.

The modified oil tank (below) is an especially neat touch, appearing at first glance to be a stock side cover. There’s custom fabricated panel on the lefthand side to match.

The wheels are 16-inch Harley-Davidson items, laced with stainless steel spokes and nipples, and wrapped in Firestone Deluxe Champion rubber. (Samuel knows he'll get flack from some quarters for his tire selection, but that's okay).

For the seat, he settled on a shape that would complement the bike’s beefy new demeanor. Ginger at New Church Moto was responsible for the upholstery: a classy mix of leather and suede.

Clockwork’s mods are more than just cosmetic though. The engine has been completely stripped down and rebuilt, fitted with CNC-cut valve seats and bored out to 836cc with a Wiseco kit. A stunning set of Keihin CR29 race carbs handle the fueling, with a four-into-one stainless exhaust system providing the soundtrack.

Samuel has thoroughly reworked the wiring too, with a full Motogadget installation that includes the m-Unit control unit, a Motoscope Tiny speedo, m-Switch handlebar switches and an m-Lock keyless ignition. It's all powered by a small Lithium-ion battery stashed in a hand-built electronics box.

The cockpit is equally tidy, with custom-bent clip-ons, leather-wrapped grips and a small headlight. Bullet turn signals were installed, and the quirky taillight is from Prism Motorcycles.

When it came to the CB750’s final paint scheme, Samuel had little interest in bright colors or complex designs. "I didn’t want anything flashy or shiny to steal the show," he says. "It's all about lines, shapes and curves—so all the colors are muted tones."

The final color scheme is sublime, flattering the Honda’s brawny new lines just as intended. Monsieur Guertin has certainly found his calling, and thankfully it’s nothing to do with choppers.

Clockwork Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Photos by Cimon B Photography

 

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Bike EXIF

Advertising is hard We do it all day. Let us teach you what we've learned. Learn how the experts market their startups. Grab the free ebook. From our sponsors

 

 

Bike EXIF

The world's most exciting custom motorcycles and cafe racers.

Bonneville Performance Triumph Street Tracker
2/23/2015 11:01:31 AM

The custom motorcycle scene is a fascinating but often uneasy battle between form and function. Occasionally the two worlds collide in spectacular style—and that's what happens when you buy a Triumph street tracker from Florida-based Bonneville Performance.

Owner Bill Gately also runs an AMA Pro Flat Track team, which is sponsored by Triumph. So he knows how to make a bike go very fast.

For between $24,000 and $26,500, Bill will sell you one of his road-legal Street Trackers, with your choice of setup and performance package. Yes, it’s Ducati Panigale money—but it's also money well spent.

No matter what engine you select, the core of the BP Street Tracker remains the same. You get a frame and top-braced swingarm made from 4130 cromoly—the same rig used on the race bikes. The wheels are 19-inch Sun alloy forged aluminum items, with stainless steel spokes and Barnes-style hubs.

Suspension is top-drawer stuff too. Up front are Yamaha R6 forks: rebuilt, re-sprung and lengthened. They're attached to the frame with adjustable triple clamps, with offsets ranging from one to seven millimeters. Behind the rider is an Öhlins three-way adjustable shock—with the spring rate matched to the rider's weight.

Braking is via a mix of Beringer and Performance Machine components, with full floating rotors and a multitude of pistons: six at the front and four at the back.

The real fun comes when you spec the engine. It'll be a 2005 or later Triumph parallel twin, with a firing order of 360 degrees (Bonneville) or 270 degrees (America, Speedmaster and Scrambler).

A dynamically balanced crankshaft will replace the counter balance system, and you also get new Carrillo rods, hotter cams, oversized intake valves, Nikasil-plated cylinder sleeves, and ported heads and intake manifolds.

Fuel enters via a 41 mm Mikuni TM carb kit, and the exhaust system is Bonneville Performance's own 2-into-1 stainless steel piping, terminated with a SuperTrapp silencer. If you prefer a darker look, simply ask for it to be ceramic coated in black.

The biggest decision to make is engine capacity and power. There are four capacities ranging from 865 to 1100cc, with varying bores and compression ratios. The 904cc spec will give you 82 rear-wheel horsepower, whereas the 995cc race-spec motor uses a 13.5:1 compression ratio to deliver a hefty 101 rwhp.

For a bike that only weighs just over 350 pounds—or 160 kilos—that's ample grunt.

Complete power junkies can ask for a 1200cc motor. With the help of a lengthened stroke, this one sends 104 horses to the rear wheel but keeps the compression ratio to a friendly 10.5:1.

Bill’s developed his engine kits with the help of Wiseco, and they've been tested on the track. Even the paper gaskets are specifically made for the uprated motors, and the engines are heat-cycled to break them in and seal the rings.

With many customs, you have to choose between fast, cheap or good. But Bonneville Performance gives you two out of three, and that ain't bad. At all.

Bonneville Performance website | Facebook

 

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Bike EXIF

Advertising is hard We do it all day. Let us teach you what we've learned. Learn how the experts market their startups. Grab the free ebook. From our sponsors

 

 

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The world's most exciting custom motorcycles and cafe racers.

Indy Mile: Gasolina's custom SR400 Tracker
2/21/2015 11:01:44 AM

In Melbourne, Australia—on the Yarra River’s shorefront—you’ll find an outfit called Gasolina. It's an unusual but very appealing business: a restaurant-cum-motorcycle design studio that doubles up as an event venue.

A few months ago, Gasolina played host to Yamaha Australia when they relaunched the SR400. The Yamaha guys must have had a good time, because shortly afterwards they delivered a fresh SR400 to Gasolina's chief designer, Carl Cerra.

Carl has twenty years in automotive design under his belt, so he was the perfect candidate to pen some custom designs for the SR.

A few sketches later, Carl had settled on a direction. Drawing influence from Kenny Roberts’ illustrious career with Yamaha, he decided to build a modern-day street tracker—dubbing it the "Indy Mile".

"The intent was to make it look like a factory bike from Yamaha," he explains. "Instead of taking a new bike and simply trying to make it look old, we wanted it to look like a production tracker—with a little retro flavor."

To increase the challenge, all the mods had to be bolt-on. The frame and drivetrain had to be left untouched, for warranty and reliability’s sake. That way, the Indy Mile could be offered in kit form—simple and affordable enough for the average garage builder to put together.

Starting with clay molds, Clay redesigned the Yamaha’s bodywork around the stock tank. He then made the new ducktail rear section, side covers and headlight shroud using fiberglass. (The final production version of the kit will use ABS plastic.)

On top of the tail section is a custom-made seat, and at the back are an integrated tail light and turn signals. The front mudguard has been borrowed from a dirt bike. The front suspension’s been left stock, but aftermarket gas units have replaced the rear shocks.

Gasolina rounded out the parts list with Biltwell Tracker bars, Pirelli Scorpion tires, and off-the-shelf grips and gauges. Danmoto built the gorgeous exhaust system to Carl’s spec.

When it came to paint, putting a modern spin on King Kenny’s iconic yellow, black and white livery was a no-brainer. Carl mocked up the design and Andy at Metzeffects executed it.

Indy Mile’s mash-up of past and present is especially apt when you consider that the SR400 now has fuel injection—but is still kick-start only.

If you dig it as much as we do, you’ll be happy to hear that the kit is expected to go into production later this year.

Gasolina website | Facebook | Instagram | Photos courtesy of Ben Galli Photography

 

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