The Silver Arrow: Japanese engineering meets English spirit and Italian ingenuity…
In 1981, Yamaha released their first “American-style” V-twin cruiser in the form of the XV750 Virago, featuring a new 75-degree V-twin specially developed for the purpose. While these shaft-drive Viragos are the most common, Yamaha also developed a much rarer, sportier version for the European market, the XV1000 TR1, which featured an enclosed grease chain drive in lieu of the shaft drive.
Known as the XV920R in the US market, the TR1 was surprisingly successful on the track. Kevin Schwantz raced in his very first AMA Superbike race on a Yamaha XV920 built for Battle of the Twins racing — a bike reborn as the “Son of Lurch” in the hands of Jesse Davis, who’s surprised the AHRMA Vintage Superbike Heavyweight class on the machine.
This 980cc “big road sports model” (as Yamaha called it) also made quite the impression on the far side of the pond.
“Kids on push bikes will stop and stare. Taxi drivers will hang out of their windows for a chat: ‘Is it really 1000cc, mate?’ Old gents with eyes misty for their long-gone Vincents and Zeniths will tell you it’s the bike of their dreams, son, but I don’t think I could manage the weight anymore.” –Bike, 1981
The size and shape of the big V-twin engine, not to mention it’s use as a stressed member of the frame, drew comparisons to the post-WWII Vincents. Christian Moretti of Italy’s Plan B Motorcycles — located in Laveno Mombello, outside Milan — has built three custom Viragos over the years. This time, he decided to see how far he could take the British V-twin comparison.
“The TR-1 engine has often been called the ‘poor man’s Vincent,’ and I wanted to see what would happen if I took that comparison seriously — if I actually tried to make it worthy of the name… In essence, this is a Japanese motorcycle that wants to dress like a British café racer from the 1960s, reinterpreted through an Italian lens of stubborn creativity and mechanical obsession.”
Christian has been quoted as saying “everything can be shaped, improved upon, and expanded” –and that philosophy is fully realized in the “Silver Arrow” you see here. Christian gives us the full story of the build below, but can’t-miss highlights include an engine radically modified with a reversed rear head to echo the Vincent (no easy feat, as detailed below), hand-formed aluminum bodywork, Featherbed-inspired custom subframe, precisely reworked geometry, 45mm forks, upgraded brakes, 18″/17″ spoked wheels, and more.
The result is much more than your normal custom; the “Silver Arrow” blends Japanese engineering, British style, and Italian passion into a sleek, streamlined machine that translates motoring heritage into modern, functional, fully fendered art.
“It’s a reinterpretation, a conversation between past and present, built to be ridden and remembered.”
Below, Christian Moretti of Plan B Motorcycles gives us the full story in his own words, with more photos from Cristina Pertile Photography.
In the Builder’s Words…
The story of the Silver Arrow begins with a 1982 Yamaha TR-1 — a 1000cc Japanese V-twin that, along with its smaller sibling, the Virago 750, has long been both celebrated and abused in the custom world. For me, this marks the third Japanese V-twin I’ve built, and with that came the desire to push the platform somewhere it hadn’t gone before.
In essence, this is a Japanese motorcycle that wants to dress like a British café racer from the 1960s, reinterpreted through an Italian lens of stubborn creativity and mechanical obsession. The TR-1 engine has often been called the “poor man’s Vincent,” and I wanted to see what would happen if I took that comparison seriously — if I actually tried to make it worthy of the name.
The transformation starts with the engine. The most radical change lies in the rear head, reworked to echo the look and spirit of the old Vincent V-twins, with a hint of Harley XR750 attitude. The intake and exhaust ports were inverted; not an easy trick on a Yamaha. Because of the engine’s layout, it wasn’t a matter of simply rotating the head; it required welding and re-machining the valve seats, fabricating a one-off valve, and designing a new camshaft with custom timing.
It was never meant as a pure performance upgrade, and the bike has never seen a dyno, yet the engine feels alive — responsive, raw, and smoother than it should be for something so heavily reworked. The new layout also cools the rear cylinder more efficiently, and everything inside was either renewed or upgraded: pistons, rods, oil pump, camshaft, oil passages, and even the cylinder deck around the head gasket, everything fed by a pair of Mikuni VM38 carburetors.
The entire bodywork is hand-formed in aluminum, with a subframe that draws inspiration from the iconic Norton Featherbed.
The geometry has been rethought from the ground up, matched with 45mm front forks, new brakes, and an 18″/17″ wheel setup that balances stance and agility.
The exhaust system is handmade from stainless steel and ends in a pair of classic cone silencers — a nod to old race bikes.
The Silver Arrow sits low and purposeful. Clean lines, visible craftsmanship, and no unnecessary drama — just form following function, and a hint of arrogance in how little it tries to please anyone.
It is definitely not just a custom; it’s a reinterpretation, a conversation between past and present, built to be ridden and remembered. A machine suspended between eras, where Japanese engineering meets English spirit and Italian ingenuity.
Follow the Builder
Web: www.planbmotorcycles.com
Instagram: @plan_b_motorcycles
Facebook: Plan B Motorcycles
Photos: Cristina Pertile Photography
Another example of some of the wonderful builds done w/these old V-Twin Yammies!
Superbe moto. Felicitations.
Maybe the only one, Joe.
I never liked these Yamahas and I actually don’t care for Vincent’s much either. But this custom beats them both by far. Very well done.
Outstanding. I could look at it for hours and ride it for days.
Congrats Christian, she’s a Beauty! One of the nicest mashines with a V-Twin I’ve seen! Looks a bit like my next projekt (Egli-Vincent with a Yamaha Wildstar engine).
I often wonder if it is still possible to come up with something original these days. And then a seemingly simple piece like this appears. And because it looks simple, it is not simple at all and is also perfectly made. The aluminum parts deserve high praise.
I got to say I never thought I would live to think I’d want to ride a Virago. Beautiful!