Twin-Cylinder Super Scrambler from Bigger Than Bikes…
From its conception as a Japanese version of the British parallel-twins of yesteryear, the Yamaha XS650 has thrived as a bike of many roles. It’s hard to think of any other vintage Japanese motorcycle that’s served as the donor for so many different kinds of specials, from competition road racer and flat tracker to bobber, chopper, cafe racer, street tracker, and scrambler.
The bike’s oil-tight British-style twin is one of the well-rounded engines of the era, offering great torque, sound, and tuning potential. You get the power and mystique of an old-school British twin with Japanese reliability. In fact, the XS650 engine was cutting-edge for the late 1960s, with unit construction and a horizontally-split crankcase.
While we have seen the XS650 turned into a supermoto before, it’s one of the rarer transformations we come across — which makes it all the more interesting, of course. This “half supermoto, half scrambler” XS650 comes from Carter Hurst of Bigger Than Bikes, whose Ducati 749 we recently featured.
Carter grew up riding a little CRF50, but his parents didn’t allow him to own a streetbike as long as he lived under their roof. Of course, he picked up a CRF250L as soon as he moved out, and that led to buying and selling nearly a dozen bikes by the time he was 25. Today, Carter is pursuing his dream of operating his own workshop.
“It has always been a dream of mine to open my own custom shop, but I figured that would come closer to retirement age. However at the end of 2025 an opportunity came up to buy an abandoned garage only a few miles from my house and I could not pass up the deal. So at the beginning of 2026 I opened “Bigger Than Bikes” and am now in the middle of trying to make my dream a reality. This bike marks the second full build to come out of the Bigger Than Bikes shop.”
Carter picked up this 1982 Yamaha XS650 Special with the intent of building a machine that would showcase his shop’s “OEM+ minimalist style.”
“I’ve always had a soft spot for supermotos but wanted to mix it up and not use a typical single cylinder platform. The XS650 donor bike allowed for the classic vintage look with an awesome sound and good power level.”
The long-travel suspension comes from a Honda CRF450, which necessitated a custom-machined steering stem and spacers for the CRF’s aluminum swingarm. Carter welded twin shock mounts to said swingarm in order to retain the vintage dual-shock look. The bike is rolling on 17-inch Warp 9 supermoto wheels with 80/20 tires fitted, though the bike could also run an 18/21-inch dirt bike setup.
The seat pan is a handmade fiberglass unit, and Carter mounted a Motogadget M unit in a custom electronics tray mounted underneath it. There’s a Motogadget Motoscope Mini up front, and the headlight and taillight feature integrated turn signals.
Carter gave the engine a refresh and finished it with gloss black paint and stainless cerakote, while the tank and one-off front fender were painted Porsche Aventurine Green Metallic. To top it off, all the hardware was zinc-plated a deep gold.
Nicknamed the “Super Scrambler” (half supermoto, half scrambler), this long-legged XS650 is “a beautiful mix of everything” Carter loves about riding:
“At a stoplight it thumps like a big American V-twin, but is much more nimble and lively in the tight twisties like a supermoto. It is not as light as the traditional supermoto but that weight helps its cruising manners — very nice on the longer rides. On top of that there is always the possibility of dipping off the road for some shenanigans.”
It would hard to imagine a burlier, more rugged XS650 — we absolutely love it. In fact, there’s an ’82 XS650 in the BikeBound stable that’s been sitting a couple of years, and we have to say Carter’s given us some devious ideas.
Below is our full interview with Carter about the build, and credit goes to New View Videography for the photos and video.
Yamaha XS650 Scrambler / Motard: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
My journey with motorcycles started out at a young age (7ish) when my dad brought home a CRF50 for my brother and I to rip around the backyard. I ended up riding that bike well into my teenage years mainly because that was the only bike I had access to. It was my parents’ rule that as long as I lived under their roof no street bikes were allowed, so naturally as soon as I moved out at 21 I bought a CRF250L dual sport, which quickly progressed to buying and selling close to a dozen bikes by 25.
It has always been a dream of mine to open my own custom shop, but I figured that would come closer to retirement age. However at the end of 2025 an opportunity came up to buy an abandoned garage only a few miles from my house and I could not pass up the deal. So at the beginning of 2026 I opened “Bigger Than Bikes” and am now in the middle of trying to make my dream a reality. This bike marks the second full build to come out of the Bigger Than Bikes Shop.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the donor bike?
1982 Yamaha XS650.
• Why was this bike built?
This bike was built to showcase what my shop can do and our OEM+ minimalist style.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
I’ve always had a soft spot for supermotos but wanted to mix it up and not use a typical single cylinder platform. The XS650 donor bike allowed for the classic vintage look with an awesome sound and good power level.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
The most obvious custom work on this bike is the front and rear suspension, which was pulled from a Honda CRF450 dirt bike. A custom steering stem was made to mate the Honda triple clamps to the Yamaha frame, and custom spacers machined to mount the swingarm. From there shock mounts were welded onto the CRF450 swingarm to keep the vintage dual-shock look.
The wheels were supplied by Warp 9 and some 80/20 tires fitted to add a touch of rugged flair.
All the electrics are hidden under the handmade fiberglass seat pan in a custom electronics tray — this includes the Motogadget M unit that controls the bespoke wiring harness. I utilized the Motogadget Motoscope Mini to keep the minimalist look while being very functional as well as a headlight and taillight with integrated turn signals.
As far as the engine goes, it was given a refresh and finished in gloss black paint and stainless cerakote. The tank and custom made front fender were completed in Porsche Aventurine Green Metallic, and to top it off all the hardware was zinc-plated in a deep gold color.
• Does the bike have a nickname?
The bike has kind of earned the name Super Scrambler (half supermoto half scrambler).
• Any idea of horsepower, weight, and/or performance numbers?
I do not have any specific numbers for weight or horsepower, but it should make slightly more than the stock 50ish horsepower with higher flowing exhaust and intake. It should also be lighter than the stock 460ish lbs with lots of more modern components and removing anything that wasn’t absolutely vital.
• Can you tell us what it’s like to ride this bike?
This bike is a beautiful mix of everything I love about riding. At a stoplight it thumps like a big American V-twin, but is much more nimble and lively in the tight twisties like a supermoto. It is not as light as the traditional supermoto but that weight helps its cruising manners — very nice on the longer rides. On top of that there is always the possibility of dipping off the road for some shenanigans.
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
I really love how the overall stance of the bike turned out with the CRF suspension, as well as how the zinc-plated hardware accents the colors of the engine and chassis.
Follow the Builder
- YouTube: @Biggerthanbikes
- Facebook: Bigger Than Bikes
- Instagram: @bigger_than_bikes
- Photo/video credits: New View Videography
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