A stunning tribute to the Shell Racing trackers of the 1970s… Shell Thuet was one of the greatest motorcycle tuners of all time. Born in California in 1912, he had to begin supporting his family […]
Tag: Yamaha
“Martens Motard XSM750” Yamaha XS650 Supermoto
A truly “Handmade Motard” built for the 2018 Dirtbag Challenge… The Dirtbag Challenge, born in San Francisco, is a self-proclaimed “low rent chopper build off,” where participants have one month and a $1000 budget to […]
“La Canaglia” Yamaha XS by Brigand Moto
In Italian, “La Canaglia” means “The Scoundrel” or “The Rogue” — an apt name for this multipurpose Yamaha XS650 hybrid, built to tackle the “bastard configuration” of the Canadian roads, where well-paved highways are interspersed […]
Yamaha XV750 Virago Custom by De Stijl Moto
The Yamaha XV750 — aka the Virago 750 — was a V-twin cruiser with an air-cooled, 55-hp engine and shaft drive. Introduced in 1981, the middleweight Virago would remain in production until 1998 — one […]
Yamaha R5 Cafe Racer by Zanutto Engineering
The Yamaha R5, introduced in 1970, was the first of Yamaha’s new generation of two-stroke parallel twin “giant-killers” — a design architecture which would evolve into the RD350, RD400, and even the liquid-cooled RZ350/RD350LC. Lee […]
“Cafe Sleeper” Yamaha XJ650/900 by Eastern Spirit
For Sale: 900cc “Cafe Sleeper” from the Polish Master… The shaft-driven Yamaha XJ650, introduced in 1980, is an often-overlooked machine. The bike boasted an air-cooled, twin-cam, 650cc inline four good for 73 horsepower. With a […]
Paris Muscle: Yamaha XJR1300 Custom by Modification Motorcycles
Paris-made Muscle: Air-cooled Big Block from the 15th Arrondissement The Yamaha XJR1300 was a throwback, an air-cooled “big block” machine that recalled the naked superbikes of yesteryear. The massive 1251cc engine offered substantial thrust — […]
Yamaha SR250 Custom by Officina Serrao D’Aquino
While the Yamaha SR250 may not seem like the most likely candidate for customization, the little air-cooled mono-cylinder commuter machine has become a favorite among custom bike builders. While the first-generation bike was only available […]
Yamaha XSR900 Custom by Purpose-Built Moto
In the 1970s, the Universal Japanese Motorcycle (UJM) revolutionized the industry — a general-purpose, rider-friendly machine that made motorcycling more accessible to the public. These naked/standard designs had upright ergonomics and powerful, reliable engines. Within […]
Sick RD: Yamaha RD350 Cafe Racer
Yamaha RD350 Giant Killer from California… The Yamaha RD350 is one of our favorite two-stroke street machines of the 1970s. The 39-horsepower parallel twin could compete with larger bikes due to its excellent power-to-weight ratio, […]
