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 […]
Tag: Yamaha
“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, […]
Ideal RD: Yamaha “RD380” YPVS Café Racer
The ideal RD, built by the man who wrote the book on Yamaha Two-Strokes… The Yamaha RD350 YPVS type 31 — sold in the US as the Yamaha RZ350 — was one of the most […]
