In the sun-bleached, undulating landscape of Lisbon, Portugal, a distinct brand of two-wheeled rebellion has been quietly taking root. Operating under the banner of Holy Moly Co., founder Francisco Menezes has spent the last four years treating the modern adventure bike catalog not as a sacred text, but as a rough draft. Born of a zero-tolerance approach to the ordinary, Holy Moly specializes in building machines for those who chase horizons and carve their own path. But their philosophy extends beyond one-off garage builds; Francisco uses these custom projects as real-world development mules for a line of premium, plug-and-play components.
Their latest creation, which recently broke cover at the Bike Shed London Show, takes aim at Yamaha’s darling of the middleweight adventure world: the Ténéré 700. Out of the box, the T7 is a formidable, rally-inspired weapon. For an MSRP of $10,999 USD, you get 459 lbs of rugged capability wrapped around a torquey 689cc parallel-twin engine delivering 72.4 horsepower and 50.2 lb-ft of torque. It is widely praised for its balance, but Francisco saw a missed opportunity for a bit of vintage romance.
“The idea came to me a few months ago, doing a revival motorcycle,” Francisco explains. “Being so close to Yamaha, the idea came fast: doing a modern-day XT500 with a Ténéré 700 chassis. This is our approach on how an XT500 should be shaped if launched today.”
To bring this dual-sport time machine to life, Holy Moly Co. secured some heavyweight backing. Yamaha Portugal jumped in as an official partner, alongside Kedo Official Parts, the legendary part specialists with 30 years of experience tuning classic Yamaha XT, TT, and SR singles. The overarching goal was to inject raw, 1970s scrambler styling into the T7, without sacrificing its modern reliability. Crucially, the team mandated that every modification be completely plug-and-play: no cutting, drilling, or welding required.
When you first lay eyes on the machine, your brain immediately focuses on what is missing. The Ténéré’s sharp, modern plastics, side panels, and commanding front rally tower have all been completely binned. In their place sits a vintage-style XT fuel tank that instantly anchors the bike in the golden era of the 1970s scrambler scene.
Up front, the ubiquitous multi-LED Dakar face is gone, replaced by a single, high-power round headlight. It is protected by an exo-frame fabricated by Jorge Madeira of Mad-Artworks. The stark white-and-black livery is a direct tribute to a 1979 Yamaha XT500 that partner Kedo recently auctioned, cheekily updated with custom "XT700" graphics on the tank, a subtle nudge to Yamaha product planners about a machine the public would undoubtedly line up to buy.
This resto-mod approach is far from skin-deep; this machine is built to get dirty. By stripping away the bulky bodywork and streamlining the components, Holy Moly managed to slash the bike’s wet weight down to a featherweight 175 kg (385 lbs), while simultaneously tuning the parallel twin up to a punchy 85 horsepower.
To handle the dirt-focused diet, the standard KYB units were swapped out for high-end, long-travel gear from Netherlands-based TracTive Suspension. The rolling stock is equally serious: a custom set of wheels laced by Haan Wheels features striking copper Excel rims wrapped in aggressive, full-knobby motocross style tires. The T7’s road-going manners have clearly been deprioritized; this machine uses the asphalt merely to link one trail to the next.
While this specific prototype isn't up for grabs, Holy Moly Co. has announced it will produce an ultra-exclusive run of 10 numbered, complete motorcycles starting this October. Rather than selling a box of parts, Francisco is offering an all-inclusive experience. Buyers will have total freedom over custom colors and detailing, and, as a final theatrical touch, the Holy Moly team will travel to the new owner's house to assemble the motorcycle in their garage. It is a brilliant blend of modern performance and vintage soul, proving that the spirit of the iconic XT500 is very much alive.
Comments
Love this. A perfect blend of retro XT charm with modern performance.