Minus the mid-century innovations by Yamaha, Honda, and Suzuki, one could argue that motorcycling might be a lost art today. With their small engines, low profiles, and street-rider stances, these lightweight hallmarks of design give new riders all over the world a way into the fray, and experienced riders the perfect minimal ride.
These days, Yamaha motorcycles are at the core of the custom scene. They offer the perfect platforms for stylish urban rides with cheap price tags.
Models like the Yamaha XS650, SR400, XSR700 and XSR900 are among a legendary line of Yamaha motorcycles that beg to be turned into café racers, bobbers and trackers—and they fill our galleries of great builds.
Remember the Yamaha RXZ Twinboss twin-cylinder two-stroke? Neither do we, because it never existed—except in the mind of Irwann Cheng. The Malaysian custom builder, who operates as FNG Works, has masterfully combined two Yamaha RXZ 135 engines with such panache, that you’d be forgiven for mistaking this for a factory unit. But what impresses us…
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The Yamaha RD56 cemented itself in the annals of motorcycle racing history when it carried Phil Read to Yamaha’s first-ever Grand Prix championship title in 1964. But that wasn’t the RD56’s only accolade that year; it was also the bike that Canadian racer Michelle ‘Mike’ Duff claimed their first Grand Prix race win on. Duff…
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In the world of classic thumpers, the Yamaha XT500 reigns supreme. It pioneered the concept of four-stroke dual-sport bikes, won the first two Paris Dakar rallies, and garnered legions of fans along the way. It’s hard to meet someone who hasn’t owned an XT500, known someone who’s owned one, or dreamt of owning one. Given…
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We all have our inclinations, preferences, and particular predilections. In custom motorcycle circles, a BMW boxer or Triumph Bonneville are considered mainstream choices, while unlikely donors present a more left-field option. Yamaha’s Virago is one such machine—but it’s not enough of an outlier for Jimbo Turner. Jimbo reserves his fervor for only one variant of…
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We’re expanding our horizons this week, starting with a World Superbike-spec Yamaha R1 and finishing with a stunning Métisse Steve McQueen Desert…
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The weekend is just about here, so what better way to celebrate than with a spicy two-stroke street tracker? This wild Yamaha…
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The Yamaha TRX850 is one of our favorite motorcycling anomalies. It was built in the mid-90s, when Japanese marques tried to corner…
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A surfboard rack on a motorcycle might seem like a gimmick to some, but if you live in Bali and love surfing,…
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Inheriting a project bike from another workshop is a huge gamble. There could be parts missing, the engine could be shot, or…
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Some motorcycles beg to be ridden in anger. Others drip with nostalgia. If you draw a Venn diagram of those two paradigms,…
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They say that you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, but no one bothered telling Earth Motorcycles that.…
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With its inch-perfect frame, OEM-style bodywork, and period-correct graphics, you’d be forgiven for mistaking this Yamaha for a forgotten 90s factory prototype.…
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