Your complete guide to Yamaha cafe racer motorcycles, from classic RD two-strokes bikes to modern-day XSR specials. Here you’ll find everything from traditional XS650 cafe racers to the latest builds based on newer models. Discover the parts, seats and performance upgrades that’ll take your own Yamaha to the next level.
Like the Honda CX500, the Yamaha Virago is one of those “sow’s ear” bikes: it’s a challenge to make a silk purse out of it. Plenty of custom builders have taken the bait, and a few have succeeded. This Virago from Kerkus in Malaysia is an oddball example, but there’s a reason for it. “The…
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Yamaha’s annual ‘Yard Built’ competition was one of the first and most highly publicized custom competitions, delivering a steady stream of killer bikes. This year, the event has been a little more muted due to COVID, but the quality of builds remains high. We love this XSR700 from EXIF regulars Bad Winners, the Paris workshop…
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We love subtle, understated style on custom bikes. But we also have a sneaking regard for machines that are aggressive and in your face—the two-wheeled equivalents of Rage Against the Machine at 120 dB. This Yamaha V-Max is one such machine. It comes from from Motocrew, a spare-time but slick operation run by firefighter Chris…
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A Yamaha Virago with Ducati superbike suspension from the US, a stripped down Ducati 1198S Corse from France, a Norton Commando from Japan, and a very sporty Sportster Roadster from Spain.
Read more »A show stopping Yamaha GTS 1000 from Italy, a neo-retro Yamaha XT250 from Australia, and a very slick body kit for the…
Read more »In the mid 70s, the Yamaha RD 200 delivered more fun than a small capacity motorcycle had any right to. A compact…
Read more »We’ve seen some truly out-the-box builds come from K-Speed. They’ve done everything from Honda Monkey cafe racers to a Yamaha XSR155 that…
Read more »Olivier Ortolani has a flair for the dramatic. This is a guy who once wrapped a Ducati Panigale 1199 S in hand-shaped…
Read more »We don’t see many Yamaha XS1100s around these days, which is a shame—it was an absolute beast of a machine. It was…
Read more »Bad Winners is one of those shops that consistently do good work. It’s owned by Frenchman Walid Ben Lamine, who has an…
Read more »After an incredible seven years, Yamaha’s Yard Built custom program is still firing on all cylinders. In 2012 it kicked off with…
Read more »Every time Maarten Poodt completes another project, we feel like we’re looking at some obscure, classic Yamaha that we’ve never heard of.…
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