Yamaha

Jebus! The Steve Baker OW31 Racebike on display at Red Rock Vegas Harley dealership….

WOW!!!  that’s my kind of Harley Dealer!!   And right next to it you can just see a Barry Sheen Suzuki!  Holy crap!  I’m trying to get more info on it from the source.  I’ll post it up if I do.

V-Max on Ice Video!

Klatuu posted this in the comments of the previous post. Great Stuff!

Sorry, looks like you have to click through. I don’t get the point of that but whatever..

Reader Ride. One of the cleanest (and most radical) XS650 hybrids I’ve ever seen.

Jeff Snell sent me pictures of this bike with very little explanation.  I had some of it figured out but most of it left me scratching my head so I had to press him for some info on this really excellent build.  He writes in:
Hi Steve, well it’s a Yamaha XS 650 engine in the cradle of an XS frame. I cut the front and rear off and made a new frame section to accomadate a Honda F4i swingarm and monoshock. Up front I made a new steering tube and used F4i forks. I wanted to keep with a retro theme and used a Kawi ZRX tank and seat. The tail is also ZRX but was chopped and condenced to work with the new proportions of the bike. Both are supported by a detachable aluminum subframe. The drive side case cover is divided to allow for an offset sprocket. This enabled the engne to be mounted in the center of the frame. The end result is light weight and balanced, and sounds great with a Scorpion exhaust can. I like that naked bike look.Of course there are a few more tweaks I’d like to do but I’m pretty stoked otherwise! Everything was done by yours truely except the electrical and dyno tuning. Hope your readers like it! ( I have a ton of pics for anyone interested)
Thanks for your interest,

Jeff Snell, Alameda CA

I’ve put a few unusual bikes together in my day (and I’m in the middle of another one) but it’s never approached this.  That’s a really at a great build.  Oh and I wasn’t even close on my guesses except on the bodywork.   Thanks Much!

Beautifully photographed Yamaha SR500 by a young rider from Germany who “gets it”.

It’s nice te see that there are people in the next generation of riders who can still appreciate  the simple joy of a ride in the country on a well ridden thumper. Thanks Much for the reminder. Time to go for a long ride this weekend and blow off some stress.

Leon writes in:

Hi, I really liked your old blog, I would like to send you some pictures of my SR500, it’s an 82 model, not as fancy as the other bikes on your blog, if you don’t like it fell free to ignore this 😛
I like my bike, especially because it’s not fancy/shiny and it’s my first “real” bike it is cheap, runs and is much cooler than the plastic bikes other people of my age like.  Unfortunately I couldn’t decide on one picture, so here you are.

Greetings from Germany,
Leon


Excellent RZ/RD350 YPVS Conversion

LOTS of tasty upgrades on this beauty..

Update: Another in a long line of Virago Cafe Pics..

Lots of updates in the comments section. Be sure to check em out.

From the comments. You guys rock! Thanks for the link to the builder / owner with lots more info!

http://johnryland.posterous.com/reciprocity-xv750-under-the-lights

I stumbled across this on a message board. Not sure who’s logo that is on the photo. Great Stuff though

Reader Ride. A Pair Of Great of Great Yamaha’s From A Confrssed XT Junkie!

Paul Hutchins Writes in:

Swerved into your site and thought you might post my Big Wheel photos.

I have a almost pathological interest in the 500 Yam and recently sold most of my examples of this great cult classic. My street ride was this SR custom, White Bros. 540cc motor, high lift cam, 38mm carb, with Omar’s bodywork. I also restored this 1976 XT, the first ever model in the States, it was mint original and brought a similar price from a collector in Sydney, Australia. The TT is a dirtracker that was once on the street, it is now an ice racer in Michigan.

Thanks, Paul Hutchins

Reader Submittal. SR 500 Custom Rebuild

It there anything you can’t do with these thumpers?  From Frank Naaykens Speed Dealer customs Joplin,mo.

Totally Sick! RZ500/R6 Hybrid. Too good not to share. Cross-post From The 2-Stroke Board.

You hear about bikes like this in lots of conversations…. “wouldn’t it be cool to put engine X in chassis Y”..  Well someone REALLY did it.  More on the project over on BARF

“Current generation Yamaha R6 chassis with Ohlins forks and shock, Brembo brakes, forged wheels, and aluminum subframe. Engine swap with Yamaha RD500 (aka RZ500 aka RZv500) V4 twin-crank two-stroke. Handmade expansion chambers with carbon fiber silencers. Mikuni flatslide carbs.”