XV Cafe Racer Video

Here's a rather nice XV cafe racer from YouTube, looks very neat and sounds lovely. The dual high-level exhausts are very interesting...

Photoshopped tank and seat

Photoshopped image showing the chassis with tank and seat unit. I didn't opt for a tank and seat until I had checked the proportions relative to the rest of the bike in photoshop.

It's a roller!

Very productive couple of days saw the fitting of a Virago 535 spoked rear wheel. I will post photos/details shortly. The rim is 15" and will eventually be swapped for an 18" but for now it will work while I focus on other parts of the build.

Here's a quick side shot to allow me to try different virtual tank and seat designs

XV monoshock spine frame diagram

These diagrams show the spine frame configuration of the early XV Virago models (including the chain drive TR1). Like some other models of the time such as the Honda CB250/400 Hawk, the pressed steel backbone uses the engine as a stressed member, the cylinder studs and cases are very heavy duty to cope with the forces involved. Such designs can allow very clean, uncluttered builds. In the case of the XV frame, the lower portion of the main frame can be cut and capped, with similar modifications done to the bolt on swingarm pivot section to really clean up the rear of the engine. This only works with the 81-83 monoshock types; in 1984 Yamaha switched to a more traditional twin shock design, making the rear of the main frame more complicated and hence more of a pain to modify.

Chassis parts!

After a busy couple of weeks on eBay and then waiting on the man in brown to deliver the goods, I now have some of the parts I need to get a rolling chassis together.

XV parts

Main frame section, final drive unit, rear shock, swingarm and engine mounts. The later Virago 700/750/1000/1100 engines are compatible with the earlier mono-shock frame, as long as the early engine mounts are used as well.
I'm still waiting on the lower frame section that incorporates the swingarm pivot and a spoked rear wheel from a 96 Virago 535. Some machining and fabricating will be necessary to adapt the 535 spoked hub to the XV750 final drive unit, more info to follow.

I will be using KZ650/900 forks and trees, with a front wheel from a KZ650SR which I have left over from the Sportster project...

More photos of XV750 Virago cafe racer

According to the builder, Greg Hageman, the basis for this very cool cafe racer was an XV750 picked up for less than $1000 but the build eventually cost more than $6000. 
The Benelli Mojave tank looks absolutely perfect on there, as do the Tarozzi adjustable clipons. The 16" rear could be re-laced to an 18" rim for more front-rear visual balance, but spoked rear wheel conversions for the XV750/XV920 Viragos are difficult and time consuming. It's still a damn nice bike though.

The following photos are all copyright of the talented Erick Runyon of Choppershotz...

Cafe Racer magazine features Virago Cafe Racer on cover!

Now this is what I'm talking about! Awesome Virago cafe racer from Greg Hageman at Doc's Chops, featured on the cover of one of the better magazines, Cafe Racer.

My new Virago 750 engine

Here it is...the engine from a 96 Virago 750. I found this for a sweet price on eBay and picked it up to save shipping costs. It's in wonderful condition and will be a great lump around which to build my Virago cafe racer.

Such a handsome engine

With the exception of the TR1 and XV920R models, the vast majority of Yamaha XV engines were fitted to XV and Virago models. It's true that the XV brought "factory custom" v-twins to the masses, taking some of Harley-Davidson's market share, and there's no mistaking the Virago as anything but a sales success. However, looking at the engine, one can't help but think it is more suited to a sport-touring or cafe racer application.

♫♩Please release me, let me go...♫♬ sings the engine of this stock 1988 Virago. Ick.

Pikeys...

"Say Mister, that's a nice bike"

A little inspiration goes a long way

Sometimes you come across a motorcycle that speaks to you on a very basic level. For me, those motorcycles tend to be v-twin or single cylinder cafe racers and classic racing bikes. So when I saw some photos of the work done by Sepp Koch using Yamaha's XV/TR1 engine, I knew that was the direction I was to take for my next project. Sepp Koch TR1 racebike

It's been a long time since I first saw a Yamaha TR1 engine. It was a photo of a cutaway display engine on the cover of a book in the shop of the UK's National Motorcycle Museum,and I plainly remember thinking what a nice job Yamaha had done in creating such a beast, but never really thought about it again. Fast forward to 2012, and while wrapping up my 1969 Harley-Davidson Ironhead Sportster project my mind turns once again to cafe racers. As awesome as an Ironhead cafe racer would be, my own project eventually took a different turn (see below), leaving me desiring a cafe racer once again.

So here's to a new project, powered by a Japanese v-twin in an interesting frame.