I'll be in my bunk.

I have a reputation for being a "purist." Let this be proof that I'm just in favor of making things better instead of worse.
A custom bike done right.

virago-xv750-caferacer

 

beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

that bike is fugly.

 

Consider what it looked like when it was stock.

 

it is nice work except the training wheels

 

Eh would take a stock bike over it.

 

I can't argue with that. Choices are always good.
My main point is that this custom dosen't have a bunch of crapy welds, flat black paint, and other assorted backyard engineering going on.

 

Tough crowd here today.............

 

As someone who cut up and rebuilt the chasis of his gt 750 trike in his back garden (workshop) I'd have to say what's wrong with back yard engineering?

 

I agree K-Moe. It is well done. The stock bike was no beauty queen and with a lot of work and money it has become something almost attractive. More my cup of tea than what it started out as.
John

 

Well there's backyard engineering, then there's backyard "engineering."
We've had an overabundance of the latter in the U.S. ever since the American Choppers TV show became a thing.

 

It looks like one of those Transformer toys from the 80's that is either a robot or something that looks like its supposed be a motorcycle.

 

I think it's pretty hot. I'd like to see more pictures.

 

I would as well. I'm almost leaning toward building my 920 into something similar. I keep going back and forth about that and making it into a scrambler. Then I keep looking at how it's already almost a chopper. Then I remember how much work it is to get it to all look and work right and go back to leaving it sit in the garage untouched

 

The xv920 is a unique piece of motorcycle history. It is the evolutionary link between the Universal Japanese Motorcycle to the American style v-twin cruiser. It would be a crying shame to see one chopped up instead of being restored.

 

The thing about the first gen Viragos is that you don't have to do any chopping to modify them (unless you want to lose some weight. a few racers have had the frame bridge between the backbone and the swingarm cut out without issue). Everything that needs changing just unbolts from the frame. A custom Virago can be returned back to stock in about two weekends of work.



As for my example, it was a parts bike that helped me get a friend's rider back on the road. There are too many of the stock parts missing for it to make sense to put back to stock (in my mind anyway).

 

Everything on it looks thoroughly modern. You could easily mistake it for a high end Italian superbike. Except for the Yamaha on the crankcase. And I guess the shaft drive and drum brake.

 

That program was absolute rubbish

 

not much good for most of us who do not have the kind of equipment that the shops have.

 

the guy riding it does not make it look all that comfortable to ride.

 

The OCC shop has the same stuff I do, angle grinders, welders, and more angle grinders.