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."

Update: Reader Submittal. Old school Hybrid.

Update:  should have seen this coming...  for those of you e-mailng and commenting for more info...

The bike is for sale on EBAY UK Here: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/YAMAHA-XT500-SUPERMOTO-PHASE-4-MAGAZINE-FEATURE-BIKE-/110613754451?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item19c117f253

What a fantastic bike!  Thanks to Cal from the UK for sending me these.  I've seen a few like these over the years and this is the best by far! I love it when an old iconic bike gets modernized without the spirit of the original being overwhelmed by the new components.  It's a delicate dance and flawlessly executed here.

Wow! you don't see bikes like this very often! Yamaha WR450 with a JVO rally kit!

Hardcore Rally bike! And it's FOR SALE!  No I don't know the owner.  Just an FYI.  I's a practice bike for this years Dakar!

Stone Cold Sexy Single Cylinder Yamaha.

Reader Submittal. First Ever Yamaha Enduro Fest!

Mark Robers Sends in some pics and video from the California Yamaha Endurofest!  Not THAT is a day very well spent.  Nicely done Gents.

Mark Writes In:
Hi,
I hope you are doing well, just wanted to pass some information. We just had the first Yamaha Enduro Fest offroad ride in Gorman California.
There were many early Yamahas there. I am attaching a few links to pictures and videos that we took while there. Feel free to use anything you like.
We are hoping to have a second event in the Eastern US in March or April of 2011.
Regards
Mark

And here's another one that ends with a grin..

I don't often direct link to other blogs but wow!

Go and visit Obiboi right NOW and check out his last 5 or 6 sketches. I'd be wildly encouraged if just one of his ideas were to bear fruit.


Warning: (rant alert) And by the way, Hey Yamaha! If by some fluke you ever see this post. One of my favorite bikes on earth (that I currently own) is my trusty 2001 DR650 Suzuki ( and it's 15 year old technology!!). As a kid I used to annoy the Yamaha dealer by always oogling the early XT/TT500's. So if you won't do the decent thing and build a modern bike like Obiboi's version how about at least bringing over the 660 Tenere? Not every American want's to go trail riding on a 1200cc 650 lb BMW GS/Yamaha Super Tenere/KTM990. There are a LOT of us waiting patiently for an updated version of the big DR or KLR and you have it in your lineup but you won't share it... and to put it bluntly, you suck for it. Hell even the small BMW GS series is dated. You've completely surrendered the market to KTM which would be fine if I had a 40 inch inseam. The 650 market is ripe for reasonably priced updated competition. What the F### are you waiting for. I'll buy one already and I know I'm not alone. (rant off. back to our regularly scheduled posts..)

Workshops that don't suck...

Classic Moto Guzzi's and a TZ thrown in for good measure... Jebus!

Reader Two-For-One And An Update On A Previously Posted Tracker.

Mike C Writes in with a nice Wanderlust Ducati and an unfortunate update on his wicked SR500 Tracker!


I had a look at some recent snaps thought you might like this for your ' Wanderlust ' bit.
It was taken a few weeks back by my buddy Rick H. outside of Rangely Lake NH.
The bike is my ' 98 748 with an 853 kit (among other mods) and 106,000km. on the clock.
The photo gives no warning of the hour and a half I would be sitting in bumper to bumper traffic, in the pouring rain, later that day.
Sadly my countershaft sprocket chewed the splines on the shaft, and broke the chain sending it through my engine cases just two weeks ago. I was thinking of opening the motor, just for fun, this winter anyway. Looks like I have some quality time in the garage over the next little while.


Oh, and more distressing news. My SR managed to ' shed ' its rear tail/subframe due to vibration...I am already McGyvering a tail from a Honda RS250 roadracer onto the mighty SR....Hey, I start shooting paint tomorrow !
Thanks for the site, I check in every day & always get a charge checking out the new postings.
Mike C.

Here's the link to his original post on the SR.

Great Stuff.  Thanks Mike and sorry for the delay in getting it posted. I'm getting flooded lately.  All good!

Radical RD350 Custom From India.

I'm cross-posting this over from the 2-stroke blog.

Te-a Writes in:

Hello, My Names is Te-a, I'm from the far north east corner of India, in the city of Aizawl, Mizoram. We are a huge fan of your blog, keep it up. Heres a couple of pictures of a custom RD350, done by my brother Muansanga MSX. The frame is stock, rear suspension is from a 150cc 4-stroke Yamaha R15, tail cowling fabricated, wheels are 17-inchers from R15, 120/80 rear tire with a 100/80 front. Engine is completely rebuilt from scratch, with a stage 1 porting job with a custom built MSX expansion chamber. Custom painted by yours trully. Hope you like it. Thanks.


(My blog - www.mizobiker.blogspot.com)

Thanks very much for sending this in. I love getting bikes from other parts of the world. Especially customs. I enjoy seeing what other people are doing to their bikes. It's inspiring and it opens up the possibilities. Te-a's paint work is simply fantastic. Check out his blog new blog for more examples.

Sweet 2-Stroke Cafe... Yamaha RD350

This is a cross-post from my 2-stroke board. Just too cool.  Yamaha RD350 Cafe Racer.  Beautiful lines.

Beautiful!  More Here

UPDATE: Follow up To An Earlier Yamaha Street Tracker Post.

I had a shot of this bike a while back and a lot of folks e-mailed me to ask about it. Well I've finally stumbeled across the original sources. The bike was built by Joker machine. To learn more about them and this bike check them out HERE

Bravo Lorenzo!

Jorge Lorenzo!  2010 Moto-GP World Champion!

Update 3: Wicked Little 2-Stroke Yamaha Tracker-Bobber

Moving this to the top for a bit since so many folks had questions about it.

Update 3:  Found the build thread!  An alert reader over on ADV rider found the build thread on this bike. A lot of folks have been asking for more info so here you go!

http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=12857.0


From the comments (Thanks SakeRacer).  More info Here: http://www.pipeburn.com/home/2010/9/9/1973-yamaha-rd250-street-tracker.html

Sorry to Pipeburn. I didn't realize it originated on their site. TONS of great stuff over there so check them out often.

My observant commentors make some good points about the classification of this bike. Tracker of Bobber? I see a lot of elements of both styles here and to be honest I'm not crazy about pigeon holing bikes all that much so lets call it a tracker-bobber. Whatever you call it it's still freaking cool!

That's got backroad fun written all over it.

SR500 Cafe...

Hot Damm!

Reader Ride Carry Over From The 2- Stroke Blog. Outrageous RZ350 Custom

Jeff Strom Sends in Some pics of his buddies bike (that I think I've seen before). And What a beauty it is.  Those pipes are pure porn..

He Writes in:

Hey,
Love your blog, thought I would suggest a bike. I rode with
Mark (who built and owns this buzz bomb), with some triples,
about a month ago. This bike runs as sweet as it looks ...
Also found right here ...
http://kawasakitriplesworldwide.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=55493&start=3
4
... keep your bitch'n blog going, it's a regular stop for me!
Cheers,
Jeff Storm
(aka: K_trip - with that green '74 H2)

No Problem Jeff.  Thanks Much for the great shots!

Reader Ride. 1999 Yamaha OW02 R7. the one that got away.

When Ron sent in his Favorite five submittable he included these pics of the one he "should have never sold". Oh but how we all have an old bike like that. She's a beauty indeed.