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An outdated Yamaha Virago doesn’t fairly have the identical attraction as an outdated Harley, however there was a time when the Virago and its ilk had The Motor Co. frightened. Again within the mid-80s, the inflow of Japanese-made cruisers prompted Harley-Davidson to foyer the US authorities to impose tariffs on large-capacity imported bikes. It’s protected to imagine that the Yamaha XV920 Virago was one of many greatest threats.
As an early-80s cruiser, the XV920 Virago ticks each field. Its offbeat styling epitomizes the period, and it makes extra energy than an early-80s Sportster. It hasn’t aged effectively—but it surely has caught a second breath as a preferred selection for {custom} tasks.
This Yamaha XV920 Virago avenue tracker is the work of Nick Ghobashi at Bueno Co. in Virginia. Nick’s {custom} builds are sometimes unfussy and enjoyable—a method that the Virago wears effectively.
Nick began out with 1982-model XV920, then stripped it all the way down to its nuts and bolts. Most of the inventory Yamaha components by no means made it again onto the bike although. By the point Nick was performed, solely the Virago’s drivetrain, predominant body, and rear hub remained.
Working from the within out, Nick first refreshed the engine with new gaskets and a brand new starter motor. It was handled to a contemporary coat of satin black paint, with brushed aluminum accents and a full complement of stainless-steel fasteners. The carbs have been stripped, upgraded with a Dynojet equipment, and tuned.
Subsequent, Nick labored some magic on the consumption manifold to accommodate a bolt-on air filter. A small field was fabricated to sit down beneath the swingarm pivot, housing a Lithium battery, the starter solenoid, and an upgraded regulator/rectifier.
Handmade stainless-steel headers grasp off the suitable facet of the engine, terminating in turned-out ends. “They have been common as a homage to classic race vehicles,” says Nick. “I had the Shelby Cobra in thoughts, and I left them uncooked so as to add to the brawny look of the bike.”
Turning his consideration to the body, Nick fabricated a brand new subframe and welded it to the spine of the unique body. The trellis design of the subframe won’t match the squared tubing of the remainder of the bike, however by some means the 2 kinds complement one another. Satin titanium powder coating was utilized to your entire body, flipping from silver to a goldish hue relying on the sunshine.
To show the Virago from a cruiser right into a avenue tracker, Nick needed to radically rework the suspension and wheels. A set of Suzuki GSX-R750 forks and brakes went onto the entrance, with an adjustable YSS shock propping up the rear. Then a brand new entrance wheel was laced up, utilizing an Excel rim, an aftermarket hub, and a set of stainless-steel spokes from Buchanan’s.
Nick used the identical rim and spokes for the rear wheel, however employed {custom} bearings and spacers in order that he might run a later mannequin Virago hub. It wasn’t precisely a stroll within the park although—Nick needed to mill the hub, brake shoe provider, and swingarm ever so barely to make every thing match. Avenue-legal Dunlop flat monitor tires spherical out the package deal.
For the bodywork, Nick modded a traditional Kawasaki gasoline tank to suit the Yamaha body. It wears a {custom} aluminum filler bung and cap, a Pingel becoming, and a slick petcock from Prism Provide Co. The tank, and the {custom} aluminum fenders that sit at every finish of the bike, have been all painted in BMW Malachite Inexperienced.
The Virago’s bench seat was constructed on a fiberglass and kevlar base, and upholstered utilizing a chevron sample that’s change into Bueno Co.’s signature. Nick completed the tail off with a pair of custom-made taillight housings, every geared up with a Objective Constructed Moto LED taillight.
Nick needed the Virago to have a “neutral-to-slightly ahead driving place that appears aggressive, however is comfy to trip.” To that finish, he added a set of Renthal riser bars to the cockpit, fitted with ODI Vans x Cult grips and minimal traditional switches. The entrance brake’s grasp cylinder is a Nissin unit with a Brembo reservoir, linked through Venhill traces.
A small LED headlight from Objective Constructed Moto sits up entrance, with a Koso gauge mounted neatly above it. New foot pegs and custom-made shift and brake levers end off the management package deal.
The early-80s Virago isn’t a straightforward bike to customise, however Bueno Co. has cracked the code. And for those who’re questioning if it’s as enjoyable to trip because it appears, Nick describes it as “torquey, rowdy, and loud.”
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