1050cc Yamaha XV750 Customized Fighter – BikeBound

Yamaha “XV1050” Virago from Goal Constructed Moto… 

There are specific donor bikes that flip up repeatedly within the customized world, and the Yamaha Virago (XV) is one such platform. A few years in the past, builders found how these funky Eighties V-twin cruisers could possibly be remodeled into aggressive-looking café racers and customized fighters. The monoshock fashions lend themselves particularly properly to such conversions.

Nevertheless, simply because a motorbike appears nice doesn’t imply it rides properly, and copycat builds typically include reduce corners. Tom Gilroy of Goal Constructed Moto has made no secret of the truth that the Virago isn’t his favourite platform, however the proprietor of this XV750 managed to win him over:

“I discover them oversaturated within the customized world, and infrequently undercooked. Man satisfied me, nonetheless, simply by being bloke. He was passionate, tremendous eager to have a Goal Constructed machine, and had his coronary heart set on his XV750…”

If Tom was going to deal with one other Virago, he was going to do it proper. A few key modifications serve to raise this XV above what we usually see. First up is the suspension. Trendy upside-forks with dual-disc brakes are nearly de rigueur on Virago builds, however Tom didn’t take the straightforward highway with a straight swap:

“Straight swapping the XV750 with an R1 makes it far too low. It appears nice, however one velocity bump slightly too fast and also you’re left with a total-loss oil system. No bueno.”

As an alternative, Tom and crew determined to boost the forks 50mm, and Joe at Trip Dynamics offered a customized rear shock set to a journey top that might give the bike correct geometry and floor clearance. Tom additionally construct a brand new trellis-style swingarm to exchange the square-tube OEM unit.

With these large R1 dual-disc brakes in place, Tom determined this XV wanted a major increase within the horsepower division — one other rarity amongst Virago customs. So he turned the engine over to Goal Constructed Efficiency, the engine-building arm of PBM, the place mechanic Jesse outfitted the V-twin with 1050cc high-compression pistons, ported heads, and outsized valves.

Regardless of being restricted by the single-carb manifold, this “XV1050” managed to place down 58 hp on the dyno, which is ~20 extra rear-wheel ponies than the inventory machine — a 50% improve! Whereas a twin-carb Mikuni setup would unleash extra of the engine’s potential, Tom says you may positively really feel the facility improve from the saddle:

“As soon as run in, it was time to stretch its legs on the check journey and…it didn’t disappoint. Energy wherever you want it within the rev vary, simply rip the throttle and go.”

What we love most is to see a customized bike the place the efficiency and performance have been given simply as a lot consideration because the aesthetics, and that is one such bike. Kudos to Tom and crew for taking this XV750 to the subsequent degree. Beneath, we get the total story on the construct straight from Tom himself.

Within the Builder’s Phrases…

When approached by Man — our rider — I wasn’t certain if we’d tackle this construct. The XV750 isn’t considered one of my favorite bikes to work on, that’s no secret. I discover them oversaturated within the customized world, and infrequently undercooked. Man satisfied me, nonetheless, simply by being bloke. He was passionate, tremendous eager to have a Goal Constructed machine, and had his coronary heart set on his XV750 midnight particular.

He’d already began sourcing components and doing just a few modifications, and from this I may inform he needed the job performed correctly. With an R1 entrance finish, and Cognito Moto triple clamp, and having performed the analysis to discover a considerably matching rear wheel from one other mannequin XV, Man wasn’t the sort to chop corners. Being a follower of the store he knew the drill and was quickly at our entrance door together with his bike on the trailer and a field of components.

After out preliminary assembly and chat by way of the design, we started working. The XV needed to fulfill just a few key markers.

• Higher efficiency and dealing with
• Below tail exhaust
• Sharp and trendy disposition

The construct got here with just a few particular requests so we let that be the start line. “Repair that ugly swingarm” was what I had written down. Out got here the grinder. Having performed these XV builds earlier than, I referred again to the customized rear shock we received final time round from Trip Dynamics.

Utilizing these measurements, I welded up a mock rear shock and began constructing the swingarm. Utilizing some chromoly and my tube bender, we’ve formed up a pleasant trellis shock help that does away with the roughly welded sq. tube that comes from manufacturing facility.

Man additionally requested that we easy out and mildew the body part that often carries the breather tubes for the in-frame airbox, one other good contact that you just don’t typically see on customized XV’s.

Throughout this time we additionally lifted the entrance finish. Straight swapping the XV750 with an R1 makes it far too low. It appears nice, however one velocity bump slightly too fast and also you’re left with a total-loss oil system. No bueno. We’ve raised the entrance shocks round 50mm, and set the rear shock size to retain steering geometry and supply clearance underneath the stomach of the beast.

With our journey top set we may begin on the subframe and exhaust. Once more Man, needed one thing fairly wild in an undertail exhaust. To suit this in, we wanted to change the rear engine mount to permit the passage of the header thorough it. We’ve hollowed out a piece and re-braced the mount so the rear cylinder can exit out the left facet of the bike and snake its manner up underneath the tail.

We’d mocked up the headers and earlier than they have been finalised constructed the subframe and seat part permitting sufficient clearance for the rear tyre as soon as the deliberate mufflers have been to be constructed and mounted beneath. Now we had an finish level for our exhaust we may end up the fab work.

With the chrome steel headers working their manner underneath the seat body and right into a set of hand-built muffler bins, formed to suit comfortable underneath the seat and boring the bark of what was going to be one of the crucial labored XV750 engines on the market.

Out comes the donk and onto the bench with Goal Constructed Efficiency, the engine constructing arm of PBM. The inventory XV750 is a really lackluster journey. With a ticketed inventory crank horsepower of fifty hp, which means on the rear wheel you possibly can anticipate 35 to 40 hp in the event you’re fortunate. The bike was astronomically over braked with the brand new R1 entrance finish, so we determined to degree that out a bit.

Stripping the drained outdated motor down there was a number of meat to play with within the barrel, so Jesse dove into the books and located some greater excessive comp pistons and new conrods that might give us a capability of round 1050cc, with a compression ratio of 10.5:1. This implies it’s gonna go loads sooner.

This coupled with porting of the heads and oversize valves gave us some severe positive aspects. As soon as the machining work was performed and the brand new pots have been mocked up on the crank, some checks confirmed the pistons wanted to be relieved slightly for the bigger valves to have clearance. This was just about the one hurdle we confronted till the bike hit the dyno and began blowing by way of clutches.

On the dyno with my mate Jamie at Dynomite Moto the bike would attain 45-50HP on the rear wheel and begin to spin the clutch. We’d already upgraded to a brand new set of plates and efficiency springs however evidently that wasn’t sufficient. The answer was to make use of some Barnett plates and is derived fitted to a stage 2 Harley Sportster that allowed the XV750 (now 1050) to place its energy right down to the highway.

With a brand new rear wheel horsepower of 58 hp and peak torque of 58Nm, you’re nearly in disbelief that you just’re sitting on an XV750.

The facility improve is mirrored within the sound of the engine too. With most XV’s sounding poppy and hole, this bike has a nasty bark nearer to a cammed Sportster than the rest. Protected to say the examine field on efficiency upgrades was properly and really ticked.

One change I might make can be the elimination of the only carb manifold — this was a provided half that isn’t a fantastic match or design. Dyno outcomes confirmed the rear cylinder has to run fairly wealthy in an effort to have the entrance cylinder run on the right gas/air ratio. The XV750 isn’t designed to run a single carb, so I’d guess with a twin Mikuni arrange we may safely milk much more energy out of the upgraded engine.

When it got here time for styling, the stage was set with fabrication and the bike was sitting in uncooked metallic. The engine, exhaust, and moulded body can be blacked out. The laborious half was selecting the color for the tins. We’d acquired the wheels already powder-coated in a very nice bronze color so we wanted to search out one thing that matched. The rider and myself went backwards and forwards on just a few colors: pink, black, and finally settled on a metallic olive inexperienced that caught his eye.

Justin from Popbang Classics laid this color down with a easy blocked element design over the tank and hand-built entrance fender. A stellar job as at all times from Justin, which allowed meeting to begin.

The XV is styled out with a 7” Flashpoint headlight, indicators and push buttons with all of the electronics managed by the PBM Black Field module.

On the rear we’ve utilised a swingarm mount plate holder that homes a few of our model new Omni lights, a 3-in-1 LED and brake mild we’ve been engaged on and highway testing that might be out quickly. One thing I’ve developed for these unusual functions whether or not it’s in body, underneath a fairing, or as proven right here on a rear plate mount I wanted one thing omni-directional that might work properly wherever you mounted it. Extra particulars on this as we get nearer to launch.

Let’s discuss concerning the check journey. As we ran within the bike earlier than dyno I may inform the work we’d performed had made a beast out of this home cat. The facility was unimaginable, matched with the customized suspension offered by Joe at Trip Dynamics made the journey all of the extra gratifying. We’ve actually made some enormous enhancements on this bike.

As soon as run in, it was time to stretch its legs on the check journey and as you’ll see in our YouTube clip it didn’t disappoint. Energy wherever you want it within the rev vary, simply rip the throttle and go. I used to be having a blast on some backroads after I went to take off with a little bit of gusto on the throttle that entrance wheel lifted proper up and held up till I modified for second. One of many solely XV750 entrance wheels to ever go away the highway, I believed…

Comply with the Builder

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