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Fashionable superbikes are complicated machines, each inside and outside. Not solely have their engines and electronics developed in leaps and bounds over the previous couple of many years, however their bodywork has modified radically too. The the aerodynamic packages developed for MotoGP racing are trickling right down to avenue bikes now, so OEM superbikes with wings poking out of their fairings are commonplace.
Like many people, Josh Merrill misses the times of quick bikes with slabby fairings… so he’s constructed one in every of his personal. Based mostly on a 2022-spec Yamaha XSR900, and wrapped in 90s race reproduction bodywork, his newest {custom} construct is a contemporary traditional of the very best order.
Technically the Yamaha XSR900 isn’t categorized as a superbike—but it surely’s not far off. Its 117.4 hp / 93 Nm output is nothing to sneeze at, and its chassis feels sharp and focussed. And should you’ve ridden it, you’ll know what a peach its triple-cylinder motor is.
Josh presently works for a significant OEM, however he’s additionally the crew chief for a MotoAmerica race group and runs his personal industrial design enterprise. With a decade within the motorbike business, he is aware of what works and what doesn’t.
“I’ve expertise with motorbike electronics, engine work, chassis, exhaust and element fabrication, in addition to years of racing expertise each for myself and for skilled race groups,” he tells us.
“I’ve additionally labored at completely different race retailers, a kind of retailers specializing in classic race bikes. This taught me that though I just like the traditional look, I don’t like outdated bikes with outdated elements, heavy frames and outdated elements.”
Utilizing the Yamaha XSR900 as a donor was a no brainer for Josh, particularly because the 2022 mannequin sports activities a lot of upgrades over its predecessor. The trick was to match elements to the bike that may match the retro theme he was after, with out compromising efficiency. Understanding of Create Moto—a communal motorbike storage in Milwaukee—he bought right down to enterprise.
To nail the look, Josh turned to Yamaha’s historical past. Impressed by the legendary 1992 Yamaha YZF750, he ordered a YZF works racing fairing and stomach pan from Airtech Streamlining. All he needed to do then, was work out match it to the XSR.
For the fairing, Josh fabricated a collection of brackets out of metal tubing and plates, with the higher fairing mount additionally internet hosting the instrument cluster. A trimmed race windscreen from Gustafsson Plastics finishes off the entrance finish. Decrease down, the Airtech stomach pan needed to be modified to suit the XSR’s chassis correctly.
Working to Josh’s benefit had been the inventory XSR900 tank cowl, aspect covers and seat; a testomony to bike’s neo-retro vibe. So with the fairing and stomach pan in place, he merely added a passenger seat cowl from Humorous Customs in Japan. Remarkably, every little thing suits collectively prefer it got here from the identical supply.
With no actual want to separate the engine instances, Josh centered on comparatively simple energy good points. These embody a full titanium exhaust system from Akrapovič, a DNA air filter and an ECU flash, courtesy of two Wheel DynoWorks.
Subsequent, the entrance brakes had been handled to upgraded traces from Core Moto, with built-in brake strain ports, since he plans to put in a knowledge monitoring system sooner or later. Josh added 310 mm rotors from Braketech, with longer bolts and spacers to reposition the calipers. They’re outfitted with race-spec pads.
Josh plans to improve the XSR’s forks, rear shock and rear brake sooner or later. Why not now? It’s easy: he’s ready till there’s a wider vary of choices accessible available on the market.
That didn’t cease him from throwing a bunch of different top-shelf elements at this construct although. The Yamaha advantages from a set of GB Racing engine covers, an Evotech efficiency radiator guard and a Movement Professional coolant restoration tank. Josh additionally put in adjustable rear-sets, clip-ons with a 1” rise, and Woodcraft rear stand carry plates.
Shifting to the smaller stuff, Josh 3D-printed a bunch of {custom} elements, together with plugs to fill the OEM riser mount holes and brake line mounts, and help plates for the edges of the fairing. The clutch cable’s from an R6, and attaches to a custom-made finish bracket that’s designed to assist it clear the fairing stays. A full complement of Professional-Bolt fasteners rounds out the spec.
You’ll discover that the XSR nonetheless wears its tail lamps and plate bracket, however has no entrance lighting. Josh is on the fence; he may go away it like this, or he may add a headlight-equipped fairing.
Ending the construct off is a fetching Kenny Roberts-inspired livery. What’s actually intelligent although, is that Josh designed all of the graphics to enhance the unique bike’s tank cowl design, which continues to be because it left the manufacturing unit. The brand new elements had been color-matched to the OEM look by FineLine Design, and the decals had been made up by Inline4Designs.
Now dubbed the ‘XSR900R,’ Josh’s bike is the proper blueprint for a contemporary sportbike with retro appears to be like. Hopefully Yamaha is paying consideration.
ByJMR Design | Fb | Instagram | Pictures by Brooke Tilidetzke
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