An previous Yamaha Virago doesn’t fairly have the identical attraction as an previous Harley, however there was a time when the Virago and its ilk had The Motor Co. fearful. 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 largest 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 nicely—nevertheless it has caught a second breath as a well-liked alternative for {custom} initiatives.
This Yamaha XV920 Virago road 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 nicely.
Nick began out with 1982-model XV920, then stripped it all the way down to its nuts and bolts. Most of the inventory Yamaha elements by no means made it again onto the bike although. By the point Nick was accomplished, solely the Virago’s drivetrain, most important 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 chrome 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 take a seat under the swingarm pivot, housing a Lithium battery, the starter solenoid, and an upgraded regulator/rectifier.
Handmade chrome steel headers dangle off the appropriate facet of the engine, terminating in turned-out ends. “They have been normal 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 may not match the squared tubing of the remainder of the bike, however one way or the other the 2 types complement one another. Satin titanium powder coating was utilized to the complete body, flipping from silver to a goldish hue relying on the sunshine.
To show the Virago from a cruiser right into a road 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 chrome 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 all the things 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 turn out to be Bueno Co.’s signature. Nick completed the tail off with a pair of custom-made taillight housings, every geared up with a Function Constructed Moto LED taillight.
Nick wished the Virago to have a “neutral-to-slightly ahead driving place that appears aggressive, however is snug to experience.” 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, related through Venhill strains.
A small LED headlight from Function 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 in the event you’re questioning if it’s as enjoyable to experience because it seems, Nick describes it as “torquey, rowdy, and loud.”
