If someone asked me to recommend a bike that would make a great cafe racer, a Yamaha XV or Virago wouldn’t be high on the list. Actually, it probably wouldn’t even be on the list at all. But we are trying to change that. We used a 1997 XV535 that was manufactured by Yamaha Motor Corporation and was positioned as a mid-size metric cruiser with an engine displacement of 535cc as a donor bike. Based on our experience, this is the second Yamaha Virago Cafe Racer from us and it’s every bit as impressive as the last. Our first Yamaha XV was used with same engine, but this time round we’ve pulled out a big idea with the XV535. So this is what happened with our latest project bike, the first bike of 2016, the Clyro.

To transform the XV535 cruiser into a cafe racer styled machine, we began by dramatically modifying the bike’s rear end. The stock swing arm was modified to accept taller Showa monoshocks and a custom sub frame raises the rider to sit level with the fuel tank. Clip-on bars and custom rear sets re-position the rider for a more aggressive riding position and upside down front end shock manage the change in rider weight placement. A set TK Japan rims 18X3.00″ and custom 16X4.00″ replace the stock Yamaha rims and are wrapped with 4.00-18 and 5.00-16 Firestone Deluxe Champion tyres. The fuel tank is also a custom made item along with the low profile hand-stitched leather seat. LED rear light units have been integrated into the tail loop while up front things are kept clean with bar end indicators and a 5″ DRL headlight. The OEM panel controls mounted to the clip ons include a small tachometer, Brembo master cylinder and adjustable clutch and brake levers. Finally, to add a bit of extra performance bite and plenty of audible bark, we created a custom set of headers feeding a beautifully simple muffler.

Dressed in a retro-inspired Yamaha matte grey with classic Yamaha line blocks, this is yet another dramatic transformation of the XV535 and has me wondering how Yamaha wants its customers to look at the XV range. Is it a street cruiser or a potential cafe racer? What do you think?

Words by Donny Ariyanto.