Muy Bueno: A Yamaha XV920 Virago road tracker from Virginia
4 min read
An outdated Yamaha Virago doesn’t fairly have the identical enchantment as an outdated Harley, however there was a time when the Virago and its ilk had The Motor Co. anxious. 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 secure 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 effectively—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 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 elements by no means made it again onto the bike although. By the point Nick was accomplished, solely the Virago’s drivetrain, essential 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 had 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 under the swingarm pivot, housing a Lithium battery, the starter solenoid, and an upgraded regulator/rectifier.
Handmade chrome steel headers hold off the appropriate aspect of the engine, terminating in turned-out ends. “They had been usual 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 someway the 2 kinds 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 may 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 the whole lot match. Avenue-legal Dunlop flat observe tires spherical out the bundle.
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, had 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 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 wished the Virago to have a “neutral-to-slightly ahead using 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 by way of 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 bundle.
The early-80s Virago isn’t a simple bike to customise, however Bueno Co. has cracked the code. And when you’re questioning if it’s as enjoyable to trip because it appears, Nick describes it as “torquey, rowdy, and loud.”
