Tag Archives: Yard Built

Industry News, Latest News, Manufacturers, Yamaha

Yamaha Launches Ambassador Led ‘Free Spirits’ Project for the Yamaha XSR125

Yamaha Motor Europe celebrates the versatility and character of the Yamaha XSR125 with the ‘Free Spirits’ concept.

Where traditionally the bikes themselves and the custom builders have been the stars, the ‘Free Spirits’ campaign shifts the focus onto a diverse range of inspirational ambassadors collaborating on the project. The XSR125 of course plays a key role, taking on subtle modifications to blend into the ambassador’s lifestyle, adding true value to everyday activities.

The versatile XSR125
It’s a perfect fit, as the XSR125 has been built to a high standard specification that includes Yamaha’s top-of-the-line engine as well as an agile handling frame. Featuring state-of-the-art technology seamlessly intertwined with timeless heritage style, this lightweight is the youngest member of the Faster Sons family. And like many younger siblings, this bike will make its mark and is ready to impress. Especially on the aesthetic side, its heritage appearance provides an excellent base for modification.

Free Spirited Builts
Driving the project over the winter and into 2022 are several national Yamaha distributors, working closely together with their local ambassadors. The ambassadors themselves lead the design and changes to their XSR125 custom builds, visualising their unique requirements to create a new breed of Yard Built with a real-world practical value to enhance their daily lives.

Participating Yamaha distributors include Italy, France, Germany, Greece, Spain and Portugal, all working with a wide variety of ambassadors that include musicians, wakeboarders, surfers and artists. The concept will see the XSR125 customised primarily using official Yamaha accessories as a showcase to demonstrate the ease with which the XSR can be personalised to the individual, adding value to their life.

Nikolas Plytas – Water Sport Superstar
The first ‘Free Spirits’ XSR125 machine to be unveiled to kick-off the project has been created by Yamaha Motor Greece in collaboration with global water sport superstar Nikolas Plytas. The top 5 Water-ski World Games competitor enjoys a motivated international social media audience with over two million followers on Tik Tok alone keeping up with his adventures on the water.

As an Athens resident who also spends much of his time on the beach, Mediterranean Water-ski champion Nikolas had a clear brief for his custom XSR125. Leading the design and modification process, Nikolas was clear that his XSR125 needed to be agile and quick to cut through the city traffic whilst also being able to carry all the gear he needs to support his life on the water.

Built for the beach
Working with local builders Motodiktio, Yamaha Motor Greece got to work enhancing the XSR125 to meet the vision of Nikolas. To give him confidence on the beach the front fender was lifted higher in a scrambler style, with larger off-road tyres added for grip in the sand. Unique fixings were added to hold both Nikolas’ surfboard and wakeboard as well as a small winch at the rear of the motorcycle. The detachable winch can be anchored to a secure point on the beach, allowing the Greek athlete to be pulled on his wakeboard across the water, giving him the freedom to ride almost anywhere. LED flash indicators have been added front and rear and Genuine Yamaha accessories add a personal feel, including a light protector and license plate holder.

To complete the build, Nikolas found inspiration in the vintage Dakar XT500s, creating a heritage influenced XSR125 sticker on the tank in the original XT500 style. Finally, Nikolas chose an iconic 80’s Yamaha blue in true Faster Sons style to paint the tank and set the tone for his ‘Free Spirits’ Yard Built XSR125.

Nikolas is now ready to tackle his home city of Athens and his beloved beaches on his unique XSR125 ‘Free Spirit’ custom, showcasing its flexibility to support an active lifestyle!

Stay tuned for more ambassador influenced XSR125 ‘Free Spirits’ builds coming over the next months. Can’t wait to make your XSR125 truly your own? Try the online configurator to build your dream bike.

MyGarage app
Yamaha’s MyGarage app is the quick and easy way for customers to build a virtual XSR125 with a range of Genuine Accessories while sitting at home with their smart phone or laptop. The free App allows users to add and remove accessories to create their ideal XSR, and the finished result can be viewed in 3D from every angle.

MyGarage takes the guesswork out of choosing which accessories to fit, and to make things even easier the customer’s final selection can be emailed to their chosen Yamaha dealer who will fit the selected Genuine Accessories to the new XSR125.

For more Yamaha Motorcycles UK news check out our dedicated page Yamaha Motorcycles UK

For full information on Yamaha Genuine Accessories and Apparel or MyGarage please visit www.yamaha-motor.eu

Industry News, Latest News, Manufacturers, Yamaha

JvB-moto returns with the brand new CP3

Yard Built: Retro Lines, Adrenaline Vibes
In garages all over the world, Yamaha owners dream of creating their own customised motorcycle. We seek to enable these dreams by asking talented customisers to provide inspirational ideas on how to transform Sport Heritage models into ‘Yard Built’ specials. Many builders will not only inspire Yamaha owners with their ideas, but will also make custom parts and accessories available to help owners turn their dream into reality!

JvB-moto Returns
The latest Yard Built project sees the return of long-time Yamaha collaborator Jens vom Brauck. Founder of JvB-moto, German custom builder Jens is hailed for the minimalism of his bike designs that bring out the vision of the original within a brand-new skin.
The first JvB-moto Yard Built special was the 2015 VMAX ‘Infrared’, a dragster-meets-café racer that marked the 30th anniversary of Yamaha’s iconic VMAX cruiser. Customised nose to tail from the sub-frame up, the retro Infrared cemented JvB-moto’s distinct style within the Yard Built community.

The VMAX was followed by the ‘Super 7’, the first customised version of the new XSR700 that showed off the huge range of options available (and sold by KEDO Germany) to personalise the stock bike. Re-imagining the XSR700 without any cuts or welds to the frame, JvB-moto produced yet another incredible machine that boasts clean, tidy lines while embracing the raw power and agility of the standard bike.

An Adrenaline-Fueled Concept
Four years later and JvB-moto has returned for another round of dazzling customisation, projecting their vision onto the 2019 Yamaha XSR900 to create the CP3. The bike was first presented at the 2019 Café Racer Festival where it received the Best of Show prize.
Talking about his latest creation, vom Brauck was clear in explaining his vision:
“The biggest retro influence is on the lines and proportions. I am a big fan of 70s and 80s concept cars and got a lot of inspiration for this build there. The bike has an understated, clean look and has more of a concept bike ‘feel’ than a typical custom bike.”

The CP3 captures perfectly the JvB-moto design philosophy of clean lines that enhance the stock bike as a base for easy customisation and breathe new life into it. While the retro theme is in part an influence on the CP3, JvB-moto’s design stresses that the bike is a Yamaha through and through at its core, and one that is easy to customise. The dark blue Yamaha racing colour used was darkened further and made matt, highlighting the new bodywork whilst retaining the stock bike’s character. Though the design is inherently minimalist, the CP3 sports a number of cutting-edge modifications that elevate it from a typical custom bike to a true concept motorcycle. Carbon fibre wheel covers house the Pirelli Super Corsa tyres, with Behringer front brake disks packing extra stopping power. Lightech footrests help reduce weight and give an assuring platform for the rider, with a new seat to accommodate the feel of the CP3.

Ultimately JvB-moto envisaged the CP3 as a reflection of the XSR900’s powerful 850cc 3-cyclinder engine, unchanged in the customisation, and designed the bike to look how the engine feels to ride. The Termignoni exhaust amplifies the emotive sound of the triple and provides a small boost in horsepower, completing the CP3 package that raises the very high standard of Yard Built specials even further. Jens elaborated on this approach:
“I wanted it to look fast without looking aggressive, for it to be less retro and more minimalist, with a reduced and purposeful design.”

A Concept Bike for the Customer
Yamaha’s Sport Heritage range is made of state of the art technology machines with retro looks – the range is an easy access to real personalization and through collaborations with professionals like JvB-moto, the brand aims to bring this creativity even closer to the customer.

Apart from bringing a stunning new concept bike into the world, JvB-moto’s CP3 above all else shows just how easy to customise and flexible the Yamaha XSR900 really is. As a result, JvB-moto is now developing a kit to enable customers to either reproduce their own CP3 or just adapt parts of it, emphasizing that the bike is a perfect fit for the vision of the intrepid customiser looking to easily make their own set of customisations to the Yamaha XSR900.

The kit includes:
–    Wheel covers
–    Brakes
–    Footrests
–    Seat
–    Exhaust
–    Front fender
–    Fuel tank covers
–    Handmade tail section with LED taillight
–    Speedometer relocation kit
–    Tapered handlebar and raiser
–    LED headlight and cover
–    Front and back LED indicators
–    Number plate carrier

There is also a range of parts yet to be developed. JvB-moto expect this bolt-on kit to be available to customers in early 2020, and will give them nearly unlimited options to tailor their own XSR900.

Taking the Covers Off
Demonstrating that the highly active Yard Built scene in Germany continues to go from strength to strength, the CP3 debuted in its homeland at a July Yard Built Night in Hamburg, alongside the Hookie Co. Grasshopper, another German-made 2019 Yard Built bike. Over 150 guests from motorcycle media outlets and the customising scene came together for the unveiling of the two bikes which was hosted at KEDO, a motorcycle dealer located next to an industrial railway line that perfectly suited the gritty, backyard feel of Yard Built bikes.
Both JvB-moto and Hookie Co. attended the launch, explaining in live interviews their individual approaches to customising bikes and how they envisage the Yard Built project. The builders also discussed their plans to offer bolt-on kits and parts for customers to purchase, embracing the Yard Built concept to empower Yamaha customers to imprint their own vision onto their motorcycles.

The CP3 and Grasshopper showcase the customising potential of the XSR900 and XSR700 and just how easy each model is to change to suit personal taste. With nearly fifty Yard Built bikes created, Yamaha has shown yet again how diverse and accessible retro style is in 2019.

Check out JvB-moto here
To buy JvB-moto parts, click here
Check out Hookie Co. here





Yamaha

Yamaha reveals 11 new stunning Yard Built projects at The Reunion 2019

As the weather turns warmer and the season of outdoor fun begins, Yamaha is getting ready to bring real Faster Sons flavour to the 2019 The Reunion custom bike event in Monza, Italy on 17-19 May.

Yamaha’s Faster Sons and Yard Built have had a strong presence bringing custom delight to the best bike shows and festivals in Europe for a number of years.  After a multi-year involvement celebrating the sun-kissed Wheels & Waves event in Biarritz, Yamaha is broadening horizons and heading to Italy; the game has been well and truly raised for 2019’s The Reunion. Attendees can expect the cream of the Sport Heritage Range in full force. Following 2018’s super cool ‘Back to the Future’ theme, the style changes in 2019 as the retro cool XSR700 and stunning new XTribute lead the way for an exciting new project, ‘Back to the Dirt’.

Faster Sons Concept

Whilst it may be based on a retro, vintage style, Yamaha’s Sport Heritage range blends this flavour with the latest in technology, delivering a true emotional experience in the ride. The Faster Sons philosophy embodies this, respecting the icons and designs of the Japanese manufacturer’s past whilst pushing the boundaries of motorcycle technology forwards in the Sport Heritage range. Faster Sons tips its hat in respect to the bikes that have come before and at the same time celebrates the retro scene and colourful characters that breathe life into this diverse world.

Yard Built

Yamaha’s Yard Built projects have led the way in the revival of the cool custom world. Developing relationships with the rock stars of the building world, the project has delivered an incredible line up of unique and breath-taking one-off custom builds based on the Sport Heritage range of motorcycles. Legendary builders from across the globe, including the godfather of the custom world, Shinya Kimura, have turned their skilled hands to proving how easy it is to customise one of Yamaha’s very flexible retro machines. The exercise provides inspiration and has set new trends in the motorcycle world, making it a reality for everyone to make their Yamaha their own.

Deus Ex Machina will reveal their Rally-ready XSR in Monza, before heading straight off to put it into action at the Sardegna Swank Rally.

Back to the Dirt

The 2019 The Reunion will set the scene for a new Yamaha Yard Built Theme; Back to the Dirt. This year the challenge for nine customisers is to bring the vintage rally vibe to life with XSR700 creations that take inspiration from Yamaha MX and Rally machines of the 70’s and 80’s. Expect to see something special from D&G Motorsport Italy, Kiddo Motors Spain, Sur Les Chapeaux de Roues France, Hookie Co. Germany, Capelo Garage & Elemental Rides Portugal, Hostettler Switzerland, Ymoto Czech Republic, Yamaha Rainier Custom Austria and Lamb Engineering UK. Once revealed, the nine builds will be judged, with prizes given for Best Design. They will then take part in a special Yamaha-only events, both dirt, and sprint races, as part of the live action.

The Reunion event

The Reunion 2019 will run from the 17 to 19 May in the grounds of the iconic Autodromo di Monza, in Italy. Steeped in a rich motorsport past, the crumbling banked turns of the original track can still be found nestling in the trees. With over 15,000 attendees expected, the festival will provide an overload of custom and classic bikes as part of the show. With further exhibitions, 1/8 mile drag racing and a special one-on-one scrambler race, there’s no better place to be this spring to get your Faster Sons fix.

Inspired by the 1981 XT500, the XSR700 XTribute launched in EICMA in 2018 will be ready for Customers to be taken for a spin to test out, along with the other models of the Sport Heritage range like the XSR900, SCR950 and XV950R.

There is a final cherry on the cake: Inspired by our motorcycles and the sport heritage lifestyle, the Faster Sons apparel and gifts collection will be on sale at the Faster Sons Shop.