By Lee Klancher
T
he Yamaha Virago 920 was a lot of things. Introduced in 1982, it was part of the Japanese manufacturer’s early attempts to enter the cruiser market, a big V-Twin-powered motorcycle with a monoshock and flat bars. The mixture was odd — the bike wasn’t a cruiser, nor was it truly European. Despite the confused image and poor sales, the bike is an interesting piece of history. At best, you might call it the bridge between current Japanese cruisers and the early 1980s UJM. You would never classify it as good-looking or even mildly attractive. And cool? Seriously, no. Enter John Ryland of Classified Moto, a customization shop in Richmond, Va., that turns everything from Buells to XL600s into rideable customs. Ryland grafted an ’09 R6 front end and ’08 R6 rear swingarm to an XV920, capped it with a pitted steel Benelli Mojave 360 tank, dirt bike tapered handlebars, a tiny seat, big brakes and wider rubber. He stripped off fenders, and hung on just enough gauges and switches to pass inspection. The result is a raw lump of rideable machine, with gobs of torque, a semi-sporting position and, well, sex appeal. The custom 920 was more than just cool. The bike sparked a revolution. Greg Hageman, a farm boy from Iowa and former Harley-Davidson mechanic, is the owner of Doc’s Chops, a customization shop in Tampa, Fla., that specializes in Yamaha XS650 and Honda CX500 customs. A customer asked him to do a XV920 as well, and the bike that he built fueled the flames of 920 fever. Google “XV920” today, and you’ll find page after page of posts about the bikes, ranging from questions about cam timing and dual-carburetor upgrades to dozens of magazine and website articles featuring XV920s built by the leading lights of this new wave of custom machines. Many of those search results lead you to features on Bike EXIF, a website dedicated to new wave customs and founded in 2008. Run by Chris Hunter, a former creative director from London, England, who is currently located in New Zealand, the stylish site features in-depth coverage of one interesting custom motorcycle per day.
34 June 2013 | Motorcycle & Powersports News