For most custom motorcycle builders, the usual client commissions are their bread and butter, but such projects often come with various constraints. Strict deadlines, tight budgets, and limited creative freedom are some of the main ones, and sacrifices sometimes need to be made in order for things to work out. On the other hand, there are a few craftsmen who refuse to be compelled by these limitations.
Johnny Nguyen of Upcycle Motor Garage is one of them, building tasty customs on his own terms and then selling them on to whoever shows an interest. It’s never too hard for him to find an eager customer, mind you, because every machine he'd worked on thus far has been absolutely thrilling. The bike we’ll be looking at today is an excellent example of what he can accomplish, but it was actually put together back in 2019.
As the project’s basis, Johnny used a Yamaha XS1100 from the model-year 1980, which he’d purchased in pretty good shape on Craigslist. With a factory-rated output of 95 ponies coming from its 1,101cc inline-four powerhouse and a top speed of 134 mph (215 kph), the XS1100 served as a highly capable donor for the cafe racer conversion Johnny had in mind.
Given the engine’s decent condition and solid power output, Upcycle’s mastermind was happy to leave its internal workings virtually unchanged. He simply inspected the valves and replaced all the gaskets with fresh items, while giving the four-banger's exterior a thorough scrub to make it look as good as new. Some snazzy mesh covers made their way onto the flanks, and the quad Mikuni carbs have all been refurbished for good measure.
They were rejetted and ultimately topped with mesh-covered velocity stacks following the overhaul. On the exhaust side of things, we find four-into-one MAC pipework with white heat wrap over its headers and a chrome-plated muffler. Now, the XS1100’s powertrain might’ve been a great asset straight out of the box, but its handling characteristics were far from ideal.
Photo: Upcycle Motor Garage
Johnny sought to improve them with some purposeful suspension upgrades fore and aft. We still see the original forks at the front, yet they’ve been fitted with new internals and lowered by approximately three inches (76 mm). Out back, the OEM shock absorbers got ditched altogether, making room for a premium pair of modern alternatives from Progressive Suspension. Moreover, the brakes were rebuilt and treated to replacement discs on both ends.
The stock seven-spoke wheels are still in play, but they’ve been powder-coated white and subsequently wrapped in vintage-looking Firestone Deluxe Champion rubber. Up in the cockpit area, the bike carries clip-on handlebars equipped with CNC-machined billet aluminum switches, bar-end turn signals, and groovy Biltwell Torker grips. As for the instrumentation, it comes in the form of a single dial mounted on the left side of the fuel tank.
Further ahead, there is a small, yet potent LED headlight supplied by HogWorkz – originally designed for Harleys and Indians but adapted to suit Upcycle’s XS1100 cafe racer. All the electronics were connected to a new wiring harness from Revival Cycles and a Motogadget control unit with Bluetooth connectivity. An Antigravity lithium-ion battery also makes an appearance, stored beneath the stock gas tank along with the other electrical equipment.
Photo: Upcycle Motor Garage
Speaking of the fuel chamber, it is the only piece of bodywork still left on this caffeinated Yamaha, as there are no fenders or side panels in sight. At six o’clock, Johnny trimmed the standard subframe to bring about tighter proportions, but he refrained from taking the usual route of installing a rear loop. Instead, one may notice twin LED taillights with grilled housings in that area.
Up top, a handmade seat pan was placed on fresh brackets, and the upholstery was outsourced to Costura Seats of Orange County, California for the best possible result. Grey suede with diamond-pattern stitching is the name of the game here, along with a white contour matching the wheels and exhaust wrap. When it came to painting the tank and frame, the whole process was carried out in-house at Upcycle Motor Garage.
A glossy, dark green hue was chosen as the base color, and it’s accompanied by white detailing on the gas tank. The paintwork isn’t overly complicated in any way, but its understated character seems to be the perfect choice for this elegant XS1100. There is just one vivid pinch of color to be seen here, in the form of some red paint covering the velocity stacks.
With the paint job out of the way, Johnny Nguyen’s work on this project was done. Although we’re not sure how long it took him to find a buyer for the cafe-style Japanese titan, it’s safe to assume that it quickly found a new and loving home. Once again, the bike-modding connoisseur over at Upcycle aced the customization process from start to finish, sparing no expense while he was at it.
A bit of an artist himself, Silvian sees two- and four-wheeled machines as a form of art, especially restomods and custom rides. Oh, and if you come across a cafe racer article on our website, it’s most likely his doing. Full profile
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