Custom Yamaha XSR700 Scrambler Is a Homage to the Classic BW200 Dual-Sport

The project we’re about to look at took part in the Yard Built initiative back in 2019, and it was put together by two Frenchmen named Manuel and Yann. Together they run Sur Les Chapeaux De Roues (SLCDR) in northwestern France, operating out of a quaint little commune in the region of Brittany. Inspiration for this build came from one of Yamaha’s classic machines, the quirky but interesting BW200.

With the letters in its name literally standing for “Big Wheel,” the little Japanese dual-sport gives a hint of its stand-out feature before you even see it. Yamaha kept it in production between 1985 and 1989, but the model is remembered rather fondly to this very day. As the Yard Built theme in 2019 was “Back to the Dirt,” Manuel and his teammate took the opportunity to build a rad BW200 tribute.

SLCDR used an XSR700 as the project’s basis, and the customization work started in the footwear department after a complete teardown. To echo the Big Wheel vibe, the guys sourced a wide set of aftermarket rims, measuring 18 inches in diameter at the front and 14 inches at the opposite end. Up north, the hoop is laced to a Honda Transalp’s wheel hub via stainless-steel spokes.

As for the rear unit, it’s been paired with the repurposed hub of a Yamaha XT660 and wrapped in a chunky Vee Rubber tire just like the front rim. The mods in the unsprung sector didn’t stop at the wheels, mind you, because the XSR’s braking hardware has also been reworked fore and aft. At twelve o’clock, it was a matter of subtraction rather than addition.

One of the brake calipers in that area was taken out of the equation altogether, and the other is now mated to an aftermarket rotor. You’ll find a similar disc at the back, bitten by a fresh Nissin caliper as opposed to the factory part from Yamaha. The SLCDR treatment continued in the suspension sector, where the XSR got treated to higher-spec fork internals and a premium monoshock hailing from Ohlins’ range.

Each and every piece of stock bodywork has been eliminated, making way for a full suite of bespoke replacements fabricated in-house. The new attire is in no way a carbon copy of that worn by the BW200, but rather a stylish reinterpretation visually fit for the modern age. Starting at the front end, we come across a groovy headlight nacelle made of steel, surrounding new LED illumination equipment.

Underneath, Sur Les Chapeaux De Roues fitted a high-mounted aluminum fender on a custom bracket. There’s a retro-looking steel fuel tank placed center-stage, housing the original XSR instrumentation and cleverly shaped to use the standard mounting points on the frame. Moving rearward, one may see replacement saddle put together in-house by Manuel, along with a one-off side cover on the left.

A handmade grab bar has also been attached to the unmodified subframe tubing, complete with mounting points for an alloy rear fender. The mudguard carries a very basic license plate holder, which keeps things street-legal without adding too much visual mass. Discreet LED lighting finishes off the rear-end equipment, and the motorcycle’s cockpit area is just as neat as the setup found down south.

The space is taken up by a cross-braced Renthal handlebar sporting a Yamaha-branded pad, red ODI grips, and top-shelf control levers from Beringer. Jagged motocross foot pegs round out the creature’s ergonomic package, while the new radiator shroud came from Yamaha’s proprietary aftermarket catalog. We also spot Motogadget turn signals attached to the headlight nacelle on the flanks, and SLCDR hasn’t overlooked the bike's powertrain completely.

Internally, the liquid-cooled 689cc parallel-twin remained untouched as per Yard Built rules, but it did receive some fresh breathing equipment. Gone is the motorcycle’s OEM airbox, making room for a pair of foam pod filters supplied by Twin Air. The exhaust-related work was a lot more intricate, as it involved the fabrication of a bespoke stainless-steel setup with high-mounted headers from scratch.

It employs a two-into-one configuration, eventually terminating in a top-shelf Akrapovic silencer. Lastly, there is the specimen’s ravishing paintwork, which was executed by David Roguet and is clearly a riff on the BW200’s livery. It’s a tasty mixture of red, black, and white, though the fenders were treated to a brushed alloy finish that complements some of the other unpainted metal bits. All in all, this XSR-based Big Wheel tribute looks like a ton of fun to ride down the beach!