It slowly came to life over the course of four painstaking years!
When you’re truly passionate about something, you’ll tend to go above and beyond in the pursuit of perfection. More often than not, this tendency leads to exceptional results that’ll exceed everyone’s expectations, including your very own. One thing’s for sure, Jonny Taylor’s Yamaha TRX850-based venture is a perfect example to support that statement!
Look, this gifted fellow isn’t exactly a stranger to the realm of two-wheeled machines. He recalls being in love with moto masterpieces ever since he was three years old, and this passion continued to grow as he aged. As of today, Taylor amassed a fair deal of experience in the industry and even competes in local club-level racing events.
Needless to say, this guy lives and breathes motorcycles. To give you a better idea as to what he’s capable of achieving, we’ll be having a closer look at his spectacular 1996 TRX850 exploit. Let me tell you, this spectacular undertaking is a fine testament to his top-grade craftmanship and unrivaled abilities.
Photo: Freestyle Photography
On the other hand, the ‘96 model in Yamaha’s revered TRX850 lineup is one hell of a ride straight off the production line. It is put in motion by a ferocious four-stroke parallel-twin leviathan, with five valves per cylinder and two Mikuni BDST38 carburetors. This brutal piece of liquid-cooled machinery is blessed with a colossal displacement of 849cc and a compression ratio of 10.5:1.
At 7,500 rpm, the feral DOHC powerplant will generate up to 79 hp, accompanied by approximately 62 pound-feet (84 Nm) of ruthless torque at 6,000 rpm. A five-speed transmission is tasked with channeling this force to the rear wheel via a chain final drive.
The powertrain components are nested inside a tubular steel trellis frame, which rests on 41 mm (1.61 inches) telescopic forks up front, along with a single shock absorber and a double-sided swingarm at the rear. TRX850’s 17-inch three-spoke wheels wear 298 mm (11.73 inches) brake discs and Nissin four-piston calipers at the front, joined by a 248 mm (9.76 inches) rotor and a one-piston caliper on the opposite end.
Now, the first step in Jonny Taylor masterplan consisted of having the bike’s weary parallel-twin mill restored and upgraded by an expert, named Grant Coatsworth. The engine guru kicked things off by equipping fresh gaskets, bearings and rods, as well as a pair of Aries pistons that raise the powerplant’s displacement all the way up to 878cc.
Photo: Freestyle Photography
Additionally, Coatsworth honored TRX850’s exhaust system with a carbon fiber muffler from Akrapovic’s catalogue and removed the standard Mikuni carbs to make room for Keihin FCR units. Ultimately, the reborn four-stroke colossus will deliver an outstanding performance.
Next, Taylor tackled the painstaking task of crafting a new subframe from scratch using stainless-steel. He also tweaked the stock fuel tank to match the envisioned aesthetic, but its overall design remains unaltered. Furthermore, the folks over at Gauge Works rewired the entire thing with an M-unit Blue from Motogadget.
The suspension was treated to a complete Ohlins package, including a set of fully-adjustable forks at the front and a TTX monoshock on the other end. Lastly, the project’s mastermind outsourced a Honda CBR1000 RR’s wheels and a Yamaha YZF750’s swingarm to have them installed on his custom creature.
All things considered, we’ll have to admit that this fellow’s efforts are genuinely praise-worthy! Personally, I’m hoping to see more one-off entities from him in the near future.
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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