Photo: Kevin McAllister
Each and every motorcycle genre is defined by a few quintessential traits that set it apart from the rest. For the archetypal cafe racer, a lightweight construction, sporty ergonomics, and a perfectly level bone line are all boxes that ought to be ticked off. Picking a cruiser as your starting point when looking to build a caffeinated one-off isn’t exactly ideal by any means – unless the goal is to really challenge yourself, of course.
As it turns out, this was the plan for Kevin McAllister, the gifted custom bike artisan behind the fascinating project we’re about to look at. He built this exceptional cafe racer with a 1983-model Yamaha Virago acting as his canvas, and the result is startling to say the least. Choosing the XV750 was a bold move, for sure, as the bike would need some serious reworking to achieve its new form.
It all started on a day like any other, when one of McAllister's friends decided to pay him a visit at his shop. He’d brought along his beat-up Virago, and the two sat down for a chat to decide the motorcycle’s fate. Being fully aware of what Kevin could pull off, the owner gave him free rein to customize it as he saw fit – a very wise decision, indeed!
First things first, the project’s author did away with a large chunk of the Virago’s stock hardware, except for its engine and main frame. With the donor taken apart, the following step saw Kevin sourcing some new front-end paraphernalia from a 2003 Honda VTR1000F. The repurposed forks are held in place via custom triple clamps, with the top unit supporting a Renthal handlebar. Adorning the latter are Oury grips, Motion Pro switches, and a single bar-end mirror mounted on the left.
Magura supplied the new control levers, and the standard instrumentation has been replaced with a digital Endurance II dash from Trail Tech. Furthermore, a retro-style LSL headlight can be seen replacing the outdated factory item. The electrics, along with a modern Shorai lithium-ion battery, are stashed inside a one-off metal box that’s been fabricated from scratch.
McAllister busied himself with welding bespoke mounting points onto Virago’s skeleton, so as to allow the fitment of a replacement fuel tank from a 1977 RD400. At the rear end, there is a handmade subframe topped with an aluminum seat pan, and a Supernova LED taillight from Revival Cycles is located in that same area. The bike’s rear section is finished off with a bespoke saddle clad in black vinyl.
The entire framework was powder-coated black to keep things looking nice and clean. In terms of powertrain adjustments, the air-cooled 748cc V-twin engine was blessed with a K&N crankcase breather filter, new Mikuni carburetors, and a two-into-one exhaust fashioned in-house out of stainless-steel. The front fender got trimmed to minimize visual heft, while a pair of Tarozzi rearsets round out the ergonomics.
It all started on a day like any other, when one of McAllister's friends decided to pay him a visit at his shop. He’d brought along his beat-up Virago, and the two sat down for a chat to decide the motorcycle’s fate. Being fully aware of what Kevin could pull off, the owner gave him free rein to customize it as he saw fit – a very wise decision, indeed!
First things first, the project’s author did away with a large chunk of the Virago’s stock hardware, except for its engine and main frame. With the donor taken apart, the following step saw Kevin sourcing some new front-end paraphernalia from a 2003 Honda VTR1000F. The repurposed forks are held in place via custom triple clamps, with the top unit supporting a Renthal handlebar. Adorning the latter are Oury grips, Motion Pro switches, and a single bar-end mirror mounted on the left.
Magura supplied the new control levers, and the standard instrumentation has been replaced with a digital Endurance II dash from Trail Tech. Furthermore, a retro-style LSL headlight can be seen replacing the outdated factory item. The electrics, along with a modern Shorai lithium-ion battery, are stashed inside a one-off metal box that’s been fabricated from scratch.
McAllister busied himself with welding bespoke mounting points onto Virago’s skeleton, so as to allow the fitment of a replacement fuel tank from a 1977 RD400. At the rear end, there is a handmade subframe topped with an aluminum seat pan, and a Supernova LED taillight from Revival Cycles is located in that same area. The bike’s rear section is finished off with a bespoke saddle clad in black vinyl.
The entire framework was powder-coated black to keep things looking nice and clean. In terms of powertrain adjustments, the air-cooled 748cc V-twin engine was blessed with a K&N crankcase breather filter, new Mikuni carburetors, and a two-into-one exhaust fashioned in-house out of stainless-steel. The front fender got trimmed to minimize visual heft, while a pair of Tarozzi rearsets round out the ergonomics.
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