For a good while we have been a fan and rider of what we think of as the pitbulls of motorcycles. Those bikes being more eloquently titled as the "street fighters". Their style is squat, tight and brutally quick with loads of torque and overall its the perfect urban bike.
When the need comes up and you have to blast out of the pocket to avoid the shitty drivers that are on every main road, that extra juice is always welcome. Or when you have to stop on a dime. I remember in quite the detail one a time a cab driver slamming on his brakes right in front of me in the middle of the street and with cars on both sides I had to grab all brakes and slide sideways to avoid crashing into him. After sliding up parallel to the trunk I just smiled and laughed because if I hadn't been on the my Buell that day, things could have been far different.
Here is a nod to purpose built bikes that were meant to be ridden hard and put away wet. Dual front brakes and solid rear calipers will always slow ya down and in a hurry. That is just part of the equation of what makes this Yamaha below such a looker. We dig it for
"Somewhere, on the glorious roads of rural Scotland, this beautiful Yamaha XS750 custom is carving corners and blasting down the straights, at the command of its new owner. But it was built hundreds of miles away by Spirit of the Seventies, the English workshop that wears its influences on its sleeve.
Tim Rogers and Kevin Taggart have turned out a handful of classic racers so far, but “S7” is their best yet. And that’s not just down to the eye-catching paint effects. The front end has been upgraded with forks from a Yamaha YZF-R6 sportbike, and the brake system is from an R1. Adjustable Hagon shocks keep the rear under control, and extra power comes from a rebuilt engine and a bespoke three-into-one exhaust system from Co-Built.
The rear subframe has been shortened, and fitted with a carbon fiber tail unit with a leather seat pad. There’s an 18” wheel at the front now, and both rims have been powdercoated. Other details include custom rearsets and new lights and indicators.
None of this is rocket science, but a lot of work (and a great eye for aesthetics) has gone into this XS750. And isn’t the paint on that tank just gorgeous?
Images by Tim Rogers."
