The 2014 wheels & Waves event in Biarritz went down a storm two weeks ago with thousands of dedicated custom bikes descending on the French coast to enjoy sunshine, good times and beautiful motorcycles. Yamaha were there in style with a showcase of stunning Yard Built creations from a host of builders including The Bender Brothers, Deus Ex Machina, Wrenchmonkees and Roland Sands.
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Aside from the already announced bikes, two special new machines were unwrapped at wheels & Waves for the assembled custom enthusiasts. The German Bender brothers Christian and Raphael took the covers off their first Yard Built Yamaha project, the über cool SR400 ‘Homage’. The brothers are huge fans of the Yamaha XT500 and took that as their inspiration in building the ‘Homage’.
The standard SR400 was stripped back and then modified by the brothers to give the modern machine that rugged vintage, go-anywhere feel. Changes include modifications to the engine covers, chain cover, triple tree and brake and gear levers. A classic chrome endurance style handlebar was added along with a custom alloy case to hold tools where the original exhaust was mounted. Small vintage front and rear lights were added along with TT500 style alloy side covers. The brothers then added a custom scrambler exhaust, a shortened seat and a handmade rear rack to complete the look. A small analogue speedo adds to the stripped back vintage style.
Following from the concept bike creation the Bender brothers have now released a set of kit parts so that SR400 owners can build their own Yard Built ‘Homage’. Currently available parts include custom front and rear fenders, a rear rack, chain cover and side plates. You can also order the front lamp, foot pegs, gear lever and the brake lever to complete the look. The custom seat and exhaust system will also be available soon! You can order online at www.benders-echte.de
There’s more to look forward to later in the year from the German brothers as they have begun a new Yard Built project based on the Yamaha XV950. You can expect to see a very special café racer style machine unveiled at this year’s EICMA show with a stunning paint scheme complementing customised aluminium parts and pieces. Christian and Raphael took some inspiration for this build from a previous Yamaha custom of theirs, the ‘Jericho’. Based on a 1983 Yamaha TR1, the Jericho is a stunning display of stripped back cool with a DellOrto carb and modified seat, handlebar, lamps and brackets, topped off with a wicked paint job.
Check it out here: http://benders-echte.de/en/motorbikes/benders-jericho/
The Bender brothers aren’t the only ones finding inspiration in Yamaha’s past, Italy’s Deus Ex Machina have paid tribute to 35 years of the SR project and took a ride out down to Biarritz to unveil their latest Yard Built project, the Deus SR400 Lightning. Building on the SR’s legendary simplicity and lightness, Deus transformed the little 400 into a rugged machine ready to tackle anything from a little scrambling off-road to a Sunday ride to the beach on a curving asphalt road. To capture the feel of the past, original materials were used including aluminium, fibreglass, steel and rubber.
Deus created the Lightning using a special aluminium crafted fuel tank with ‘Monza’ fuel cap, a FOX rear shock and custom CNC formed Triple Clamps. An Sc-Project exhaust and Sprint Filter cone system added the right sound whilst an MX handlebar and Six Days front headlamp set off the look.
Having made the Lightning concept a reality, Deus have now created a second Yard Built SR400, the Deus 400. Born from the Lightning design, the Deus 400 is available as a complete kit for those who want to create their own Deus Yard Built SR400. The kit includes some beautifully constructed pieces including a handcrafted aluminium tank and ‘Monza’ cap, hand crafted front and rear fenders and a new analogic tachometer. The kit also contains a cool suede seat and custom rear rack and the full Sc-Project exhaust. Modifiers can go the whole way with their custom build and also order the off-road handlebars, special front and rear lights, aluminium turn signals and number plate holder.
You can also bring your new SR400 to Deus and have the bike built completely for you, buy a brand new fully prepared Deus 400 from them or alternatively order selected parts from the kit online here: http://deuscustoms.com/deus-400-sr-kit/
You can now explore every detail of Yamaha’s Yard Built projects on the Yamaha Motor Europe Facebook page. A specially designed Yard Built TAB takes you inside each build with a unique gallery of images. As well as getting a close up look at the details of each build, galleries will be added for custom bike events where Yard Built has a presence. You can see the Wheels & Waves event online now and catch up with the on-going build by NYC based customiser Keno. The TAB also collects all the Yard Built images on Instagram and collects them all in a gallery for your viewing pleasure. Check it out here: http://bit.ly/yardbuiltproject
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