The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

Yamaha Virago Cafe Racers by Doc’s Chops

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Yamaha Virago cafe racer by Greg Hageman of Doc's Chops

It’s always interesting to think about who first looked at any particular motorcycle and thought, “nice bike, but why not make it a cafe racer?” The Yamaha Virago has been done many times and as we’ve noted before, it doesn’t come from the factory with any such pretensions, it’s a cruiser. Well, once you look at these two Virago cafe conversions by Greg Hageman of Doc’s Chops, you might think the factory missed the boat by aiming at the wrong target. These look great.

The gold bike is based on the Virago 750, while the white one uses the 920. In both cases the engine is a natural for the cafe racer style, it’s too bad Yamaha didn’t think so when they built them.

Greg has built some gorgeous CX500 cafe racers, too, as was pointed out in a comment on the previous post, but like most custom bikes of this type, these are one off creations by a highly skilled builder. Wouldn’t it be nice if he turned this conversion, which he obviously does very well, into a kit as was done on that CX500? Think of all of the Yamaha Viragos lying around hardly ridden anymore that would get a whole new lease on life. Interesting to think about.

Link: Doc’s Chops
Link: Photos by Erick Runyon of ChopperShotz

Yamaha Virago cafe racer by Greg Hageman of Doc's Chops

Comments

  1. I hope everyone also remembers that there was a chain drive version of the Virago called the XV920E. They were a lot rarer than the shafty, but they still pop up for sale every once in a while.

    Mark L.

    • …and a monoshock…

      Yeah that was back before they went for the full-on cruiser treatment.

    • XV920r(H) and J(H) were the designations sold in the US. I lusted for one after randomly seeing it years ago and picked up a very clean 81 last year.

      There are a couple chain conversions that have been done, one quite serviceable and one REALLY slick that I know of, so it could be done.

      This engine lives on in the current XV1100 (V-star) and there are some really interesting performance parts that have grown out of that crowd; pistons for getting decent compression, cams, carbs etc. 100hp is NOT out of the question…..

  3. If only somebody could come up with a kit for the 535, which, like the other Viragos, is strange enough with its hung engine, shaft drive, and faux airboxes. Unfortunately, it also has a fuel tank under the seat, an airbox in the frame neck, downdraft carbs, and a frame neck that’s too wide to fit 99.9% of tanks, which makes modifying it a pain in the butt.

  4. The chain-drive version is the ’81 XV920RH and the ’82 XV920RJ, and the TR-1
    in Europe.
    There is a build happening on the viragotechforum that’s awesome. He’s converting a shaft drive to a chain drive. It’s worth a look. He has access to the tools everyone wishes they had.
    Here’s the link: http://viragotechforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=61&t=27799

  5. I saw this bike a while back on another site…

    I have thought about it every week or so since.

    I WANT one.

    And even better, a 920 chain-drive motor. I like shaft-drive, but reading about this bike’s build, the rear wheel was a real problem, because a wider wheel was extremely close to the narrow shaft-drive swing arm.

    Classified Moto did a XV920-based version, quite like this bike, but with upgraded USD forks, and cast swing arm from an Yamaha R6, because the 920 variant has chain drive output, rather than shaft drive.
    http://johnryland.posterous.com/classified-moto-xv920

    I am not usually a transverse-VTwin fan as much as I like the MotoGuzzi Flying-V, and BMW boxer… but this style bike with the spine frame, looks fantastic, and elemental when stripped down for a cafe racer. A bullet-style half-fairing would be a great addition to a bike like this.

  6. Nice bikes! I’m wondering how he converted the cast aluminum twisted spoke Virago’s rear wheel to a wire spoke wheel while still retaining the driveshaft. I ride a ’78 Yamaha XS750 Special, and while there weren’t any versions with wire wheels imported into this country, there were in other parts of the world, like the UK, although finding a set is rare. I’d put some small color matched fenders on (one fenderless chopper in my life was a permanent lesson in the rain), but like them both otherwise. I briefly owned a 920 Virago a few years back, and while I loved the engine’s torque and smoothness, the rest of the bikes’ ergonomics sucked, so I sold it. These builds would take care of Yamaha’s mistakes. Now I wish I had that 920 back….

  7. Talking of putting engines into places they were never designed for. I keep hankering a fantasy about taking a Honda V250. A bike that was never sold in England was rare in mainland Europe. And making a stripped down street tracker kinda bike from it. .

  8. A very nice conversion. The Virago wasn’t really a half bad machine, while lacking upper rpm Hp it delivered a decent amount of grunt. And of the early Japanese V-Twin mid-cruisers, it didn’t hurt the eyes that much.

    A chain conversion is one route to go for accomplishing a gearing change, or as part of the face lift. Another route is getting serious with the milling machine and cutting a different set of bevel gears and keeping the shaft.

    And then there’s the challenge of stuffing anything larger than 180/75 rear tread. A super custom would include a redesigned tranny output and wider shaft housing/swing arm…that would demonstrate some serious skills and commitment to original concept.

    But, both of these incarnations of the theme are well done and stunning examples of what might have been; and what can be found in the resurrection of old steel.

  9. Yamaha saw the potential for an alternative when they released the Bulldog. The Bulldog was designed in Europe and was slightly Buellish.
    It kept the shaft but was let down by the suspension which was didn’t endear it to the press.

  10. The build I referenced above uses a 230 rear tire. He machined the engine case to transform to a chain-drive. Check it out.

    • Those are pretty cool. Thanks for posting that.

      It is giving me ideas for a mix up of 900SS-CR and Sport Classic, built on this japanese V-twin and spine frame, rather than more expensive italian hardware. Just for something a bit different than the usual suspects.

      I may have to read up on performance modifications for this engine. I think I remember that there are variants of many different displacements based on this same crankcase, even up around 1100CCs. Maybe an over-square moderately high compression, free-breathing motor could be built from various components.

  13. Wow – very nice!

    And thanks posters for the very interesting links – some superb bikes

  14. Very interesting! That Yamaha V-twin looks as if it was designed for this bike. Another example of making a great rider from a bike that is plentiful and inexpensive. Converting to chain drive makes great sense in that it allows wire wheels and varying final drive ratios. I’m sure there are ways to get a lot more power from that reliable engine. Does someone offer a chain-drive conversion, or is extensive machine work involved? Even retaining the shaft and alloy wheels, it would be a good machine for a weekend bash.

    • Hi all from NewZealand, Yamaha built a chain drive version of the Virago called a TR1 in the UK and Europe, In Australia and NZ its called a XV1000 actually 980cc, it was also popular in Germany try Manfreds TR1 site, a 750 chain drive model was also available in Japan, a few of these have turned up in NZ. The 750 shares the same stroke as the 1000 and can be converted to 980 cc as long as the crankcase mouth is enlarged. XV1100 Virago cranks can also be fitted to give 1084 cc.

      cheers Jim.

  16. BTW…there have been a few less than flattering comments here and on other sites about the photog work. Most of those comments, regarding poor angles, overly contrived lighting and less than revealing pictures are fully justified. I’d like to point out that Rick @ ChpperShotz has done another fine job. He has an eye for focusing on the unique aspects of a bike build, and delivers some stunning shots that leave the viewer with a very clear and real image of the entire bike…at the same time. I’m betting, tho I don’t really want to see it, that he could make a moped look good.

    • “a few less than flattering comments here …”

      Um, … what comments were those?

      • @Paul Crowe Ya know, I might be just a tad mistaken about the “here”. One of the more recent comments about photo quality was posted on the BIKEEXIF site by Richard P, aka MULE, (in re:“IPOTHESYS”, 28th comment from top) and for some reason II intrinsically associate MULE with this site. My Bad. Still, my appreciation of Rick’s photo work stands, and I agree with any comment about overly staged and air-brushed photos that hide the true nature of the beast..where ever they may be found!

  18. Nice bikes even though those benelli tanks are slightly overused in builds these days. Otherwise, very cool bikes

  19. I’ve always had a soft spot for the Virago, particularly the chain drive model. Very Vincent: stressed engine and the shock arrangement. I have a clipping out of an American Roadracing or Roadracing World of Vernon Davis’ “Lurch”. It was a racing bike built from a Virago. The frame was mocked up out of cardboard and then cut and welded in aluminum plate. Kevin Schwantz got some of his earliest rides in AMA on that bike.

    • Ok, I’m a dyed-in-the-wool traditionalist, but that Road Creature looks more like road kill (albeit very shiny road kill)

  23. Carolynne —

    Oh, c’mon… think how great you’d look carving a corner on this bike!

    OK, maybe it wouldn’t be terribly comfortable for an all-day ride. Cafe bikes are narrowly defined. Yours will have to do a lot more. Have you found “your” bike?

    • Yes I have! I am just waiting for executive approval! (meaning the husband to check it over)

  25. Congratulations! I’m sure your husband will see that it’s a good one, and that he’ll put it in good shape for you to ride — just in time for Spring! On the road again….

  26. I have always thought the 920 was a nice bike. Later Yamaha tried to “Harleytise” it and produced some extreme cheese in the process. This article and the posted links reveal potential in the design that I could not have imagined. Beautiful stuff from very talented people.

  27. It really is a great looking powerplant. Yamaha owns it, should revive and use in a modern classic. Might not sell many but….

    I love the 535 idea too. I actually almost went and sat on one, but know I won’t fit.

    In the meantime I am happy with my several Suzuki 90 degree twins.

  29. There may or may not be a few atoms of Zero fighter metal in these, but ther i’s a hefty dose of the spirit.

    • and yaou probably drank a few molecules of Tojo’s urine in your coffee this morning:)

  30. In Defense of Website M/C Photo’s ;

    #1 – Nine times out of Ten the photos have been provided by the builders , owners etc and not taken by the website owner .

    #2 – Ten years ago you’d of had bupkiss photos available online of these bikes : Good – Bad or Indifferent

    #3 So …… the photos are what they are , these are M/C sites not Fine Photography Illustrated , and unless you can do a whole lot better / putting up your own website open to public criticism and proving you can ….

    As my Brit buddies would say …….. ” Shut yer cake hole and enjoy them for what they are ” Online available – free of charge photos of Customs from around the World

    Nuff said !

  31. Had I’d seen some Viragos like this 20 or so years ago I may not have sold it so my wife could buy a car ;-).

    The guys at Deus Ex Machina (http://deuscustoms.com) here in Sydney are doing alot of chopping Kwaka’s and the like with some awesome results. It looks like they’ve opened up in Singapore and the US as well but I haven’t checked out those sites.

  32. here’s a summary of a virago 920 roadracer put together by yamaha canada race mechanic Bob Work:
    This past February, while in the cafe at Millenium Motorcycles in St. Helens just east of Liverpool, I met Alan Seddon. Alan lived in BC’s Lower Mainland in the early 80s’ and rode that bike at Westwood. It was built for the US Battle of the Twins series and was seriously modified from its rather mundane stock specification. The pressed-steel frame was heavily braced, the forks were off some TZ and the motor was truly hot-rodded. Its Achilles heel was the cam chain tensioners and it would not take to over-revving. I spoke to Bob Work a couple of weeks ago and he told me it was campaigned by a variety of riders south of the border including Dave Aldana. Alan said it went around corners okay but it would weave in a straight line. The article in CC was by Alan Cathcart but it someone will have to dig through their musty collection to identify the issue. The bike itself no longer exists having been broken into component parts long ago.

  33. An ugly duckling into a swan. The Virago mechnicals aren’t bad at all, so this works in a lot of ways.

  34. Never had a soft spot for the Virago but can remember back to the late 70s when I got my first cafe racer magazines and loved the styling ever since. This is one great looking cafe!

  35. Is the rake on the two Virago trackers shown stock? Looks like forks have been swapped out but what about rake?