Xs650 & Xsr700: “Fast Begetter & Faster Son” Yesteryear Greg Hageman

Yamaha has slap-up honor as well as admiration for custom motorbike builder Greg Hageman. Based out of Bettendorf, Iowa, Hageman describes himself every bit “just a guy working inwards my garage”, but inwards reality, he has established himself every bit a premier builder amongst a truthful passion for edifice beautifully simplistic bikes. Shun Miyazawa, Yamaha Motorcycle Project Manager was quick to recognize Hageman’s abilities. “There are thus many talented builders today, but Greg has shown his mightiness to nowadays something novel past times working amongst the Yamaha Virago to the signal where he established custom Virago builds every bit its ain category.”

Hageman started working on Yamaha motorcycles dorsum inwards the early on 2000s. The origin Yamaha he customized was a XS650 as well as he immediately roughshod inwards dearest amongst the simplicity. That origin gear upward kicked off Hageman’s dearest of vintage Yamahas as well as to appointment he has produced dozens of customs.

One such gear upward is his “Fast Father” XS projection bike, using a nearly mint 1972 XS2 every bit a platform. Hageman purchased the cycle as well as laid well-nigh resto modding it amongst a focus on adding modern solar daytime performance. Step i was to mail the engine off to Yamaha specialists MikesXS where they performed a total rebuild. They updated the engine using modern parts such every bit Mikuni VM34 carbs, a Pamco electronic ignition to supervene upon the master points system, as well as a XSCharge permanent magnet alternator amongst a lithium battery to run updated LED lighting.

After receiving the engine dorsum at his shop, Hageman updated the chassis amongst an early on 2000-era R6 front end destination (to retain the conventional fork look) as well as paired it amongst a modified SR500 MotoLanna aluminum swingarm amongst Hagon nurture shocks. Hageman retained the XS2 stock hubs, but laced upward a distich of Excel rims amongst stainless spokes to run to a greater extent than modern Shinko 705 radials. After the basic construction of the cycle was inwards place, Hagemen streamlined the expression past times finishing it off amongst a custom-made tuck as well as coil spot as well as a to a greater extent than modern Speedhut GPS-based speedometer.

Then when Hageman saw that Yamaha was bringing the XSR700 to the U.S. of A. market, he proposed a projection stance to Yamaha Motorcycle Project Manager Shun Miyazawa. His vision was to utilisation his XS650 “Fast Father” every bit inspiration as well as gear upward a “Faster Son” version using the XSR700.

Hageman admits the most challenging purpose of the gear upward was sitting downwards as well as trying to create upward one's hear which path to take. Hageman adds, “when y'all gear upward a custom bike, y'all tin expire on doing things as well as and thus mean value to yourself, “am I improving this, or am I exactly making it different”. Yamaha’s Motorcycle Product Line Manager Derek Brooks was quick to reinforce that both Yamaha as well as Hageman get got similar philosophies when it comes to blending the sometime as well as new. “One of the large points of the Faster Sons philosophy isn’t thus much that nosotros desire to brand a modern retro bike. If nosotros wanted to brand a replica of an sometime bike, nosotros could hit that, ,” he added “We desire to offering all the modern technology scientific discipline as well as functioning that people await today amongst about flavour of the past. That’s where the XSR700 actually hitting the mark. We’re paying homage to the past times amongst the functioning of today.” And Hageman concurs, “with this XSR project, you’re taking something that’s modern, novel as well as fresh, but we’re connecting it to its roots.”

Yamaha as well as Hageman both agreed the principal criteria of the projection live that it remain inspirational yet attainable—something the average passenger could replicate inwards their ain garage. “The XSR700 is really custom-friendly. It has all the numbers as well as the specs as well as everything to dorsum it all up, but it also has expert bones to gear upward off” adds Hageman. “I could get got taken this cycle as well as done a full-blown custom as well as changed everything…but that wasn’t my idea.” “My stance was to get got it, simplify as well as streamline it, as well as gear upward the cycle every bit to a greater extent than of an inspiration for hereafter buyers.”

The XSR, amongst its considerably to a greater extent than modern baseline, didn’t ask much every bit far every bit functioning upgrades thus Hageman focused on creating the atheistic synergy betwixt the 2 bikes. First he added a to a greater extent than retro-style fork gaiters as well as a 7-inch headlight bucket amongst high-output LED headlight as well as integrated plough signals to agree the XS2 headlight. While he was focused on the front end end, Hageman also swapped out the mill risers for lower profile Virago risers as well as added lower superbike-style curvature handlebars from MikesXS. He as well as thus relocated the stock speedo lower as well as to a greater extent than forward, as well as thus streamlined as well as sculpted the front end fender past times removing material.

Turning his attending towards the nurture of the bike, Hageman added Yamaha’s direct-fit solo spot as well as nurture rack accessory. A custom tuck as well as coil spot was also added to agree the XS2’s seat. As he did amongst the front end fender, Hageman also modified as well as streamlined the nurture fender. To give it that extra flake of retro feel, Hageman powdercoated the stock wheels silverish to agree the XS2 as well as added a laid of similar trend Shinko radials. He originally considered lacing upward a laid of custom spoke wheels similar the ones he used on his XS2, but Hageman ultimately decided he wanted to remain truthful to the principal goal of keeping this cycle attainable for the average builder. “For me, I didn’t desire to add together a laid of $3,000 wheels to a $8,499 motorcycle,” Hageman adds. “It defeats the whole purpose of this build, which is to expire on it aspirational yet attainable.” Where he did pass about coin was on the sole functioning part—a Akropovic organization to deal wake it upward a flake when rolling on the throttle.

The lastly pace inwards tying the 2 bikes together was to utilisation the same 1972 cherry pigment that was on the XS2. Hageman’s regular sprayer, Moe Colors out of Tampa, Florida perfectly matched upward color on the removable XSR tank panels. A signature Hageman impact was adding about self-adhesive retro Yamaha badges to the XSR tank panels inwards yet about other bid to brand both bikes expression to a greater extent than similar “Father as well as Son”.

So what does Yamaha mean value of the lastly results? “First of all, it’s a really fun cycle to ride,” Miyazawa adds. “I similar how he respected the master spirit of the XS650 as well as carried it over to this novel platform. It’s non a re-create as well as glue of the master design…he digested the center spirt of the XS650, understood it, as well as executed it inwards a slightly dissimilar means on the XSR700. It’s much to a greater extent than modern but it yet respects the original. It’s impressive how he made the perfect residuum betwixt riding fun as well as the roots of the XS650.”

As for Brooks, his favorite purpose is the overall residuum of the design. ”It looks nimble as well as genuinely rideable,” he adds. “I’ve seen thousands of custom bikes as well as about of them…when y'all expression at them, y'all say, “that looks genuinely beautiful but I wouldn’t desire to ride it” …it looks uncomfortable or exactly un-rideable.” When I expression at this Hageman cycle it immediately says “go ride me”.

But what well-nigh the builder himself? Hageman replies, “Once y'all ride it, you’re hooked. It is thus smooth. You experience that torque as well as power…it exactly wants to go. And it’s thus nimble” As far every bit the XSR platform as well as customization, Hageman is also a fan of the removable aluminum tank comprehend panels. “With the removable panels it’s thus slowly to get got them off as well as get got your local painter come upward up amongst i paintjob, as well as and thus purchase as well as pigment about other laid of panels to create a whole other look,” he adds. And Hageman also adds, “the fact that the XSR comes amongst a bolt on subframe changes everything. It opens upward the cycle to thus many to a greater extent than changes that the average individual tin do. You could get got it off as well as exactly travel amongst that lone or gear upward your ain subframe…or exit it off as well as travel a fender off it, etc.”

Miyazawa sums upward the Hageman projection merely – “we’ve gone dorsum to the basics of the Yard Built projection amongst this XSR. Having worked amongst to a greater extent than than xl custom builders who pushed out over l dissimilar custom bikes inwards lastly six years… this projection was well-nigh getting dorsum to the basics as well as taking inspiration from that. Making something particular or making something expression expert doesn’t ever require a lot of investment inwards fourth dimension or coin to achieve that goal.”

“I’m really happy that Yamaha likes my work”, laughs Hageman. “I’m exactly a niggling guy working inwards my garage as well as for Yamaha to recognize as well as similar what I hit is a actually large bargain to me. I’m really proud that Yamaha allowed me to participate inwards this item Yard Built project.

For to a greater extent than information on Hageman Cycles, view them at: www.hagemanmc.com

From Yamaha Motorsport

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