Yamaha’s Yard Built XSR700’s inspired by ‘Back to the Future’. Which is your favourite?

Yamaha unveiled six Yard Built SXR700’s at this year’s Wheels & Waves Festival – all inspired by ‘Back to the Future’.  

This year, it was down to bike builders and custom shops from Miss Bikes, Ton Up Garage, Le French Atelier, Russell Motorcycles, Yamaha Klein and Ironwood Motorcycles to make their marks on the XSR700 base-bike.

Miss Bikes, a group of Italian biker women, chose to base their bike around the Japanese battleship Yamato. Built in collaboration with Rice Eater Garage, the bike features an airbrush on the body in white and red, a new leather seat, Virex Craft exhaust and accessories from brands such as Motorcycle Storehouse, Free Spirits and Rizoma.

Portugal-based Ton Up Garage were inspired by the arcade games of the 80s to create Outrun. Its bodywork is made entirely by hand from aluminum, and it comes with an original Ton Up Garage exhaust, handlebars with new ITR handles and Beringer controls, in addition to alloy wheels and slick competition tyres.

Le French Atelier created The Bull Noir – modifying the motorcycle at the chassis level, trimming the forks, and adding lenticular wheels. And there’s even a rear camera that serves as a rear-view mirror.

The Austrians of Russel Motorcycles made a nod to the 1989 racing team, the Yamaha Gauloises with its Yamaha XSR700 Resilience. Its project bike model stands apart from the rest, drawing inspiration from motorcycle racing with its new metallic body with custom colours and its cool exhaust and racing tyres.

Germany-based Yamaha Klein, presented its Bantam Racer, painted with refreshing menthol Citroën Vert Argenté and equipped with new wheels, front optics, a rear mono-shock. Plus it uses an imposing YZF- R1 front end, offering a clever contrast between retro style and modernity.

Finally, Ironwood Motorcycles arrived from the Netherlands with its Chronos Joyride . An intriguing mix of retro lines and contemporary details – the bike was equipped with an aluminium body, a Motogadget Scope fork and a vintage Lamborghini “Aventador” paint.