Bike Garage - Xs650 & Xsr700: “Fast Begetter & Faster Son” Past Times Greg Hageman

Yamaha has corking honor together with 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 thence many talented builders today, but Greg has shown his mightiness to nowadays something novel past times working amongst the Yamaha Virago to the indicate where he established custom Virago builds every bit its ain category.”

Hageman started working on Yamaha motorcycles dorsum inwards the early on 2000s. The start Yamaha he customized was a XS650 together with he at 1 time cruel inwards honey amongst the simplicity. That start construct kicked off Hageman’s honey of vintage Yamahas together with to appointment he has produced dozens of customs.

One such construct is his “Fast Father” XS projection bike, using a nearly mint 1972 XS2 every bit a platform. Hageman purchased the cycle together with gear upwards most resto modding it amongst a focus on adding modern twenty-four hr catamenia performance. Step 1 was to post 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 supplant the master copy points system, together with 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 terminate (to retain the conventional fork look) together with paired it amongst a modified SR500 MotoLanna aluminum swingarm amongst Hagon raise shocks. Hageman retained the XS2 stock hubs, but laced upwards a duet 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 human face past times finishing it off amongst a custom-made tuck together with ringlet spot together with a to a greater extent than modern Speedhut GPS-based speedometer.

Then when Hageman saw that Yamaha was bringing the XSR700 to the States market, he proposed a projection stance to Yamaha Motorcycle Project Manager Shun Miyazawa. His vision was to exercise his XS650 “Fast Father” every bit inspiration together with construct a “Faster Son” version using the XSR700.

Hageman admits the most challenging business office of the construct was sitting downwards together with trying to create upwards one's hear which path to take. Hageman adds, “when y'all construct a custom bike, y'all tin flame perish along doing things together with and thence intend 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 together with Hageman guide hold similar philosophies when it comes to blending the onetime together with new. “One of the large points of the Faster Sons philosophy isn’t thence much that nosotros desire to brand a modern retro bike. If nosotros wanted to brand a replica of an onetime bike, nosotros could arrive at that, ,” he added “We desire to offering all the modern applied scientific discipline together with functioning that people human face today amongst approximately season 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 together with fresh, but we’re connecting it to its roots.”

Yamaha together with Hageman both agreed the principal criteria of the projection move that it remain inspirational yet attainable—something the average passenger could replicate inwards their ain garage. “The XSR700 is real custom-friendly. It has all the numbers together with the specs together with everything to dorsum it all up, but it also has proficient bones to construct off” adds Hageman. “I could guide hold taken this cycle together with done a full-blown custom together with changed everything…but that wasn’t my idea.” “My stance was to accept it, simplify together with streamline it, together with construct 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 necessitate much every bit far every bit functioning upgrades thence Hageman focused on creating the atheistic synergy betwixt the 2 bikes. First he added a to a greater extent than retro-style fork gaiters together with a 7-inch headlight bucket amongst high-output LED headlight together with integrated plough signals to jibe the XS2 headlight. While he was focused on the front end end, Hageman also swapped out the manufacturing flora risers for lower profile Virago risers together with added lower superbike-style curvature handlebars from MikesXS. He together with thence relocated the stock speedo lower together with to a greater extent than forward, together with thence streamlined together with sculpted the front end fender past times removing material.

Turning his attending towards the raise of the bike, Hageman added Yamaha’s direct-fit solo spot together with raise rack accessory. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 custom tuck together with ringlet spot was also added to jibe the XS2’s seat. As he did amongst the front end fender, Hageman also modified together with streamlined the raise fender. To give it that extra chip of retro feel, Hageman powdercoated the stock wheels silvery to jibe the XS2 together with added a gear upwards of similar trend Shinko radials. He originally considered lacing upwards a gear upwards 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 gear upwards of $3,000 wheels to a $8,499 motorcycle,” Hageman adds. “It defeats the whole exercise of this build, which is to perish along it aspirational yet attainable.” Where he did pass approximately coin was on the sole functioning part—a Akropovic arrangement to assistance wake it upwards a chip when rolling on the throttle.

The in conclusion footstep inwards tying the 2 bikes together was to exercise the same 1972 ruby pigment that was on the XS2. Hageman’s regular sprayer, Moe Colors out of Tampa, Florida perfectly matched upwards color on the removable XSR tank panels. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 signature Hageman impact was adding approximately self-adhesive retro Yamaha badges to the XSR tank panels inwards yet approximately other bid to brand both bikes human face to a greater extent than similar “Father together with Son”.

So what does Yamaha intend of the in conclusion results? “First of all, it’s a real fun cycle to ride,” Miyazawa adds. “I similar how he respected the master copy spirit of the XS650 together with carried it over to this novel platform. It’s non a re-create together with glue of the master copy design…he digested the nub spirt of the XS650, understood it, together with 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 together with the roots of the XS650.”

As for Brooks, his favorite business office is the overall residuum of the design. ”It looks nimble together with genuinely rideable,” he adds. “I’ve seen thousands of custom bikes together with approximately of them…when y'all human face 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 human face at this Hageman cycle it at 1 time says “go ride me”.

But what most the builder himself? Hageman replies, “Once y'all ride it, you’re hooked. It is thence smooth. You experience that torque together with power…it exactly wants to go. And it’s thence nimble” As far every bit the XSR platform together with customization, Hageman is also a fan of the removable aluminum tank comprehend panels. “With the removable panels it’s thence slow to accept them off together with guide hold your local painter come upwards up amongst 1 paintjob, together with and thence purchase together with pigment approximately other gear upwards 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 upwards the cycle to thence many to a greater extent than changes that the average somebody tin flame do. You could accept it off together with exactly run amongst that lone or construct your ain subframe…or larn out it off together with run a fender off it, etc.”

Miyazawa sums upwards the Hageman projection exactly – “we’ve gone dorsum to the basics of the Yard Built projection amongst this XSR. Having worked amongst to a greater extent than than forty custom builders who pushed out over l dissimilar custom bikes inwards in conclusion vi years… this projection was most getting dorsum to the basics together with taking inspiration from that. Making something exceptional or making something human face proficient doesn’t e'er require a lot of investment inwards fourth dimension or coin to achieve that goal.”

“I’m real happy that Yamaha likes my work”, laughs Hageman. “I’m exactly a footling guy working inwards my garage together with for Yamaha to recognize together with similar what I arrive at is a actually large bargain to me. I’m real proud that Yamaha allowed me to participate inwards this item Yard Built project.

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

From Yamaha Motorsport