Yard Built Yamaha V-Max CS_07 Gasoline dragster

When Yamaha introduced the V-Max back in 1985, it turned the motorcycle world up-side down. At the time, road motorcycles broadly fell into three different camps – the standard, with a small or no fairing, designed to fit most roles, the sports bike, a trend began in earnest by the Suzuki GSX-R1100 H-model, and cruisers, with a look popularised by Harley-Davidson. The V-Max, with its 1,200 cc V4, followed none of those styles.

It was a big bruiser of a bike, with stunning acceleration and torque, and didn’t go round corners particularly well. But bikers across the world loved it for its purity of purpose – straight-line speed, and not much else. Bespoke bike builders roCkS!bikes – based in Oporto, Portugal – is continuing its CS series of Yard Built bikes with a Yamaha V-Max fitted with monocouque bodywork dressed in Yamaha’s yellow, black and white racing livery to commemorate the Japanese company’s 60th anniversary of motorcycle production and 30 years of the V-Max.

Taking the drag-bike look a little further, the CS_07 Gasoline is the brain-child of Alexandre Santos and Osvaldo Coutinho, whose initials give their Yard Built series the model moniker. Taking away the low-slung seat of the original, the Yard Built V-Max now has a seat propped up at the level of the handlebars, and the swingarm has been stretched out a little in the drag-racer style. The overall look mimics Yamaha’s RD48 racing two-stroke from 1961.

The hand-built monocouque body comes off as one piece from the bike, and what appears to be the fuel tank covers the K&N air filter housing sitting on top of the 1,679 cc engine, like the unmolested V-Max. The actual fuel tank is under the seat, helping to lower the centre of gravity and improve the bike’s handling. Grip is aided with the addition of a Mickey Thompson rear slick, and LSL footpeg adapters and clip-ons keep the rider in control.

Brembo brake and clutch master cylinders look after the hydraulic end of things, and a custom genuine handcrafted leather seat cossets the rider. Other design touches include a Rizoma fuel cap, Motogadget grips, bar-end ring-type turn signals and custom-made 18-inch spoke wheels. No price has been released, but it is assumed that purchasing a custom-built work of motorcycle art will not be cheap.