Yard Built Fine Cut Yamaha XV950 – wood and metal

Yamaha’s Yard Built custom motorcycle competition has attracted custom-builders the world over, all with individual imaging of what a custom bike should look, feel, and sound like. This particular entry comes from Romania, and a team comprising of Madras Motoparts and Tridex put together a very unique combination of metal and wood that evokes a “steam-punk” vibe.

Part of the rules of the Yard Built competition specify the bike has to be “reversible”, meaning that anything done to modify the motorcycle must be able to be reversed to bring the bike back to its original state. This means any major engineering surgery, like cutting, welding and the like, is out. Furthermore, the team were given a limited amount of project funds, with major accessories to be taken from the Yamaha catalogue.

Starting with a base Yamaha XV950, SC Madras, as they are known for Yard Built, aimed for a fusion between technology and nature for Fine Cut. Using wood to accentuate the lines of the XV950, SC Madras threw in everything and the kitchen sink in terms of detailing.

Alongside the hand-crafted wood components, copious amounts of brass and copper were used to add to the steam-punk feel of the bike. The brake system was re-worked using glass syringes as fluid reservoirs, and the front brake is actually a rear brake master cylinder modified for hand actuation.

A unique touch to Fine Cut are the handlebar controls, which are wireless, and eliminate the cable clutter found on most bikes. Everything on the bike is tied together to Fine Cut’s ECU, which also allows for control of the bike’s lighting system.

The Yamaha Yard Built competition is currently open for voting, and you can vote for your favourite custom-build there, according to a report from autoevolution.

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