Since modern motorcycles are far more complex than their predecessors, it makes them harder to customize. But a few bikes buck that trend—like the Yamaha MT-07, and the MT-derived XSR700.
The MT engine and its requisite plumbing are a little cluttered to the eye, but it’s a hella peachy mill, packed into an equally playful chassis. And the rest of the bike’s put together like a Meccano set, making it fun to pull apart and reconfigure. So it’s no surprise that leading custom shops have been producing bolt-on MT-07 and XSR700 kits.
‘The Young Jerk’ is a tight and focused rework on the MT-07, and comes from star builder Jeremy Tagand at Deus Ex Machina in Sydney, Australia. Yamaha Australia commissioned it as a one-off—but once Jeremy got cracking, he decided to take it a step further and use the build as a prototype for a bolt-on kit.
This new kit will fit either the MT or the XSR, in your choice of fiberglass or carbon fiber.
Jeremy started off by putting a call in to fellow Frenchman Simon Dabadie at Dab Design, to help him visualize his ideas. Simon has history with Yamaha builds, and laid down a 2D rendering of the concept; a street tracker, with a monocoque body that would fit over the Yamaha’s OEM frame and fuel reservoir.
Next, the MT-07 went off to Greg Kerba at Sydney Composite, to create the mold for the fiberglass body.
Greg started by stripping the bike down and 3D scanning it, so that there’d be a digital version of the bike to work with. But once the guys laid the 2D design on top of the 3D render of the MT, nothing lined up.
Andrew Simpson and his crew at Vert Design came to the rescue, knocking the renders into shape, so that the final molds could be milled out of timber. Greg then laid down the final fiberglass prototype, which, after a few more adjustments, fit.
Deus wanted the kit to be an easy installation for even most novice of builders—and without having to scar the frame at all. So they tasked Mario at Ricci Engineering with machining a set of five billet aluminum mounting brackets, to interface between the new components and the chassis. It’s a low-stress, bonafide bolt-on affair.
Capping the monocoque off is a carbon fiber seat pan, wrapped in white leather by David Britton from Bad Arse Trim Co.
With that sorted, Jeremy started fleshing out details beyond just the kit. Out back, he fabricated a new tail tidy with a license plate bracket surrounded by six Kellermann Atto LEDs, to handle taillight and turn signal duties. Kellermann BL 2000 bar end turn signals take care of business up front.
The front end’s finished off with a LED-equipped tracker headlight from Dab Design, and a high-mounted fender on a custom bracket from Mario. Further back, Jeremy relocated the MT-07 speedo onto new bar risers, now gripping a set of Renthal Fatbars.
Carlisle Tyre & Accessories hooked the team up with a set of K&N filters to replace the air box, and a two-into-one exhaust system, terminating in an SC Project can. The guys also installed a Power Commander V unit, so that Harley Borkowski at RB Racing could coax a few more horses out of the already pokey motor.
Jeremy kept the stock suspension, wheels and brakes, but swapped the tires for a set of Pirelli Scorpions.
Deus’ design team wanted the Yamaha’s livery to reflect the same sensibilities as their apparel line, so they collaborated with a New York creative studio, Young Jerks, to develop an original graphic. Dutchy’s Motorcycle Spray Painting laid down the design in blue and off white, with a satin finish.
With the MT-07 buttoned up, Deus decided to try two more ideas: execute the kit in carbon fiber, and adapt it to the XSR700. After all, the MT and XSR are effectively the same bike, under the hood.
Jeremy went back to Greg, and asked him to build the same shell—except this time out of carbon fiber. Using basically the same bracket set as before, the kit bolted straight onto the XSR donor.
Jeremy handled the details on this one a little differently. It got a different set of bar risers, with custom made bars, made by Jonathan Okada at Kansai Giant. Dave handled upholstery again, this time with an Alcantara cover. And Jeremy built another custom tail tidy, this time with Purpose Built Moto taillights and blinkers.
The rest of the XSR is mostly stock, highlighting the difference the kit makes. The only other upgrades are a full Akrapovič exhaust system, and a set of Bridgestone Battlax Adventure Cross tires.
The Deus ‘Bombshell’ kit is now available in the material of your choice, with all the required mounting hardware, and looks cracking on either bike. All you have to do is design your own tail light and plate setup (because the OEM stuff gets in the way), and you’re set.
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