Industrial Moto’s Interpretation of The Yamaha XV

The Yamaha Virago is one of the most popular base bikes for custom projects and there are some really beautiful and unique projects out there (check out my Top 10 here). There are some builders out there who simply nailed it with their own interpretation of the Virago. And designs like that are the best input for shed builders. But it gets harder and harder to create something unique out of Yamaha’s XV-models. As I speak for myself, I’m a bit tired of all those Virago’s with the same setup with some clip ons, a leather hump-back seat, and a Benelli Mojave gas tank. But Industrial Moto managed to deliver yet another unique version. Just after they’ve delivered us this XV last week.

Enter “Project Scout”; It began as a 1983 Yamaha XV750 Virago with 2,100 original miles. The design is a tribute to the rugged off-road look of the 1970s International Scout 4x4s once owned by the industrial Moto family and even sports an original Scout badge on the tank. It features many handmade parts, including a hand milled triple tree with embedded tach/speedometer by Motogadget. Custom handlebar and foot controls, handmade foot pegs, exhaust, and an air intake that flows with the theme of the bike were all hand machined and powder coated to match. The sub-frame and seat are one-of-a-kind, handmade features, upholstered with a black tweed fabric by Tuffside seats.

The suspension has been modernized with a GSX-R mono shock in the rear, and rebuilt forks from a ’92 CB750 out front. The CB’s matching 5-spoke wheels didn’t go to waste either. Industrial Moto built a forge and filled the rear hub with new aluminum, then machined it to fit Yamaha specs for the shaft drive hub. The wheels were fitted with Heidenau K60 Scout tires to finish off this unique build. Combining all this with a tank from a 1974 Suzuki GT750 Water Buffalo tank completed the brawny look.

The motor and chassis were completely re-built with all new seals, gaskets, and bearings for the forks, wheels, steering, and brakes, and the carburetors were rebuilt and re-jetted. An all new charging system powers the hidden Anti-Gravity Lithium battery. The electrical system is controlled by Motogadget’s m.unit blue. This feature rich device pairs with the m.ride app to allow full control and status monitoring of the bike’s electrical system, alarm and maintenance schedule from your phone. Your phone can also serve as the keyless ignition system, but for those that want the traditional keyed starting system Project Scout is equipped with a keyed ignition, as well.