1978 Yamaha XS750 Special

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This one was plagued by the most gremlins by far. Worth the trouble, though. Commissioned by advertising art director Adam Stockton in the winter, this antique triple has one of the most devilish exhaust notes ever. Jetted with pods and custom 3-into-1 straight pipe, it's got power for days. Technically a Yamasaki, the front end was snagged from an '05 Kawasaki ZX6R (Ninja 636) which dramatically changes the stance and attitude of the beast. Stockton's bike was the first to incorporate the perforated metal side covers that let you get a hint of what's behind them — in this case, not much. Just a tiny battery in a custom welded mount. Above it, the underseat electronics tray that keeps the unpretty stuff from view. Who says shaft drives can't be cool? (Photos: http://www.adamewing.com )

1978 Kawasaki KZ650 SR

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This was one of "The Alexandria Three" that my buddy Greg Ownby and I bought for a good deal up near DC this summer. My long-time friend Devin Bousquet bought one of them from us and it became part of the family. We gave it "the treatment" with an '04 Gixxer 1000 front end and a slimdown. Jetted with pods and a proper 4-into-1 exhaust, this one is silky smooth with plenty of power. Canister shocks from Mike's XS are adjustable and have just the right look. A custom electronics tray under the seat keeps everything looking skeletal and clean. Everyone pitched in — even Devin's mom who made the seat cover on her industrial strength sewing machine. In fact, she'll probably be doing seats for all the bikes soon. (Photos: Adam Ewing).

 

1982 XS650 Heritage Special

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Besides a lightweight front end and supermoto running gear, the old Yammie is fairly low-tech. What it lacks in finesse, it makes up for in character. It's a far cry from the owner's beloved BMW Dakar 650, but everyone's happy. The exhaust is temporary while we wait for the perpetually back-ordered Supertrapp Elite cans to arrive, hopefully in a few weeks. Carbs have been jetted. Pod filters replace the stock airbox. Custom perforated side panels and all sorts of odd brackets keep everything tidy. We both hate the taillight. Consider that temporary, too. (Photos: Adam Ewing).