Of all the questions I get about the bikes we've built, it's safe to say half of them are about Sunny's XV750. In fact this late bloomer of a Virago was the motivation behind Bob Ranew's XV920 build — one of Classified Moto's current projects. The odd thing is that suddenly in the Richmond area, Viragos have become scarcer than...than...uh...a mouse at a cat convention? Anyway, the drought appears to be over and there are no less than six suitable Viragos ranging from 535cc to 920cc within a 100-mile radius of the state capital. If you've been thinking about pulling the trigger on one of these highly malleable '80s gems, now is the time. Search Craigslist and grab one yourself for a great DIY summer project. Of course we'd rather you let us build you something fun, famous and Classified. If you wanna, email john@classifiedmoto.com and we'll release the hounds.

Today marked the official kick off of the Classified XV920 R6R build. There was excitement in the air, although it was just me. I took a bunch of stuff off the bike and determined the ride height based on the '09 R6R front end. Call me crazy, but these bikes have a great silhouette from a modification point of view. And a chain drive to boot. Based somewhat on Sunny Zhao's Reciprocity XV750, this one is for photographer/art director Bob Ranew of North Carolina. He's already having a blast with this build — using his art direction skills to articulate what he's looking for. I LOVE stuff like this, and love to see people getting psyched about their bikes. We have a long way to go, but I can tell it's going to be a fun ride. 

Dreams Factory's Sunny Zhao and crew pulled out all the stops to capture the "Reciprocity" XV750 Wednesday at Virginia Motorsports Park. Armed with a dangerous-looking Red One Mysterium camera with a bazooka-sized lens, Sunny dreamt up a ton of incredible shots that flattered the bike to no end. Not only did Sunny and his amazing team get the job done, they did it on what seems like the coldest day of the year so far. To see more of Mr. Zhao's handiwork, go to the Dreams Factory site. To see the trailer for his feature that will co-star his evil Yamaha, visit the Reciprocity teaser site. The footage he shot at VMP will make it's way onto that site very soon. Until then, it will remain Classified.

Many thanks to the Dreams Factory team: Sunny Zhao (Director), Tim Dowdle (Producer and Miracle Worker), Josh Mumford (AC), Jon Dodd (PA), Leigh Hagan (2nd Camera Tech) and Rinny Wilson (2nd Camera Tech). And from VMP, Bryan Pierce and Reid Kidwell. Nothing would have happened without everyone's help. Thank you!

And as usual, the core Classified Moto crew — Cindy Hicks and Adam Ewing — were there shooting, riding and wrenching. Mr. Greg Ownby was sorely missed, but in his honor, we wrecked his '82 FT500 streetracker getting the perfect shot. New brake pedal on the way! (Photos: Cindy Hicks)

I know. Many people think Viragos don't have a lot going for them. But flaws aside, the early ones had a monoshock that makes them pretty versatile when customizing. It can have lines like a hardtail or a sport bike. Or something in between. This one was commissioned by director Sunny Zhao — http://www.dreamsfactory.com — for his current feature project "Reciprocity". A revenge movie set 100 years in the future. http://www.reciprocitymovie.com  He wanted something that looked old and futuristic at the same time — something the antagonist (a hitman with no discernible soft side) could appreciate. This is the result. With our unpatented triple tree mod, we grafted on a 2000 Yamaha YZF R1 front end. We removed several feet from the wiring harness, mounted the battery under the tank and made a remote recharging system so we don't have to remove the tank when the volts are running low. Shifted the controls rearward. Thought about a padded seat for awhile. But that will come after the movie is wrapped when Sunny starts riding it around town. (Photos: http://www.adamewing.com )