If there’s one name you need to keep an eye on in 2014, it’s ER Motorcycles (short for ‘Espresso Racer’). Founded in 2009 by Blaž Šuštaršič, the Slovenian workshop has steadily been producing noteworthy customs—such as their BMW R80 ‘Mobster,’ which featured in our Top 5 BMW R-series list.
This striking Yamaha XV750 is no exception. It was built on a tight budget for a friend, and serves as a startling reminder of just how much potential Yamaha’s XV platform has. The donor bike, a 1983 model, “was bought in a small Austrian village from a very funny-looking guy,” Blaž recalls. “It was one of those weird situations where nothing quite matched. But this interesting man had the bike we wanted and we were able to get it for nickels and dimes.”
The XV750 was in a shocking state, but that didn’t deter Blaž: “The moment we saw it we were determined to make something beautiful out of it and give it a new life.” Keeping the build within budget proved to be a challenge, so the decision was made to retain as many original parts as possible, including the stock suspension, wheels, brakes and fuel tank.
Blaž and his team altered the XV750’s stance drastically by modifying the subframe and fitting Tarozzi rear sets and clip ons. A bespoke leather seat was added, along with new side covers and a discreet LED tail light with integrated turn signals. The front end was cleaned up to match the rear, and now sports a 6” headlight with minimal instrumentation. ER also rewired the bike and fitted a Motogadget m-unit digital controller.
A new exhaust system was fabricated in-house—complete with a healthy dose of pipe wrap. The stock 19” and 16” wheels were painted black and shod with Firestone’s Deluxe Champion rubber. When it came to paint, most of the bike was coated in shades of grey and black, with the exception of the tank. It received a deep matte blue finish, earning the bike the ‘Cosmic’ moniker.
Blaž concludes: “It was a special project and we’ve learned a lot from it. Maybe now, I would change one or two minor details, even though my friend loves the bike just as it is. His wife still can’t believe what came out of that long forgotten, dusty basis!”
Neither can I, Blaž.
Images by Jernej Konjajev. Follow ER Motorcycles’ news via their Facebook page.
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