The USHBA Yamaha TRX850 custom motorcycle by CCW

The USHBA Yamaha TRX850 custom motorcycle by CCW is one of the most visually arresting custom builds in the cafe racer and superbike crossover genre. Built by CCW (Custom Chrome Works) on the foundation of the Yamaha TRX850 parallel-twin platform, the USHBA strips away everything conventional about the donor machine and replaces it with a hand-fabricated monocoque body that celebrates precise, shiny-edged welding as an art form in itself. The name USHBA references the Svanetian peak in the Caucasus, and every design detail reflects that mountainous inspiration.

Design Philosophy: Mountain Peaks in Metal

CCW approached the USHBA commission with unusually wide creative latitude. The only brief from the client was an aggressive stance, a unique visual identity, and superbike-grade performance. Starting from that open canvas, the builders translated the sharp, angular peaks of a mountain summit into the motorcycle's bodywork. The fuel tank and tail section echo the jagged silhouette of a high alpine ridge, while polished aluminium accents reference ice and snow on exposed rock faces. Contrasting matte black elements stand in for the dark stone beneath. The result is a futuristic cafe racer that layers racing motorcycle function beneath a hand-sculpted exterior unlike anything produced by a factory.

Performance and Engineering

Beneath the sculptural bodywork, the Yamaha TRX850 parallel-twin engine provides the mechanical foundation: a 849cc unit known for strong mid-range torque and a character that rewards smooth, committed riding. CCW retained the mechanical package while focusing their efforts on the bespoke monocoque body structure, which integrates frame elements into the visual form rather than hiding them. The forward-biased riding position and low, purposeful silhouette recall the posture of a genuine superbike, making the USHBA as committed to performance as it is to aesthetics. For full technical specifications, the USHBA Yamaha TRX850 product page carries the complete details.

CCW and the Art of Bespoke Motorcycle Building

CCW has built a reputation for commissions that push material craft to the foreground. The USHBA's monocoque construction, where bodywork and structural elements share a single shell, demands an exceptionally high standard of fabrication because every weld and seam is visible. Yamaha Motor has long supplied the platform for some of the world's most ambitious custom builds, and the TRX850 in particular, with its parallel-twin layout and compact dimensions, lends itself to radical reshaping. For context on what the broader custom motorcycle world is producing, Bike EXIF remains the definitive reference for this sector.

Browse the full range of bespoke and collectible machines in the TheArsenale motorcycle collection, where hand-built specials like the Blacktrack BT01 Carbon and the Blacktrack BT-02 sit alongside the USHBA as testaments to what is possible when craft and engineering converge.