USHBA Yamaha TRX850

The Ushba Yamaha TRX850 is a modern cafe racer built by CCW on the 849cc parallel-twin Yamaha TRX platform, reshaped around a polished aluminium tank and tail that echo the twin peaks of Georgia's Ushba mountain.

The Concept

Ushba is one of the most complex four-thousand-metre peaks in the world, a Georgian mountain with two distinct summits. The CCW team took that silhouette as the starting point for the entire build: the fuel tank and tail symbolise the two peaks, polished aluminium details echo the ice and snow, and the black-finished elements read as exposed rock. The brief was to reconcile classic cafe racer vocabulary (parallel-twin engine, polished aluminium bodywork, clip-ons, single seat) with the technology of a modern racing motorcycle. The result is a new interpretation of the genre rather than a period pastiche.

The Build

The base is the 1995 Japanese-spec Yamaha TRX850, the first production motorcycle to run a 270-degree crank in a large-capacity parallel twin. CCW rebuilt the central and rear sections of the frame in-house and paired them with a hand-shaped custom aluminium fuel tank and tail. Cylinder-head channels were reworked, zero-resistance air filters installed, and the carburetors upgraded with a DynoJet kit for cleaner throttle response. A custom exhaust system replaces the factory unit. Custom aluminium wheel caps, a side license plate support integrating the stoplight and turn signals, and a full custom wiring loom clean up the visual line. Lighting is LED throughout, and the entire motorcycle was disassembled and repainted from the ground up.

Performance

The 849cc parallel-twin engine retains its 270-degree crank character while responding to the reworked head, larger air intakes, and DynoJet carburation with sharper throttle and cleaner mid-range. Weight has been reduced across the rebuild through the aluminium bodywork and simplified electrics. The polished aluminium tank and single-seat tail place the rider in a classic cafe racer stance, and the custom exhaust gives the parallel twin a more urgent voice than the factory unit ever managed. The bike behaves like a period reference and rides like a modern build.

Specifications

• Builder: CCW
• Base: Yamaha TRX850, 1995 Japanese release
• Engine: 849cc DOHC 10-valve 270-degree parallel twin
• Fuel Tank: Custom hand-shaped aluminium
• Tail: Custom hand-shaped aluminium, single seat
• Frame: Custom central and rear sections
• Head Work: Modified cylinder-head channels
• Air Filters: Zero resistance
• Carburetors: DynoJet kit
• Exhaust: Custom system
• Wheel Caps: Custom aluminium
• License Plate: Side support with integrated stoplight and turn signals
• Wiring: Custom loom
• Lighting: LED headlight, turn signals, indicators
• Finish: Full disassembly and repaint

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