Yamaha XS650

The Yamaha XS650 by Atelier JAB is a one-off cafe racer built on a 1978 1H1 base, rebuilt in France over two years by a team of specialist restorers with wood and aluminium detailing throughout.

The Concept

The project started when Jouvin Jacques began hunting for the right donor for a very personal build, and settled on a used 1978 XS650 1H1. From there, a group of French moto enthusiasts and specialist garages worked together to turn the XS into the classic they felt the custom world was missing: a one-off that reads as sculpture as much as motorcycle, with every touchpoint reworked in polished aluminium and hand turned wood. Price on request.

The Build

Mechanically, the engine received a full restoration: fresh bearings across engine and gearbox, new valves and seats, resurfaced cylinders, new pistons, a reinforced oil pump and a complete electronic ignition with a CDI Kennedy case. A pair of Keihin PWK 34 carburettors replace the original depression units, feeding through aluminium intake pipes and K&N filters set in wood and aluminium housings. The lower engine cases are polished, the top end is finished in high temperature satin black with polished cylinders, and every axle and bolt is replaced in stainless steel. Exhausts are stainless 45 mm tubing with chrome peashooter silencers on custom aluminium mounts. Controls are fully CNC machined, the handlebar grips are turned from solid wood, the electronic tacho sits in a wood and aluminium shell, and a chrome 180 mm Reno headlight closes the front end.

The Team

The build brought together some of the best French specialists in classic motorcycles: Fabien Tourlan (Atelier Les Becanes) on the engine, Aymeric Romanowski (Atelier WIK) and Bernard Christy on the cycle parts, David Gallet (Dadygraph) and Laurent Chapus (Neway Designs) on paint and varnishes, Seurat 3 on rims and suspensions, plus XS specialist Twins-Inn France, E. Nov and Sparte Motorcycle.

Specifications

• Builder: Atelier JAB, France
• Base bike: 1978 Yamaha XS650 1H1
• Style: One-off cafe racer
• Engine: Fully restored parallel twin, resurfaced cylinders, new pistons, reinforced oil pump
• Ignition: Full electronic, CDI Kennedy case
• Carburettors: Keihin PWK 34 with aluminium intakes and K&N filters in wood and aluminium housings
• Exhaust: Stainless 45 mm tubing with chrome peashooter silencers on custom aluminium mounts
• Finish: High temp satin black top end with polished lower cases
• Fasteners: Stainless steel throughout
• Controls: Fully CNC machined
• Grips: Solid wood, hand turned
• Instrumentation: Electronic tacho in wood and aluminium shell
• Headlight: Chrome Reno 180 mm

Discover the full custom, electric and cafe racer motorcycles collection at TheArsenale.