Welcome to another edition of Pipewrapped, this week we check out XSR’s both big and small, check out the kind of custom you ride when you’re an Oscar winner, and go take a look inside the workshop of one of the UK’s best builders.

Our editor found this bike on his social media travels and later in this column will take a look at the XSR’s big brother. But Bali’s Treasure Garage have done an amazing job at turning the little XSR155 into a fantastic Supermoto for the street with some futuristic vibes. We too often turn up our nose up in the West at little bikes, but this is yet another example of how good things often come in small packages.

Here’s the picture for anyone who tells you custom bikes aren’t cool, Brad Pitt next to his Roland Sands customised Ecosse Moto. The bike is a very expensive hand built machine with American muscle for the engine and an Italian inspired frame. Bought by the Oscar winner a couple of years ago, it wasn’t up to his standards and RSD sure know how to deliver one hell of a bike, even if it means fixing other people’s flaws.

‘To be or not to be’

Released in 2016, the XSR700 and XSR900 were offered up by Yamaha as a factory built retro custom, and considerable money was spent to market the two machines. But the sales figures will show that their MT cousins from which they were derived were far more successful. So with word that Yamaha has built an all new XSR900 for 2022, can it finally cement a hold in the custom scene?

All the ingredients are there, a new engine with nearly 120bhp, a six axis IMU, improved frame and forged wheels, all for less US$9,990. It’s a lot of bang for your buck and means its really only the looks that need a make over to create something very special. Once again the Yard Built Program will be front and centre, so it may rest on the likes of Walz, Hageman and Woodman to determine whether the XSR finally finds a foothold in our scene.

Race Wrap

With not much racing happening at this time of news, there is finally something to cheer about for the long suffering Isle of Man TT tragics, of which I am very much one. Not only is the week of racing returning to the Island in 2022 after a two year absence due to Covid-19, but the ‘King of the Mountain’, the ‘Morecambe Missile’, John McGuinness will be back to try and add to his already staggering 23 wins.

Only the great Joey Dunlop has claimed more TT trophies, and after years of injury and a shocking association with Norton Motorcycles that cost McGuinness more than just race victories, he’s once again signed with his favourite manufacturer. He’ll climb aboard an all new Honda Fireblade and both the man and the manufacturer are over the moon to reunite. The greatest race on earth can’t come soon enough and this years action is set to break all records!

Must Watch Moto

Super Cars of London is one of the most popular automotive youtube channels on the web, and over the last year, the man in front of the camera Paul Wallace has finally fallen in love with bikes. So it comes as no surprise he recently spent some time with our friend Jody Millhouse at his famed Thornton Hundred Motorcycles. The banter’s fun, the bikes are incredible and it’s a great look behind the scenes of a custom shop in action.