The Yamaha MT series of motorcycles have been a huge seller for the Iwata-based company, and have almost single-handedly kept the factory going during some dark times. Offering everything from learner legal machines to powerful twins, screaming triples and big fours, if you look back to the ’70s you’ll find Yamaha only had to look in the mirror for the inspiration for such a successful line-up. The XS range, the 650 with its British-styled twin might be the favourite today, but the triple threat of the XS750 finally gave Yamaha the machine they needed to take on their rivals at Honda and Kawasaki. Sadly it’s a bike that doesn’t get a lot of love these days, but in the hands of a world-class builder, they come up a treat. And from our friends at Germany’s Kaspeed Custom Motorcycles, comes this barnstorming 1976 Yamaha XS750, that breathes new life into a forgotten legend.
Now, to really understand what a breakthrough the XS750 was for Yamaha and appreciate the impact it had on the motorcycle scene, you only need to look back at one poll. The Motorcycle News ‘Machine of the Year’ award has been crowning the best new bikes to come to market for generations. In the late ’60s the Norton Commando dominated the prize before the all-conquering Kawasaki Z1 took out the title four years in a row. But in 1977, the big Z was knocked off its perch, when journalists, test riders and the public vote crowned the XS750 triple as the new king of the road.
Now, nearly 50 years later, the crew at Kaspeed are here to remind all why the classic Yamaha is well worth customising in 2025. The owner of this bike is a big believer in the XS triple, and being only fifty miles down the road from the father and sons team at Kaspeed, he knew they were the perfect crew to make his dream a reality. Kaspeed specialises in turning Japanese and European classics into truly cool customs, that ride better than the day they left the factory and look brilliant doing it. So, the first task was to come up with a bunch of design ideas for the XS and then create a 2D render to give the owner an idea of what he’d be getting.
It was love at first sight, and with the drawings signed off on, the guys could get tearing into the old triple, boxing up bits and being pleasantly surprised at just how good a condition the Yamaha was still in. Two key areas for improvement were high on the priority list, shedding weight and turning the handling from touring style into a true sports bike. To achieve the latter, both ends of the bike have undergone a substantial change and at the rear that begins by ditching the twin shock setup. The bottom section of the shaft driving swingarm has been retained, while a new upper section is added to support a mono-shock, and the two pieces are well braced to reduce flex.
For the upper mount, the guys welded on a section to the lower part of the backbone, ensuring their new design would suspend between two very solid points. All of this was built around the length of an R1 shock, with the Yamaha superbike providing its adjustable unit to finish off the conversion. At the front end, it’s more R1 goodness, with the modern machine donating not only its USD forks but also its triple trees that combine with the stock stem to make the conversion work with the ’70s frame. The braking also gets a big upgrade with the R1’s four-piston calipers clamping big drilled discs, but to keep some of the classic looks, the guys have brilliantly retained the factory wheel.
To shed even more weight from the build, it was back to the rear end of the bike, where the huge factory subframe has been completely cut off. A much shorter, and more elegant design has been crafted and is welded to the centre posts to expose the workings of the new rear suspension setup. The huge factory two-up seat is now a thing of the past too, replaced by a beautifully crafted solo seat from genuine leather that has been waterproofed for the task. To cover the rear, a new cowl has been fashioned, which perfectly flows with the lines of the subframe, and provides just the right place to hide the bike’s wiring.
To complete the bodywork, the factory fuel tank has been retained, while a small front cowl has been added and the factory front fender chopped and mounts made to work with the new front end. Then all of the tins were sent out to paint, with one of the owner’s good friends taking care of the spraying duties, while back at Kaspeed, the frame and engine were given a new hit of black to bring them up to standard. The wiring is all based around a Motogadget m.unit, with the whole bike converted to modern electricals, with new switchgear, a Koso headlight on custom mounts, Kellermann indicators and a digital dash.
The 750cc engine was still in excellent running condition when it rolled into the shop, so to save the owner money, the internals remain standard. But to extract that sweet triple sound and add a few hp, the carbs now sport a bank of pod-style filters on extended intakes. The exhaust has all been blacked out and just below the right footpeg, an Ixil muffler has been mounted, saving even more weight over the huge factory system. The final task was to design a custom, axle-mounted number plate holder, which not only finishes out the build but ensures it’s all road legal. The XS750 might not get the love of its rivals, but Kaspeed makes a bold case as to why the much more affordable Japanese machine could be a great candidate for your next custom.
[Kaspeed Custom Motorcycles | Photos by Jimmy Dressel]