Yamaha Yard Built XSR700 'Custom Dragster' by Workhorse Speed Shop

Yamaha and Workhorse Speed Shop Set Their Sights on Sultans of Sprint

Press Release

Custom bike builder extraordinaire Brice Hennebert puts the Workhorse Speed Shop on the task of taking top honours at Sultans of Sprint Factory class with their custom-built Yamaha XSR700

Yard Built custom bikes are usually made to inspire our customers; to make their XSR900, XSR700, XV950R or SCR950 unique. For this project, Yamaha is breaking the rules. This XSR isn’t a bike built for standing still, this is a bike Brice built to be a sprint dominator. Low, long and fast as hell, the Workhorse Speed Shop have taken their Yamaha and pulled out all the stops. The engine to the chassis and every point in between has been tweaked, tuned, pulled to pieces and put back together to squeeze every bit of performance from one of custom buildings most versatile models.

As a competition bike, there are obvious restrictions laid down about what can be changed and what lines a builder needs to work within. Brice still had room to manoeuvre. The fully handcrafted aluminium body cuts a mean silhouette in classic Yamaha blue and yellow, a tribute to the 1985 FZR 750 Bol d’Or Sonauto ridden by Christian Sarron. The frame dropped a full 150mm and the footpegs were shifted back. The custom-built Workhorse swingarm extends an extra 100mm and turns this beast into a low-down dragster dream.

The XSR700 will have the smallest engine of all the bikes in the Factory Class. But, we start the competition with a strong advantage, a very low weight and an impressive torque. The crankshaft has been balanced, the oil circuit modified and the counterweights supressed. With a Suter antihopping clutch and a modified injection body; this is a whole new powerhouse.

Amongst the high-end parts putting this build into the stratosphere are a carbon battery, a full racing brake system, clutch control, a front and rear master cylinder as well as a NOS system with Max Extreme Nitrous Controller. The paintjob was supplied by Matthias Van Brussel and the seat and jacket mods are straight from the mind of Jeroen Bauwmeister from Silver Machine.

“What can I say about this bike?” commented Antoine Clémot, Yamaha Motor Europe Motorcycle Product Manager. “It’s fast, it’s low, it’s mean, it’s a lot of fun and we think it’s a winner. Events like the Sultans of Sprint really bring new vibes to the Sport Heritage segment with a subtle mix of fun and performance. We love to see these amazing bikes getting outside of static shows to race full throttle.

They’re all about individual expression and making crazy designs and then getting together and sharing them. The Workhorse bike, it’s got that old-school Yamaha feel with the FZR750 Suzuka style body, it has bespoke everything and it just looks really unique. I’m excited to see what it does, but I’m already proud to be a part of the build.”

All that deliciousness is aimed directly at the Sultans of Sprint events running each year, where hundreds of like-minded madmen and madwomen get together to race real fast in a straight line.  They are events revolving around fine design, speed and above all else, fun!

To learn more go to  Yamaha Motorsports