Most conversations about the Yamaha XSR700 revolve around its aesthetics. Many pundits can’t get along with its looks?but will still admit there’s a damn fine motorcycle hiding underneath it all.
The 689cc inline twin is smooth and punchy, and it’s light on its feet. Plus it responds really well to customization; we were originally raked over the coals for loving the stock bike, but the custom XSR700s we’ve shown have mostly been met with praise.

The owner of this XSR700 is a big fan?but saw the potential for more. So he delivered the retro middleweight to Macco Motors’ workshop in the sunny Spanish city of Málaga, and let proprietors Jose and Tito loose on it.
?When you ask someone about the XSR700,? says Jose, ?you only hear two things: love it, or hate it.?
?This owner was one of the ‘love it’ riders, but he bought it with the idea of us customizing it. He wanted to change some parts on the bike while keeping it legal for Spanish roads?and trying not to cross a budget limit.?
One of the client’s requests was a slightly lower seat?which the Macco boys saw as an opportunity to neaten up the XSR700’s subframe area. They lopped off most of the stock subframe and welded in a new one, devoid of superfluous brackets.

There’s a lower, custom-made solo seat up top now, and the passenger peg brackets have been removed. Macco also added an abbreviated rear fender, complete with street legal running lights mounted ...