When we think of Motocrew, we think of sleek, muscular customs with a very modern edge. But sometimes it?s good to try something new, even if that ?new? is something old. And that?s what?s happened with Chris Scholtka?s latest build.
The full-time firefighter, part-time builder has taken a swerve with his latest creation. The style is familiar but beautifully executed, and designed to meet a very tight brief from the client.

The donor bike is a 1979 Yamaha XS650, and for most of its life, it had just two owners. ?The second owner bought it from his best friend in 1981, and has ridden it ever since,? Chris tells us. ?He handled it with a lot of care. The bike was in nice condition, and in some ways, too good to take apart!?
Chris describes the current, third owner as ?a car guy living in Stuttgart.? He had three requirements for the custom build: the XS650 should be low, loud, and black all over.
Last November, with the wintry European nights drawing in, Chris started work. ?The decision was to build a classic cafe racer,? he says. ?After building more modern bikes, such as my BMW K100 and a Ducati 848, I was fired up to build a classic.?
That?s not to say this Yamaha is full of archaic technology. One of the biggest changes is a switch to Honda CBR1000RR forks, using a frame conversion stem from Cognito Moto.

Using a CBR wheel would make the transplant pretty easy, but Chris wanted to use spoked wheels all round. ?The concept was to fit the biggest tires I could ...