They say that perfect is the enemy of good. But when it comes to high-end custom motorcycles, shouldn’t perfection be the goal" Having never built a custom motorcycle in this style before, that’s the standard that Purpose Built Moto set for themselves with this Yamaha XS650 chopper.
Delays with parts and other builds meant this project took the Australian workshop more than 18 months to complete. The silver lining was that this extensive time frame meant they could pore over every detail in the pursuit of perfection.

?There are plenty of Yamaha XS650 chopper builds out there,? says the workshop’s founder, Tom Gilroy, ?but there are very few that look well laid out and finished right. Generally, kit frames make the bike look too long and punch the steering angle out too much. We wanted a fast-handling, performance chopper.? Purpose Built Moto started by stripping the bike down, lopping the rear half of the frame off, and setting the headstock in a jig with a rake of 27 degrees. Then the real work began.

Using chromoly tubing and early XS650 axle sliders, the team fabricated a new hardtail section for the back. They kept it narrow and compact, narrowing the rear wheel hub width and shortening the wheelbase by two inches. The bottom engine rails were sleeved in the process, and the frame was braced to keep unwanted flex at bay.
Tom had sourced a classic Banana tank for the project, but it wasn?t going to work with the factory backbone without some ...