The Yamaha Virago is one of those bikes that just keep on giving. Yamaha?s V-twin cruiser first popped up in the early eighties, and by the time it disappeared from showrooms in 2007, multiple variants had been built?from a teeny 125 to a whopping 1100 cc.
The shaft drive XV750 was one of the most popular variants. This terrific custom dials down the cruising aspect and ramps up the sportiness, and comes from enthusiast Kevin McAllister, who impressed us five years ago with a very clever Yamaha XS650 scrambler.

In those days Kevin lived in Texas, and that?s where he came across this 1983 model. ?My friend Jerry arrived with a Virago that he?d found abandoned in a parking lot, and then bought,? Kevin recalls. ?It was your typical 80s Virago, with highway pegs and leather saddlebags, accompanied by a fine chromed sissy bar.? Jerry?s brief to Kevin was simple: ?Make it fun, and look good.? So Kevin tossed everything except the engine, rear end and the main frame. He planned on completing all the fabrication and (even the sewing) in his own shop.

Kevin took the Virago apart and mocked up the tank and subframe while living in Austin. Then he boxed up the bike, along with all his tools, and moved 500 miles north to Fayetteville. ?I started my general contracting business, bought a house, built out my new shop, and started back on the bike after-hours.?
Major surgery followed. The front end is from a 2003 Honda VTR1000F, which gives the XV750 modern stopping power but retai...