Solid Gold: Greg Hageman restyles the Yamaha MT-07
Wrap any decent Yamaha in a good King Kenny livery, and you’ve got an instant crowd-pleaser. But this Yamaha MT-07 from Greg Hageman is much, much more than just a pretty paint job. It?s one of the most successful MT-07 conversions we?ve ever seen.
We’re used to featuring XSR700s on these pages, but the MT-07 (previously known as the FZ-07 in the States) is essentially the same bike. Its 689 cc parallel twin motor is lively, its chassis is nimble, and its price tag won’t hurt your wallet too much. You just need to tweak the styling?which Greg has done with a master?s touch.
This particular MT-07 is a 2017 model belonging to Michael Martens, and it’s the fourth Hageman-built bike in his garage. (The first was a Virago that graced the cover of one of our previous calendars). ?Greg and I have become good friends since the Virago build,? Michael tells us. ?Collaborating with someone of his talent is amazing, and he is so damn genuine; one of the good guys in this business.?
The project fell into Michael’s lap through pure serendipity. He happened to be with Greg, when Shun Miyazawa from Yamaha USA stopped by to discuss a couple of Yard Built projects. Greg ended up with the MT-07 and an XSR700 in the garage, and started working on both.
?The MT-07 had already been modified some,? Michael explains, ?when Shun asked Greg to progress the XSR, so that it would be finished in time for promotional efforts already scheduled.?
?I told Greg I would ...
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