There are many gems buried in our Bikes of the Week column, but occasionally a machine pops up that deserves a fully-fledged feature of its own.
A week ago we stumbled across this remarkable Yamaha at the Forged Invitational show. ?Turbo Maximus? took top honors at the Jekyll Island event, which is not surprising when you consider the XJ900 engine transplant, the properly engineered turbo conversion, and the delicious race replica bodywork.

A few days ago, owner Derek Kimes wheeled the Yamaha into the studio of the man who captured the atmospheric images from the show?photographer Steve West. And so we can now dig into the story a little more.
Derek is a relative latecomer to the world of bike building. After serving eight years in the US Navy, he left the beaches of San Diego and moved to Atlanta to pursue a degree in engineering. While studying, he started working on bikes to learn hands-on skills, and found out that Bryan Fuller?s shop was located nearby.
?My savings were drying up and I needed a part-time job. I sent an email to Bryan and to my surprise, he responded. I started working part-time, sweeping floors, taking out the trash and doing small tasks to help the guys at the shop.?
?I am so grateful that Bryan gave a guy with no real fabrication or welding background a chance to prove himself at his shop. Without that chance, this bike would never have happened.?

Derek spent many nights and weekends in the shop, working on his skills after hours. But despit...