Purpose Built Moto is no one-trick pony. The Australian workshop is up for anything, with a portfolio that boasts a wide variety of brands and custom build styles. Even so, they raised a doubtful eyebrow when the brief for this custom Yamaha Virago landed in their inbox.
?I wasn?t sure if we would take on this build,? says the workshop’s founder, Tom Gilroy. ?The XV750 isn?t one of my favorite bikes to work on, that?s no secret. I find them over-saturated in the custom world, and often undercooked.?

In the end, the enthusiasm of his client won Tom over. Hands were shaken, and the bike was delivered to Purpose Built Moto’s Gold Coast shop with a box of extra parts.
?He was passionate and super keen to have a purpose-built machine, and had his heart set on his 1981 Yamaha XV750 Virago Midnight Special,? Tom adds. ?He’d already started sourcing parts and doing a few modifications. From this, I could tell he wanted the job done properly.?
The bike came to PBM with a Yamaha R1 front end, Cognito Moto yokes, and the rear wheel from a different model Yamaha XV. The project’s goals quickly became clear; better performance and handling, and a sharp and modern disposition. An aggressive under-tail exhaust was also on the wishlist.
Tom’s notes also included one very specific job; ?fix that ugly swingarm.? So the PBM team ditched the square-tubed OEM swingarm and welded up a fetching trellised chromoly unit instead. A custom rear shock from Ride Dyna...