We love subtle, understated style on custom bikes. But we also have a sneaking regard for machines that are aggressive and in your face?the two-wheeled equivalents of Rage Against the Machine at 120 dB.
This Yamaha V-Max is one such machine. It comes from from Motocrew, a spare-time but slick operation run by firefighter Chris Scholtka and based just outside Berlin, Germany.

?We started with the original model V-Max with 1,197 cc, a 1998 bike,? says Chris. ?The goal was to build a ?badass? bike to suit its owner, who is a soldier and a mixed martial arts fighter in his spare time. A perfect match with a V-Max, I think!?
If you?re thinking the V-Max had a custom vibe right out the box, you?d be right: US-based project leader Akira Araki had help with the styling from custom builder John Reed, an English expat.
The original V-Max had its detractors, but it was also unique and something of a cult hit: it was sold virtually unchanged between 1985 and 2007. With a 70° V4 pumping out around 140 hp (in most markets), a stock V-Max could demolish the quarter mile in just under 11 seconds.
The chassis and suspension could barely cope, but that didn?t stop some journalists from foaming at the mouth, entranced by the hot rod vibe.

Chris has fixed the suspension issues by grafting on a set of Yamaha FZR1000 forks?from roughly the same era as the V-Max, but leagues ahead in performance. ?It gives the front a slightly wider look and better handling,? he says.
?The fork swap was ...