Salvage Star: A Yamaha Virago 750 reborn as a cafe racer

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...