Shed built: "These tanks are like gold dust so I thought I'd build another"

The early Yamaha Virago XV750 is the one of the ugliest ducklings going in stock form.

However, with some gentle persuasion and some engineering know-how it can be transformed into something that’s utterly gorgeous, as Phil Price from Staffordshire has proven with this stunning machine he built. 

After completing another Virago build previously a few spare parts found their way to him and so he decided to build another.

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“I decided to build a second bike after finding a person who had an original unused Benelli Mojave Tank in his loft” said Phil. “These original tanks are like gold dust and after having massive problems with my first bike using a tank from India I thought why not build another bike.”

“The base bike was a 1982 XV750 Virago Midnight Special. I choose this bike because I liked the look of the air-cooled V-twin engine sat in the frame, which looks clean and simple.”

The modifications list to the machine is extensive and begins with the Benelli Mojave tank and custom rear subframe, seat and rear cowl. The forks come from a CBR600 and have been modified to accept a rear 16-inch wheel that helps the bike to sit perfectly. 

“There are 38 modifications listed on the insurance documents in total, but the most challenging aspect of the build was ensuring the stance and lines of the bike looked right from all angles. Making sure the front end modifications all worked and the tolerances on all the machined components all stacked up wasn’t easy.”

It’s fair to say that Phil has created something that’s absolutely stunning.

Do you have a shed built bike? We’d love to hear from you – email james.archibald@motorcyclenews.com with some details and images of your creation.

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