1978 YAMAHA XS 750 CUSTOM

Rebuilt and upgraded by custom specialist 2 Wheels Miklos in the UK, and based on a 1978 Yamaha XS 750 motorcycle, this is a stylish and capable retro café racer, with bags of charm and presented in very smart condition. It is powered by the bike’s original 747cc inline-triple DOHC four-stroke engine. The odometer shows 20,054 miles from new.

First registered on 12 September 1978, this motorcycle ran as a standard XS 750 for the first few decades of its life, subsequently spending around 10 years off the road prior to its discovery by custom motorcycle builder 2 Wheels Miklos of Guildford, Surrey in 2015.

Stripped back, restored and custom built as a café racer, it features a Triumph X75 Hurricane exhaust system, updated shock absorbers, a custom fairing, seat, rear fender, tail lights and indicators. Registered for the road and ready to ride, it is now offered for sale by its current owner, who acquired the bike around three years ago, but who has ridden it sparingly. An avid café racer collector, during his ownership it has also been taken to numerous bike events and specialist shows, transported in a trailer or race van.

During its restoration and customisation, the XS 750 frame was sandblasted and finished in gloss black paint. Its custom nose cone fairing, fuel tank, rear fender and front mudguard were all painted by Cycle Sprays of Horsham in a metallic midnight blue and white colour scheme, separated by a gold pinstripe. The paintwork is in very good condition overall with only a few blemishes, including some blistering to the black paint on the left-hand-side engine fins. Covered in black vinyl, the custom seat is very smart, with no scuffs, rips or tears.

Mechanically, this café racer is in excellent condition, with its restoration involving the engine being fully stripped down, cleaned, painted and reassembled in 2015, prior to being serviced. The bike’s most recent scheduled maintenance was carried out in 2017 at 19,912 miles by its previous owner, who was a professional motorcycle mechanic, with work including replacement of the engine oil, oil filter and spark plugs. A new battery was also fitted two months ago, and the current owner has kept this custom XS 750 clean and well maintained.

Its last annual MOT test was carried out on 1 August 2016 at 19,883 miles, which it passed first time with no advisories, and the bike is now MOT exempt due to its age. The seller describes the tyres as being in generally good condition; however there is a slight crack in the rear tyre’s sidewall, due to it being stationary for six months while losing air.

Accompanying this Yamaha XS 750 is its original owner’s manual and service book, including details of its first owner from 1978. Also included is a folder with a raft of previous receipts and invoices, detailing various maintenance over the years.

This custom Yamaha XS 750 is an excellent one-off café racer, presented in very smart condition and with a handsome retro colour scheme. It would make a head-turning addition to any collection, and the sound of its triple-piped exhaust system alone is sure to attract admiring glances wherever it goes.

All cars and motorbikes on Collecting Cars are run through an online HPI check. This vehicle shows no insurance database markers for damage or theft, and has no finance owing.