This Sexy Yamaha Cruiser Is A Cooler Alternative To Your Harley-Davidson Sportster

The Sportster is known for being the quintessential motorcycle for custom builds. Being one of the longest-running nameplates in the Harley-Davidson family, the Sportster has the advantage of being highly popular and having a wide availability of spare and custom parts. This is also why building a custom Sportster is relatively breezy. But a custom house from Japan is giving the Sportster a run for its money and creativity with their take on a cool custom Yamaha XS650.

This particular Yamaha motorcycle enjoys the same “custom” fame as the Sportster in the West. Candy Motorcycle Laboratory’s take on the 650 doesn’t possess the big-twin energy, but it compensates for this shortfall with gorgeous custom bodywork and an abundance of chrome. This custom chopper is truly “eye candy” and has even won two awards.

A Gorgeous Custom Yamaha XS 650 With Hand-Crafted Parts

The only stock underpinning on this Yamaha is its main frame. Every other component is either a custom piece or a one-of-a-kind creation from the Candy Motorcycle Laboratory. The most notable of these is its custom, narrow, peanut-shaped fuel tank and the custom air box. Both of which are hand-painted in a custom design that looks both cool and intricate. It features a custom slim solo seat that sits on springs, adding a cool aesthetic touch to the overall build. While there is no pillion seat, this build does get a custom sissy bar with an integrated retro tail lamp.

Elevating its chopper appeal is a custom springer front fork setup, which, along with its 21-inch front wheel, gives this Yamaha a distinctive tall stance. This is further cemented with a cool rider-focused custom handlebar. The cockpit is clean as this Hot Rod has its instrument cluster shifted to the left side, and is mounted on one of the primary frame tubes. The rear wheel is also attached to a custom swing arm and gets a custom set of dual springs for the rear suspension. This custom Yamaha chopper is equipped with numerous chrome components that truly enhance its old-school appeal. Another cool, distinctive details on the “shiny” set of parts include the gold/bronze footpegs.

Notable Custom Parts

• Narrow hand-painted tank
• Solo seat
• Sissy bar
• Straight pipe buffed-out muffler
• Battery box
• Handlebar
• Plated rib fender
• Springer front forks
• Mid-con
• 21-inch front and 16-inch rear laced wheels
• Frame-mounted custom dials

The Yamaha XS 650 Engine Remains Largely Unchanged

Power: 53 HP

The Yamaha XS 650 (TX 650) is often compared to British roadsters like the Triumph Bonneville due to its classic roadster appeal, which features a tall, parallel-twin engine. The powertrain setup remains largely unchanged, with the XS 650’s 653 cc parallel-twin engine producing 53 horsepower and approximately 40 pound-feet of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheel via a 5-speed gearbox and a final chain drive.

However, adding a distinctive character to this mill is a custom free-flow exhaust system, a custom airbox, and a carburetor setup. This modification will not bring about a notable difference in performance numbers, but it does give this custom Yamaha a raspier exhaust note. The stock XS 650 has a curb weight of 478 pounds.

Engine And Gearbox Specs