Why would you think about building a “kind-of-period-correct” World War II motorcycle from a Yamaha power plant? Only owner Edward Yuan can explain this to me and to you. In his words.
“The inspiration for this project came surprisingly from a Bloomingdales catalog with a vintage World War II motorcycle on the cover. Something about the look really appealed to me. After doing some research on the military motorcycles from that era, I decided I wanted a modern interpretation of a WWII military motorcycle with a more modern power plant and an updated braking system. The donor bike chosen was a 1980 Yamaha XS650, partially because it was economical and highly modifiable, but also because I liked the look of the engine. After a long search, I settled on the guys at Cycle Service Sales to build this project for me. Bill Giordano has a lot of experience with very old school motorcycles, and I really needed someone that was familiar with the motorcycles of that era to pull this project off.
We chose certain elements for the project that would make it look more authentic like the Big Twin Harley or WLA style springer fork, a military solo seat and the seat springs from a 741 Indian Scout. The XS motor in the bike is equipped with a 270 degree re-phased crankshaft and a billet camshaft, plus a high ratio primary gear set and clutch assembly with the machine work being performed by Heiden Tuning from the Netherlands. The cylinder head porting work was done by Gary Hoos Racing, uses 2mm oversize Inconel Alloy valves. The motor is also equipped with a Mikes XS 750 big bore kit and myriad of other performance parts from both Heiden Tuning and Mikes XS. Ignition chores are handled by a 270 degree re-phase Pamco Ignition System and a Sparks Three Phase charging system keeps everything running. Various engine parts both internal and external were sent to Performance Coatings for thermal and ceramic engine coatings.
In choosing to make the bike very period correct, most of the sheet metal and the running gear required extensive reworking to fit the custom built XS650 hard-tail frame and motor combination. A set of custom made header pipes was also fabricated for the project that flow into a set of modified Big Twin 36 to 40 style mufflers. The XSLA project features 18 inch black Big Twin Star Hub wheels with stainless steel spokes, Avon Safety Mileage tires, Edart front and rear Disc Brake conversion kits and Jay Brake master cylinders for both of the front brake and hydraulic clutch controls. The rear brake control assembly is fitted from a 58 to 69 Big Twin FL and the hydraulic clutch conversion uses a slave cylinder assembly from a Honda VFR.”
Tech Sheet
Builder: Cycle Service Sales, LLC
High Bridge, NJ
William Giordano – Anthony Livelli
Phil Delano – Performance Welding
Lebanon Boro, NJ
Year/Model: 1980 Yamaha Custom
Powder Coater: Acme Powder Coating
Color: Federal Standard – Olive Green Army
Engine/Transmission
Engine: Yamaha XS650 base
Builder: Cycle Service Sales, LLC
Crankshaft: 270 Re-phase by Heiden Tuning.
Cylinder: Mikes XS 750 Big Bore
Head: Ported & Polished by
Gary Hoos Racing
Carbs: 36 mm Mikuni VM (2)
Exhaust: Custom Fabricated
Ignition: Pamco 270 Re-phase
Coils: Mikes XS
Charging System: Sparks 3-phase
Transmission: Yamaha 5 speed
Primary Gears & Clutch: Heiden Tuning custom High Ratio
Hydraulic Clutch: Custom- Honda VFR slave cylinder
Final Drive: 530 Diamond Chain
Chassis
Frame: Custom made Hardtail with 28 degree rake
Front Fork: Big Twin Springer
Front wheel: 18” Star Hub Black
Rear wheel: 18” Star Hub Black
Front Brake: 11.5” Edart Disc Kit
Rear Brake: Edart Rear Disc Kit
Tires: 18” Avon Safety Mileage
Front Fender: WLA Reproduction
Rear Fender: WLA Reproduction
Accessories
Headlight: Springer – Halogen Bulb
Taillight: Modified Military Jeep – with LED lighting
Fuel Tanks: Modified Early Big Twin reproductions
Fuel Petcocks: Pingel
Handlebars: Modified Springer
Hand Controls: Jay Brake – Black
Mirrors: Modified WLA assemblies
Horn: 12 volt Springer with WLA face plate
Speedo: Military WLA Repro
Seat: Replica WLA army
Seat Springs: Indian 741
Floor Boards: Military WLA Repro
Floor Board Mounts: 45 & Big Twin
Rear Brake: 58 to 69 Big Twin Wagner style
Toolbox: Modified Harley Kidney Shaped
Chain Guard: Modified Big Twin Rigid
Very nice, that little XS650 is a perfect choice for lots of builds, leaving lots of room to play with the rest of the bike. Only thing I’d change to keep the theme of the bike, would be painting or powdercoating the engine covers in OD to match the frame & tank.
A fine looking bike and probably a fine riding bike but once the owner states “In choosing to make the bike very period correct,” you begin to question what the guy is thinking. ???
Hey I’m a big believer in putting the past behind us and moving forward, as in making friends of our former enemies like Germany and Japan. On this, not only no, but hell no. If you’re going to do a period piece you don’t put U.S. Army colors on a Japanese bike and make it up to look like something from WWII. It’s disrespectful. Paint it tan and put a rising sun on it fine, then it’s just a period piece.
I agree big time with BobS.
Or he could have just gotten a nice WLA. Y’know, the real deal. There’s lots of them around still. It’s also arguably the most reliable and easy to repair bike Harley ever produced and the aftermarket support for them just keeps growing year by year. I rode a chopped WLA as my main bike for years and it woulda run circles around this thing. The xs650 may be faster than a stock WLA and it’s a cool enough motor for a cheap little chopper, tracker or cafe build, but doesn’t hold a candle to a well built 45″ side valve and a proper 3 speed.
bobs, the war was 60 years ago…get over it!
NICE BUILD!
I don’t mind the concept so much, but why the big rotor up front? Not much “period correct” about that.
For the price he paid for someone else to build that, he could have bought a nice WLA.
Wonder what the reaction would be to a Harley-copied BMW?
Hi,
Yes, I knew there would be a lot of different opinions about this build. I actually couldn’t decide between Harley XA,walk or Indian 741, 841. I recall reading how they used a triumph instead of bmw in the great escape movie so I decided to use another motor and combine different elements that I liked about all the different WWII motorcycles. Sorry if it offends people but there is very little original from the old motor. I had a big bore kit and crank & camshaft rephased 270 degrees. Can’t please everyone but I am very happy the way it came out. At the end of the day I’m the one that will be riding and enjoying it. I’m glad a few folks enjoyed the build.
Spot on Richards…..
-1- Its way past time to ditch all this Politically Correct crap…!!!
(that sort of stupidity is killing us)
-2- Great idea… but :
– A parallel twin seems about as poor a choice as that disk brake…
– Some form of v-twin – Yama, Honda…etc-. probably a better choice & about as available
-nicker-.
Or a thumper. Think BSA.
Hi Everyone,
This is my bike and I thought it would be a bit controversial to use a Yamaha XS650 engine for this. I would have to say the movie the Great Escape was a bit of a influence. They used a Triumph to mimic a BMW motorcycle. I liked the Harley WLA,XA, and UA as well as the Indian Chief 340B, 841,741 and a myriad of other models. I could not decide which one I wanted so I finally decided to combine the different elements which I liked into one motorcycle. Sorry if the project offended any folks out there. I liked the way the Harley XA had the pipes on both sides of the motorcycle, and probably went with the parallel twin configuration after seeing how they used a Triumph to mimic a BMW in the Great Escape. The builder wanted to go with the drum brakes but I chose a modern disc brake for safety after a few close calls with NYC cab drivers. I feel like it is really no longer a XS650 motor after I had it so heavily modified with rephased Crank, Rephased Camshaft, big bore kit, and a high ratio gear set. I certainly appreciate all the comments and different opinions. BTW I would love to own a Harley XA or any other WWII military motorcycle but I would probably be too afraid to ride it anywhere. I really just had this bike built for me and what I wanted out of a motorcycle.
So now showing respect to 400,000 soldiers that died fighting a war wearing those colors is now considered political correctness. I’m the stupid one for thinking their imagery is more than a decoration that can be slapped on anything. You guys would throw a temper tantrum to embarrass a three year old if that guy put a Harley badge on that bike to enhance it’s “period correctness”. The corporate logo is sacred but dead soldiers uniforms get no respect. Sad.
Nice effort for sure. All the financial resources and energy poured into that project, he could have had an exquisite example of the real thing.
Richards-Nicker. You guys are so wrong. Not period correct. Nothing wrong with thinking this is disrespectful. A build like this is usually Patriotic not a nod to the enemy of that period. Why not build a Period Correct US Military bike using whatever bike Hilter’s military rode around in. PC my ass.
I cant abide the politically correct people that seem to have a warped hate complex for a piece of someone’s mobile art, completely ignoring the imagination and art quality of the artist/mechanics work!
Japanese? American? German?
It’s called working with what you have……
Further comments on the engine. I owned a ’76, 650 yamaha and really liked it for about 40,000 miles. I felt it was basically a good short distance ride. Economical and reliable. Two traits that were not that good, the seat was like riding on a brick and the vibration was really bad….Overall though, I have fond memories of my YAM…
I can only imaging if it was one of the H-D copies of a WW2 BMW ☺
I understand the consternation from some on the chosen motor, but perhaps emotions are overly high? Last night’s episode of “Wheeler Dealers” had the intrepid pair of Brits re-doing a Messerschmitt KR200 3-wheeler and then showing it at one of many 60th anniversary (of the KR200) events for it, this one outside of London. There were 20+ of them zooming around stuffed with grinning drivers, and some were sporting Union Jacks. Considering what Messerschmitts did to/over/against England, maybe it’s better to try and live for the future and not the past?
I’m not offended by anything. I just think it’s silly to spend so much money when the real thing is so easily available. Prattering in about Steve McQueen, the great escape and Harley XAs doesn’t really apply. Triumph had there own military models in WW2 and the XA was a war time experiment. Doesn’t really apply to this situation. This is just a pale imitation of possibly the greatest motorcycle ever designed. It’s just sad and absurd.
I’m over it, but Bob S is right. ..Z
Live & Let Ride!
Bob S, I agree.
However, we should also remember that Harleys were built in Japan under license to Sankyo back in the 20s and 30s. They were sold under the “Rikuo” name (translated: “Land King” or “Road King”). The arrangement ended in 1936, but the WL style bikes were still built in Japan, and many were built and sold to the Japanese military during WWII.
Doing a custom build of a WL style bike, in Japanese military colors would probably raise a few eyebrows, but it wouldn’t be “politically” incorrect.
At any rate, this is still a cool build, but I’d prefer it better if it weren’t in US military colors.
???
Ed (and others),
You missed the point Richards and i were trying to make. It has nothing to do with “respect” of you or of the military…. read what we wrote again. The point is not the representation of a country but simply that of representing an era.
-1- the disk break was too much of a visual departure….. there are plenty of good drum break systems available in every MC salvage pile.
-2- while the US had XA boxers as military bikes, i’ve never seen a parallel twin in the US military lineup…… there are a number of v-twin options in MC scrap yards.
-3- Regarding the great escape MC movie prop….. You are probably not aware that before the war Germany was building Triumphs under license (just as Japan was building HD 45s under license). As a young man my farther road a hand-sift German Triumph in Bulgaria.
These comments are more about wanting to maintain a sense of “tradition”… not about berating your effort…. As i said it was a great idea. I certainly hope you enjoyed doing it.
But i also hope you’ll continue learning about the legacy of motorcycling and its roll in the industrialization of western culture to help promote the concept of motorcyclists as rugged capable individuals who, in this country helped forge the greatest nation on earth…. instead of following the contemporary model of using Motorcycling simply as “personality accessory”…… (the suicide-shift crowd)…. 🙁
-nicker-
Nicker,
I didn’t miss your point. I understand. Yes, I actually have many books on the military motorcycles of the era. I probably used a poor choice of words about trying to be period correct. I can appreciate how people feel differently but at the end of the day it was more important to build something that I would enjoy rather than what others felt about the project. Just to clarify, it was more of an amalgamation of a couple of different military motorcycles of that era, not just the WLA. I liked different aspects of them all, and not just the American ones. I did really like the WWII Triumph as well. I even thought briefly about getting a Chinese CJ750 and making it look like a Harley XA. I can appreciate some people might think it is stupid, but I think it would be stupider for me to build something for someone else’s approval rather than my own.
I don’t care the “why” and the “how” 🙂
I love this bike and would love to meet the owner and go for a ride with him 🙂
Sure we have many tips and stories to share ….
( Barefoot Jerry : 883 XWL Warboy )
Type “270 degree Rephased Yamaha XS650 Engine Sound” on YouTube