The latest Yamaha ‘Yard Built’ project sees the return of long-time Yamaha collaborator Jens vom Brauck. Founder of JvB-moto, German custom builder Jens is hailed for the minimalism of his bike designs that bring out the vision of the original within a brand-new skin.
The first JvB-moto Yard Built special was the 2015 VMAX ‘Infrared’, a dragster-meets-café racer that marked the 30th anniversary of Yamaha’s iconic VMAX cruiser. Customised nose to tail from the sub-frame up, the retro Infrared cemented JvB-moto’s distinct style within the Yard Built community.
The VMAX was followed by the ‘Super 7’, the first customised version of the new XSR700 that showed off the huge range of options available (and sold by KEDO Germany) to personalise the stock bike. Re-imagining the XSR700 without any cuts or welds to the frame, JvB-moto produced yet another incredible machine that boasts clean, tidy lines while embracing the raw power and agility of the standard bike.
An Adrenaline-Fueled Concept
Four years later and JvB-moto has returned for another round of dazzling customisation, projecting their vision onto the 2019 Yamaha XSR900 to create the CP3. The bike was first presented at the 2019 Café Racer Festival where it received the Best of Show prize.
Talking about his latest creation, vom Brauck was clear in explaining his vision:
“The biggest retro influence is on the lines and proportions. I am a big fan of 70s and 80s concept cars and got a lot of inspiration for this build there. The bike has an understated, clean look and has more of a concept bike ‘feel’ than a typical custom bike.”
The CP3 captures perfectly the JvB-moto design philosophy of clean lines that enhance the stock bike as a base for easy customisation and breathe new life into it. While the retro theme is in part an influence on the CP3, JvB-moto’s design stresses that the bike is a Yamaha through and through at its core, and one that is easy to customise. The dark blue Yamaha racing colour used was darkened further and made matt, highlighting the new bodywork whilst retaining the stock bike’s character. Though the design is inherently minimalist, the CP3 sports a number of cutting-edge modifications that elevate it from a typical custom bike to a true concept motorcycle. Carbon fibre wheel covers house the Pirelli Super Corsa tyres, with Behringer front brake disks packing extra stopping power. Lightech footrests help reduce weight and give an assuring platform for the rider, with a new seat to accommodate the feel of the CP3.
Ultimately JvB-moto envisaged the CP3 as a reflection of the XSR900’s powerful 850cc 3-cylinder engine, unchanged in the customisation, and designed the bike to look how the engine feels to ride. The Termignoni exhaust amplifies the emotive sound of the triple and provides a small boost in horsepower, completing the CP3 package that raises the very high standard of Yard Built specials even further. Jens elaborated on this approach:
“I wanted it to look fast without looking aggressive, for it to be less retro and more minimalist, with a reduced and purposeful design.”
