Yamaha XSR 700 Yard Built - Bunker Custom Motorcycles - 2016 — Specifications

Imagine a Yamaha XSR 700 that would have grown up dreaming of dunes and dusty trails, rather than smooth asphalt. That’s exactly what the brothers Can and Mert Uzer, from the Turkish studio Bunker Custom Motorcycles, managed to sculpt. Their project, born under the Yard Built program of Yamaha, is not a simple aesthetic customization. It’s a profound reorientation, a transformation of an urban neo-retro into a lightweight adventurer's machine, a modern tracker ready to devour paths.

The starting point remains the excellent base of the XSR 700: its CP2 inline twin cylinder of 689 cm3, delivering 75 horsepower and that charming torque of 68 Nm. An engine that runs on liveliness and accessibility. But Bunker Customs wanted to unleash its off-road spirit. They therefore radically modified its geometry. The seat has been raised by 6 cm, offering a new perspective on the road, and the original fork has given way to an inverted fork borrowed from the MT-09 Tracer, for firmer and more precise handling. The most significant gesture? The replacement of the front wheel with a 19-inch model, nicely taken from the Super Ténéré catalog, and fitted with Goldentyre GT201 tires. Ground clearance gains 6 precious centimeters, reaching 20 cm. This motorcycle no longer just grazes speed bumps, it rides over them.

Craftsmanship is king here. The minimalist bodywork is entirely reworked in 2 mm hand-hammered aluminum, from the tank to the mudguards, conferring a raw and functional appearance. The custom-made stainless steel exhaust and the round headlight add to this aura of worked robustness. Yet, despite these transformations, the Uzer brothers had the intelligence to preserve the agile soul of the base. The weight remains contained and the position, although upright thanks to a Renthal handlebar, invites mobility. It has not become a heavy trail bike, but retains the nervousness of a roadster, simply endowed with new capabilities.

Who is this machine for? The curious globetrotter looking for an alternative to classic trail bikes, lighter and more stylish. The urban rider who wants a unique machine capable of escaping on weekends to country roads. It is not a machine for the track or extreme off-road, but for those who see motorcycle freedom as a mix of retro style, agility and a touch of adventure. Faced with a Triumph Scrambler 900, heavier and more expensive, or a Ducati Desert Sled, more powerful but also more exclusive, this XSR 700 Bunker presents itself as a handcrafted, personal and remarkably coherent option. It proves that the Yard Built program can go far beyond the cosmetic, to touch the mechanics of dreams.