Yamaha XSR 700 Yard Built - Otokomae - 2016 — Specifications

What would a Yamaha XSR 700 look like if it were raised in the workshop of a Spanish customizer obsessed with style and function? Yamaha Motor Europe answers with this Yard Built called “Otokomae,” a 2016 machine that proves the CP2 twin-cylinder engine can be transformed into a street tracker without compromise. The result is a motorcycle that seems to have come from a dream catalog, where every modification has been designed to accentuate visual aggression and engagement on the handlebars, without betraying the accessible essence of the base model.

David Gonzalez, from Ad Hoc Café Racers workshop in Barcelona, is the craftsman behind this transformation. His approach is methodical: he does not cut or weld the original frame, respecting Yamaha’s philosophy of accessible customization. But he also knows where to draw from the brand’s catalog to add character. The front end, for example, becomes a clever mix of parts from the MT-09, the YZF-R6, and even the mythical MT-01 for its headlight. This gives a more muscular front posture, with R6 radial brakes and an inverted fork that clearly announces sporting intentions. The engine, this inline twin-cylinder 689 cc engine already known for its generous torque of 67.7 Nm and 75 horsepower, is unleashed by a SC Project system that replaces the original, too tame one. The sound becomes a signature, aggressive and direct.

Visually, the Otokomae strikes with its yellow and blue colors, a reprise of the historical codes of Yamaha Racing but with a modern boldness. The original tank is hidden under a modular fairing, the radiator blends into the black of the engine block, and the custom leather seat, raised by 15 mm with a Gears Racing shock absorber, provides a more dominant seat. Borrani rims and Michelin tires complete this image of an urban tracker ready to lean into a tight corner or cruise down back streets. Everything is bolted on, even the faux frame specially created to facilitate access to tools, highlighting Gonzalez’s pragmatic approach.

Compared to a standard XSR 700, this version may lose a little of its universality for beginners, but gains in raw personality. It is aimed at a rider who wants a unique machine, with a defined tracker style, without having to undertake radical modifications himself. The weight and seat height (830 mm) remain within reasonable limits, but the aggressiveness of the sound kit and the riding position suggest a more engaged use, perhaps even on closed circuits or winding roads. It is a motorcycle that does not do things by halves: it is clearly a style statement, a collector's item for the enthusiast of refined customizations, but which keeps under the hood the simple and effective heart of the CP2, guaranteeing that the driving pleasure remains intact, just amplified by all those details that make the difference.