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| Thatch | | Thor |  |  | | Reg. Date | : | 24/06/2009 | | Posts | : | 3,655 | | Location | : | Savannah, GA, United States |
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| | Posted : 14 Nov 2011 - 15:05 Post title : World's sexiest Virago | | | I know what you are thinking... how can a virago be sexy. I mean is there a bike out there that better illustrates Japan's lack of understanding of the cruiser market than this...
But, a recent custom build has actually taken the wallflower Virago and made a real looker out of her.
This bike was built by Doc Chops on the latest Cafe Racer TV and shows just what you can do if you know how to polish a turd.
Full write up on the bike can be found here
Link
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| BlueNose | | Thor | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 29/09/2009 | | Posts | : | 2,478 | | Location | : | United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 14 Nov 2011 - 15:12 Post title : Re: World's sexiest Virago (Re: Thatch) | | | Thatch wrote:
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I really like it - they didn't leave much of the original turd when they finished with it did they!!
Excellent job I must say 
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| mat1600 | | Thunderbird | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 06/03/2010 | | Posts | : | 8,596 | | Location | : | Bridlington, Democratic Independant State of Yorkshire, United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 14 Nov 2011 - 15:34 Post title : Re: World's sexiest Virago (Re: Thatch) | | | Nice find - love it. At least there is not enough Virago left in it to call it a Virago. I have been thinking for a while to build a cafe, but the p/twins are getting stupid money - never tought of something like this  don,t think I could get enough ummfff out of that motor though.
| My first natural instinct is to breathe. My second is to evade tax's.
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| MurseFrylock | | Set | | | Reg. Date | : | 24/08/2011 | | Posts | : | 233 | | Location | : | Highland Village, Texas, United States |
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| | Posted : 14 Nov 2011 - 16:29 Post title : Re: World's sexiest Virago (Re: mat1600) | | | Just watched this Cafe Racer episode yesterday on my DVR. Absolute work of art. Gotta hand it to a guy who can turn a Virago into something like this. Looks awesome, and performs well to boot.
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| SeanS | | Jupiter | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 17/10/2009 | | Posts | : | 1,179 | | Location | : | Matlock, Derbyshire UK, United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 14 Nov 2011 - 18:57 Post title : Re: World's sexiest Virago (Re: Thatch) | | |
Thatch wrote:
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Luv Cafe Racers... This ones gorgeous!
This pics going on my inspiration wall.
| If only I had a bigger garage
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| zolti | | Thor | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 23/03/2010 | | Posts | : | 3,127 | | Location | : | newcastle , United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 14 Nov 2011 - 19:23 Post title : Re: World's sexiest Virago (Re: SeanS) | | | rejetted, kn filters, performance exhaust....
stylish for a yamahaha
not sure i liked the very linear lines.... but then they grow on you..... and you begin to appreciate the strength in the functional statements, uncluttered and almostly monochromatically stimulating.
putting viagra into a virago
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| Ted | | Chaac | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 14/06/2010 | | Posts | : | 551 | | Location | : | March, Cambs, United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 14 Nov 2011 - 21:46 Post title : Re: World's sexiest Virago (Re: zolti) | | | Once again, Zolti attempts with some success, to achieve the latest ThunderBard Award.
There's a lot of syllables there for a Geordie. Clever last sentence.
| NASUWT retired, GP track marshal and Patriotic Rider
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| BlueNose | | Thor | | | | Reg. Date | : | 29/09/2009 | | Posts | : | 2,478 | | Location | : | United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 14 Nov 2011 - 22:07 Post title : Re: World's sexiest Virago (Re: Ted) | | |
Ted wrote:
Once again, Zolti attempts with some success, to achieve the latest ThunderBard Award.
There's a lot of syllables there for a Geordie. Clever last sentence. |
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Mrs Zolti is the brains of the outfit!
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| HooRad | | Set | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 19/01/2010 | | Posts | : | 280 | | Location | : | Richmond, VA, United States |
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| | Posted : 15 Nov 2011 - 01:42 Post title : Re: World's sexiest Virago (Re: BlueNose) | | | Apparently the Virago is a fairly popular framework on which to do some crazy mods. A guy I know from my wife's work did an industrial themed chop of an '82 Virago for a friend of mine, Sunny Zhao. Sunny does some video production work and needed a bike for a shoot he was gonna do. So he talked to this guy John Ryland who was just experimenting with some old bikes and he came up with this...
Granted, this was created as a piece of motorcycle art, so it's not highly functional. Still it is supposedly a fun little ride, if a little stiff in the seat. Another pic...
Here's another more recent take on the Virago by Ryland which I really like.
Ryland is obviously a very talented dude. Plus he's a super nice guy and am glad he's making a name for himself. Here's a link to his very interesting website and other projects:
Link
| Not likely to die of natural causes. At least I hope not.
| | Post edited by HooRad on 15 Nov 2011 - 01:43 |
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| narsisco_lopez | | Thor | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 09/09/2010 | | Posts | : | 2,765 | | Location | : | Golden (Showers!), Colorado, United States |
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| | Posted : 15 Nov 2011 - 15:48 Post title : Re: World's sexiest Virago (Re: SeanS) | | |
Thatch wrote:
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That's a damned fine example that polishing a turd isn't always a bad thing.
| 2012 Storm (SOLD!)
Other Bikes:
2003 Suzuki DRZ400E (plated - my dual sport/mountain trail/camping bike)
Past Bikes:
2012 K13S
2009 KTM 990 Adventure
2010 Triumph Thunderbird 1600 (the Alien Queen)
2009 Triumph Sprint ST (another great bike!)
2007 Kawasaki ZX10R
2000 Kawasaki ZRX1100
1975 Honda SB550T "Clubman"
1981 Kawasaki KZ1000J
1985 Suzuki GS550E
1978 Yamaha 650 Special
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| n2dwind | | Set | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 12/07/2010 | | Posts | : | 405 | | Location | : | Jupiter, Florida, United States |
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| | Posted : 15 Nov 2011 - 17:13 Post title : Re: World's sexiest Virago (Re: narsisco_lopez) | | | 
OK, so now you really bring back some memories. I bought one of these in 1981, rode it up until last year and then gave it to my son who still has most of it. This picture was taken at the Rats Hole bike show and it won 6th place. Not bad for a Jap cruiser bike
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| Thatch | | Thor | | | | Reg. Date | : | 24/06/2009 | | Posts | : | 3,655 | | Location | : | Savannah, GA, United States |
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| | Posted : 17 Nov 2011 - 07:37 Post title : Re: World's sexiest Virago (Re: n2dwind) | | |
Ryland is obviously a very talented dude. Plus he's a super nice guy and am glad he's making a name for himself. Here's a link to his very interesting website and other projects:
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Ah yes the Classified Moto bikes... very nice stuff, very brutish. I like them. These were the first Virago customs that I had seen and while I liked them a lot they appealed in a sort of Mad Max thug like way just not 'sexy' like the one I posted previously. Not a damn thing wrong with that and I'd happily have either sitting in my garage to be sure.
They make an awfully cool lamp as well.
n2dwind - Glad you enjoyed yours. I helped a buddy get into riding by test riding / recommending one to him. I couldn't fit on the damn thing at all but knew enough after the test that it would work for him and it was a good bike. I just could never much stand the look of em.... but it's all personal preference
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| HooRad | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 19/01/2010 | | Posts | : | 280 | | Location | : | Richmond, VA, United States |
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| | Posted : 17 Nov 2011 - 14:17 Post title : Re: World's sexiest Virago (Re: Thatch) | | |
Thatch wrote:
They make an awfully cool lamp as well.
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Tell me about it! I think I may get one from Mrs. Hoo for X-Mas. Perfect for my garage or man-cave.
| Not likely to die of natural causes. At least I hope not.
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| sprint5t | | Set | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 07/02/2011 | | Posts | : | 355 | | Location | : | Ely, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 02 Feb 2012 - 13:38 Post title : Re: World's sexiest Virago (Re: n2dwind) | | |
I'm with you n2dwind, ... I've had 2 Viragos and I loved them, ... put them in context of the times and alternative "custom" bikes and it was a very clever design, the parts were all in proportion, it was reliable, clean, comfortable, handled well ( within it's limits) and apart from re-spraying it and adding loud pipes I didn't (need to) change anything else on it. 
John
PS
My mate also rode a Virago and his was featured in Performance Bikes doing wheelies and other stupid stuff it had been modified by the famous Stan Stephens. 
| Thread Killer Extraordinaire
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| feduke | | Thor | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 11/08/2009 | | Posts | : | 2,441 | | Location | : | Daytona Beach, Florida, United States |
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| | Posted : 02 Feb 2012 - 14:42 Post title : Re: World's sexiest Virago (Re: sprint5t) | | |
Oh no? If not you're the only person I ever knew that didn't have to change the starter on a Virago. Yamaha never could come up with a fix for that damn thing.
| I'm a secondhand vegetarian. Cows eat grass. I eat cows.
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| DizzE | | Thor | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 12/07/2010 | | Posts | : | 3,141 | | Location | : | Sunnyvale, CA, United States |
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| | Posted : 02 Feb 2012 - 16:03 Post title : Re: World's sexiest Virago (Re: feduke) | | |
I saw them polishing turds on Myth Busters. The lion poop did the best. Lot's of protein. A real shine.
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| feduke | | Thor | | | | Reg. Date | : | 11/08/2009 | | Posts | : | 2,441 | | Location | : | Daytona Beach, Florida, United States |
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| | Posted : 02 Feb 2012 - 18:09 Post title : Re: World's sexiest Virago (Re: DizzE) | | |
DizzE wrote:
I saw them polishing turds on Myth Busters. The lion poop did the best. Lot's of protein. A real shine.
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So you really liked the Virago, huh?
| I'm a secondhand vegetarian. Cows eat grass. I eat cows.
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