This summer we took a trip to Michigan to participate in the Zylstra choppers Apocalypse Run up to the upper peninsula, (a feature we will be running next month) and we had the chance to connect with some really inspiring and interesting builders along the way who also made the trek for the run on their custom bikes. One stand out bike that refused to go unnoticed at every stop was this 1973 XS650 built by Nick Moyer of Chicago. With every single element of this bike custom made and fabricated from other found parts this bike was unlike any XS650 we had ever seen. Not to mention it's hard not to love a chrome frame and nods to builders like Indian Larry with his wild twisted downtubes. Basically every chance that Nick had to change up an element of the bike to make it completely innovative and original to him he went with it. Repurposing old hot rod car parts and custom fabricating other parts the bike really stands out on it's own. We waited for the dreaded upper peninsula Michigan rains to subside on day 2 of the run and sat down with Nick to discuss some of our favorite parts of the build.
Flat Track racing is deeply rooted in motorcycle history, especially here in North America dating back to the early 1900s. For many people, the invention of the motorcycle was a new way of transportation, but for some it was a new lease on life. For those that saw the motorcycle as something more than just getting you to and from work, little did they know they would be on the ground floor of building the longest running extreme sport. Although Flat Track racing may not be for everyone, it is easily respected and appreciated by anyone who has thrown their leg over a motorcycle.
Sure, you may have heard of the muscle car wars of the 1960s but what about the muscle bike wars of the 1980s?
That’s right! Here in America, the 1980s were significant for many reasons (some that we shouldn’t be so proud of) and the decade of excess and innovation spawned some fascinating creations in both the automotive and the motorcycle world. Chief among these exercises in excess was none other than the subject of this deep dive; the Yamaha VMAX.
The 1970’s + 80’s were some funky years in the flat track world, motorcycles were quickly evolving and manufacturer’s were fighting to claim the title of the best performing motorcycle and team. During the late 70’s through the 80’s we saw all sorts of oddball bikes popping up and making their attempts to claim the title. In this story we’re going to cover one specific model that made an appearance in the flat track world for a short stint, that many people may have forgot about our weren’t aware it was even a thing. Before we dive into the trials and tribulations of this specific manufactures push into flat track, we need to give a bit of back story and lay out the foundations of how this came to be.
When it comes to the Greasy Dozen Builder Collective, you never know what you'll see. The range of makes, models, and even styles is so broad, when selecting builders each year we look for things you don't always see and Spero Floro's submission was exactly that! Spero submitted a 1979 Yamaha SR500 into our cafe racer category, this specific model has been very popular in the custom world with builds ranging from choppers, scramblers to cafe racers.
There was something different about Spero's submission, it was bare bones and clean looking, with tons of custom machined parts, it was intriguing. We selected Spero with hopes he would build an SR500 that stood apart from the rest, and he absolutely did it! Without further ado, let's dive into this interview and learn more about his build.
