Ruben's Virago
By Anthony van Someren - 06 Jan 13
Garbur Garage 87 isn't a new pro custom shop open to public business, but that hasn't stopped Ruben Garcia Burcio and his dad from turning out this picture-perfect half-faired cafe racer from a 1993 Virago XV 750. We've seen a few of these turned into truly stunning machines, most infamously by Classified Moto.
The Virago had seemed like an unlikley donor until we all saw what could be done once the steering angle had been reduced by shortening the forks, and the tipped-up tank, chopper bars and 2-step seat were switched for cafe racer style parts. Once the 750 V-twin was de-cluttered from all the chrome and cruiser parts it turned out to be a pretty little mill and builders out there saw what could be achieved.
What Ruben had always wanted was a Guzzi 850 LeMans like his father, but rebuilding this modest Yamaha into the bike it is now doesn't look like a major compromise to us at The Bike Shed. It looks superb.
The bike has been through many incarnations during it's journey to the cafe racer it is now, wearing a Norton tank, Ducati 900ss front end, custom seat with cushions from a Laverda Jota. But this build isn't just the sum of its parts, it's the joint labour of father & son working to re-create a shared passion through the bond of building a bike together, and doing under their own custom-shop name too. What could be better?