1994 Yamaha XV750 called Akuma 悪魔.
The theme of this bike is in its name. "Akuma" meaning Evil spirit or Daemon. The handlebars with the reverse levers as horns, the red engine as the blood-red heart, the coiled exhaust as the daemon twin tails, and the raw frame as the bones. The color scheme is fitting with earth tones and red and blue, the minimal accents of chrome and even the burnt wood tail-light add to its ominous demeanor. The hand-painted daemon artwork and the Japanese name bring it all together. Akuma 悪魔.
This Gen 2 XV had a rough beginning. When I acquired it, it was a non-runner with a bad rotor and stater. There were lots of missing parts and a parts box full of XV parts from a Gen 1 model. There was little direction or inspiration to get this build off the ground. The first goal was to get it running and fix its issues with the charging system. After sitting for quite some time in the garage and staring at it for months, the bike wanted to be a bobber. The previous owner had already cut the tail end, and something had to be done with it. The gas tank was purchased to complement the engine and give the bike a new line. The tank is from a 2016 Indian Scout with fuel injection and a gas pump built into the tank.
The tank was stripped to bare metal, and plates were added to the front to reshape the tunnel to fit the frame of the XV better. Tank mounts were made on the frame to fit the mounts on the tank. The tank was then hand-painted with blue and red on a neutral background. It was scuffed and rusted to create the distressed patina, then coated with clear to seal it all in. A fuel regulator keeps the fuel pump pressure low enough to run a set of CV carbs.
The frame's rear section was modified to flatten out the upswept factory line and lowered 2 1/2 inches. It was then hand-stripped with a wire wheel and cleaned up. The welds were accented, and the frame was clear coated. 10 1/2 inch DNM shocks complete the line of the frame.
Up front, 1-inch drag bars were installed with a set of reverse levers and Vans grips. The stock gauges were removed, and a new, smaller speedometer was added just inside the rider’s left knee. The brake master cylinder and reservoir were relocated below the neck of the frame and covered up the ignition coils. Small discreet switches were added for the left bar controls.
A new old-school Harley headlight bucket was used with a new halo-style LED to keep things bright. The factory airbox was removed, and a new one was built using the factory boot and fitted with a K&N filter.
Stainless exhaust tips complete the look of the wild curves of the daemon tail exhaust. It was pieced together with pie cuts of various degrees and wrapped in titanium exhaust wrap. The engine was painted two-tone black and red to accent the tank’s colors and theme.
The seat complements the look and finishes the lines of the bike. On top of the rear fender is mounted a wooden clamshell LED light fixture. It was treated with Shou Sugi Ban (Japanese wood treatment by the process of sealing the wood by burning)
The seat completes the look with custom stitching by Brian Will Stich.
