Yamaha XJR1300 Bison Ventures Onto Cafe Racer Territory Looking Sublime

It is a rad Yamaha XJR1300 upgraded in all the right places, and the first thing to worry about was its flimsy stock suspension. At the front, we come across a fresh pair of upside-down Showa forks mated to reworked triple clamps, while the rear end gained adjustable Ohlins shock absorbers with piggyback reservoirs. The unsprung sector has undergone some serious changes, as well.

Ziga did away with the original hoops, replacing them with a Kawasaki ZZR1400’s units and wrapping those in Phantom Sportscomp tires from Pirelli. Improved stopping power was high up on the grocery list, too, so our protagonist installed floating brake discs and beefier four-piston calipers up front. A new aftermarket rotor made its way onto the rear end to complement the aforementioned bits and pieces.

Moving on to the fabrication work, Gas & Retro came up with a fresh loop-style subframe to tighten up the XJR’s proportions at the back. The subframe’s flanks are enclosed with custom-made side panels, and there are small dual-function LEDs fitted close to the upper shock mounts. Up top, we see a gorgeous handmade seat with room for two, upholstered in a mixture of standard and perforated black leather by Mitja Bizjak.

The XJR1300’s factory gas tank is still in play, but its front end is now home to a custom fender and one stunning cafe-style fairing. A Koso LED headlight is encircled by the latter, with Kellermann Atto turn signals accompanying it on each side. The fairing is topped with a yellow-tinted windshield, which serves more of a cosmetic purpose rather than a practical one.

In the cockpit, there are TRW clip-ons enveloped in black Biltwell grips, sporting Nissin master cylinders and premium control levers. A multi-function aftermarket dial is also present nearby, nestled between the top clamp and windshield. After giving the inline-four engine a once-over and ensuring that everything ran as it should, Ziga installed a custom exhaust system ending in dual Spark mufflers.

The engine’s exterior looks absolutely spotless following a thorough clean-up, and the whole package is finished off with a simple, yet very stylish colorway. Executed with the help of Matej Mrzlikar, the livery makes use of a matte-silver base on the fuel tank, fairing, and front fender. Black and gold detailing also made its way onto the tank, but so did a pair of Yamaha logos. Finally, the bike was nicknamed Bison following the project’s completion.