Auto Fabrica comes through with three new custom Yamahas

Auto Fabrica is a London-based shop and its signature style is rather unique, standing out from the generic custom built bikes as it comes along with a coachbuilt bodywork draped over minimal mechanicals.

Shun Miyazawa, at the time Yamaha Europe Executive, sent over a pre-production prototype of the XSR900 (before it was revealed at the 2015 EICMA show) and laid down the platform for the Type 11 project. Bujar, Gazmend and Toby were free to throw in their ideas and transform the bike considering the final factory design was sealed.

“We told Shun we would do something modern with the design,” they said. “It worked out well for us because we scanned the XSR900 early, and did a form study—knowing that we’d be getting a road legal version a few months later.”

The second XSR900 was planned for a ‘real world’ build and the guys had a limited custom blueprint in their minds as the ultimate aim was to make the bike street legal. The third bike, a 1976 Yamaha XS750 came into their hands and that marks the record for the number of Yard Built bikes released from a single workshop in one hit.

The quality of the bikes definitely hit top notch with its detailed, classy and unique style. Auto Fabrica certainly impressed many of the bike enthusiasts with these.

PROTOTYPE ONE

The crew noted that this bike was “destined to be radical and diversifying”. It contains a pure concept design, much inspired by the styling from the twin worlds of auto and motorcycle racing. This prototype was made as a track machine and due to no numbers on the chassis, it would not be registered for the road.

From traditional 2D sketching and escalated to CAD design and engineering, with rapid prototyping and machining alongside digital and physical mock-ups permitted on-the-spot tuning.

The suspensions received the greatest upgrades as Öhlins modified a set of their FGT forks, decreasing the length to 50mm in order to aid the stance of the bikes without comprising the handling qualities. As for the wheels, they are carbon fiber hoops from BST. The braking system is also improved with PFM floating 330mm front discs and Brembo brake calipers.

The bike features an 847cc DOHC triple engine and is capable of producing an output of 115hp. It also weighs 200kg. The front fairing definitely caught the eye of many and it leads into the tank unit even with the openings for the Renthal clip-ons.

PROTOTYPE TWO

This will be the road going version of the first prototype as it is adapted for the requirements for road riding, combining elements from Prototype One and Prototype Three.

The headlights are enhanced and the back captures Auto Fabrica’s signature design with the slatted taillight.

The bike will be built to order, sold under the name Type 11 and tailored to the client’s requirements, regardless of color, materials and finishes. Auto Fabrica should finish the first units of this limited edition Type 11 very soon, and first deliveries are expected to happen between Summer and Autumn this year.

PROTOTYPE THREE

This prototype is the limelight of the three. The fairing is a little smaller and mounted onto the forks, unlike the two other prototypes.

Auto Fabrica’s signature signature hand-bent exhaust piping is present whereas the K&Ns are excluded.

“This build started after the first two prototypes went into design and development,” Auto Fabrica said. “But it was instrumental to the evolution of both.”