I'm looking for an XV1000 or TR1

**Wired1** · 25th April 2006, 20:15

Yep well I guess I should do the new member posting thing. I am over forty and currently have a '83 Yamaha XV740 cruiser which I have just finished rebuilding from the ground up. Everything has been sand blasted and powder coated and she looks a million bucks, or at least 3 grand anyway.
I am always looking for more XV750's and 1000's and you will see I spend way too much time on Trademe (same logon) bidding on any that come up. The only problem is that the ones I want don't come up often enough - I want the problem bikes that people are too embarrassed to sell or that nobody wants - well I want them!

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Right now I am looking for a Yamaha TR1 which is the road bike version of the XV1000 cruiser. The rougher the better as I will be using it as a donor bike to build a Britten replica.
If anyone has an old XV in the shed that needs work, drop me a line please.

**crashe** · 25th April 2006, 20:21

Wohoooo another Virago rider... there are a few of us mere mortals on this site that ride these wonderful cruisers.

Don't worry about the shite from those sportbike riders thou...
They just haven't realised yet, that the way to go is to ride a cruiser.

BTW Welcome to KB.

**dangerous** · 25th April 2006, 20:24

welcome to KB, ya got me woundering.... TR1? do ya have any pic's to show us, just cant picture it.

**T.W.R** · 25th April 2006, 20:29

Originally Posted by Wired1

Right now I am looking for a Yamaha TR1 which is the road bike version of the XV1000 cruiser. The rougher the better as I will be using it as a donor bike to build a Britten replica.
If anyone has an old XV in the shed that needs work, drop me a line please.

Welcome into the nuthouse enjoy.

you'll actually find that the XV1000 slightly different to a TR1, the TR1 was 921cc & had a fully enclosed chain final drive. where as the XV1000 was 980cc & shaft drive.

you may be lucky to find a few TR1s getting about but many suffered premature failure with cracked barrels.

happy hunting theres sure to be few tucked away somewhere

**Wired1** · 25th April 2006, 20:34

They may be called something different in NZ. The TR! name is what they are called in the UK where they are like the photo (hopefully) below, a 1000cc vee twin road bike. I have seen a couple of XV750's in the same vein which makes me wonder if the only ones to get down here were 750's. I will do it with an XV750 (so to speak) if I can't get a 1000, but as I am replicating a Britten V-1000 I thought it would be good to start with a 1000cc engine! Of course the V-1000 was water cooled but you can't see the radiator anyway so why complicate things...

**dangerous** · 26th April 2006, 05:50

TWR: yeah I sorta remember now think one of my mates brothers had one many moons ago.
Wired1: na can't say I have seen one like that in NZ, looks bloody old with the fork gaters etc.

**kiwifruit** · 26th April 2006, 09:46

welcome to the site
i know someone with one of those, will see if he is keen to sell.

**Wired1** · 26th April 2006, 22:25

Yes please. And they don't all have fork gaters - that's just the only picture I had. The picture TWR supplied above is a better view.

**Rashika** · 27th April 2006, 09:59

I'm curious.... honest!
Why this bike to try and replicate the Britten? Is it mainly for the motor?

**DemonWolf** · 27th April 2006, 10:03

Welcome to KB... please keep us up to date on your projects

**Pixie** · 27th April 2006, 10:31

Originally Posted by Wired1

They may be called something different in NZ. The TR! name is what they are called in the UK where they are like the photo (hopefully) below, a 1000cc vee twin road bike. I have seen a couple of XV750's in the same vein which makes me wonder if the only ones to get down here were 750's. I will do it with an XV750 (so to speak) if I can't get a 1000, but as I am replicating a Britten V-1000 I thought it would be good to start with a 1000cc engine! Of course the V-1000 was water cooled but you can't see the radiator anyway so why complicate things...

I had one in '83
In NZ they were called an XV 1000,the cruiser was called a Virago.
The XV 1000 here had an enclosed grease bath chain and a capacity of 998cc

Are you going to build a Hossack double wishbone front suspension for the replica?

There is a guy with one in Parakai with one but I don't know him personally.

**James Deuce** · 27th April 2006, 10:46

The XV1000 and XV920 were different bikes, IIRC. I had a mate with a 920 and his dad had a XV1000, and the 920 seemed to be the nicer ride. Try looking for a XV920.

**Rashika** · 27th April 2006, 11:14

I remember going to a rally down south a few years and seeing a 920, 1100 and a 535 all in the same occasion, all Crusier style (Viragos)...of course I was on the 750 Virago. The only one missing was the 250...bloody cool to see them all together

Shoulda done a photo shoot, never mind

**Wired1** · 27th April 2006, 13:38

Yeah as far as I know the total list of Virago models is (in ascending order) 250, 500, 535, 700, 750, 920, 1000 and 1100. A number of these were only made for a couple of years for the US market after they changed the rules on import bikes in an attempt to stem the flow of import jap bikes taking the sales of Harleys. The early US bikes were all called Viragos and the kiwi/Ausi/UK ones were first called XV... then after about 1986 adopted the Virago name as well. There is no difference between them other than the badges. Apparently the bikes were first brought out as road bikes and were a complete flop on the market so they redesigned them as a cruiser. I am on my second XV750 and likle the narrow lines, a lot like the single bangers I have previously owned. I am basically looking for a TR1 if I can get one for sensible money, or anything 750 and above for the right price. Bearing in mind that I want the bike as a donor for my latest hair-brained scheme. In answer to Pixie above, I won't be trying to replicate front end, I will initially go for the original forks and look out for a girder/springer that will look good powder coated black. The Britten front end is very similar to the Vincent HRD forks along with the stressed member frame, monoshock rear suspension and integrated gearbox - all of which were considered radical at the time.

**Rashika** · 27th April 2006, 15:11

Originally Posted by Wired1

In answer to Pixie above, I won't be trying to replicate front end, I will initially go for the original forks and look out for a girder/springer that will look good powder coated black. The Britten front end is very similar to the Vincent HRD forks along with the stressed member frame, monoshock rear suspension and integrated gearbox - all of which were considered radical at the time.

yep, I made the model of britten when it came out. Its in pewter, and a lovely, HEAVY wee thing, interesting to make with all the different bits to a 'normal' bike...

funny how life works, when you look at what i ride now....they are damn similar