“With its retro looks, playful squiggly details, and somewhat undefined lines, it always looked less fast, less powerful, and less sporty than it really was,” says Jens vom Brauck. He’s talking about the first generation of the Yamaha XSR900—a bike that took the brilliant MT09 (then called the FZ09), and repackaged it as a modern classic with looks that belied its rowdiness.
Jens, who runs the one-man workshop JvB-Moto in Cologne, Germany, is well-versed in the XSR900. He’s customized it before, using the project as a springboard for a range of XSR-specific bolt-on parts produced by his usual collaborator, Kedo.
JvB-Moto’s signature aesthetic is a unique take on neo-retro. Jens favors clean lines and modern details, drawing inspiration from 1980s prototype design to create contemporary machines that feel more like concept bikes than customs. He also has a gift for fine-tuning a bike’s ergonomics.
JvB’s earlier XSR900 build epitomized this approach. But while his latest work borrows many of its predecessor’s parts, the overall vibe is deliberately understated. “This time,” he explains, “I wanted a less extreme two-seater—a rad looking, yet one hundred percent usable, daily driver that’s great fun to ride.”
Jens started by fitting a handful of existing JvB x Kedo parts. The XSR’s tank covers were swapped out for a set of custom items that cut a simpler line, before being flanked by a pair of fit-and-forget JvB-Moto intake scoops. “The scoops reach back to design cues that Yamaha established in the 80s, with bikes like the V-Max and FZ750,” says Jens.
The beautifully molded front fender was pulled straight from the catalog, as was the signature JvB-Moto headlight enclosure—a detail that’s often imitated but never emulated.
It’s at the back of the XSR where Jens deviated from the formula. True to the concept, he decided to reshape and reupholster the OEM saddle to leave room for a passenger, rather than fit the sporty solo seat that he previously created. Then he set about designing a handful of smaller bits to dress the rear, all of which Kedo will add to the catalog in due course.
Parts like the slim side panels were created using Jens’ usual process, with replication in mind. “I always make some simple sketches first, then build all the prototype parts from scratch,” he tells us. “I started working with 3D modeling a while ago, but for this project, all parts were made by hand using clay, hard foam, and mastic, and then finished with some special epoxy fillers.”
From there, Jens added an LED taillight and fabricated a license plate bracket that also hosts a pair of tiny LED turn signals; more parts that’ll soon feature in the Kedo store. The cockpit was cleaned up with LSL bars and risers, an aluminum brake fluid reservoir, and a JvB-Moto x Kedo speedo bracket. The front turn signals, which sit below the lever perches, are also JvB-Moto items.
Lower down, Jens clamped a set of carbon fiber covers over the XSR’s stock wheels, adding visual bulk and a hint of muscle car styling. A three-into-one Termignoni exhaust system was installed too—the perfect companion to the bike’s stonking triple-cylinder mill.
“In the end, it’s all about the engine,” says Jens. “As a Euro4-homologated bike, there are more nice exhaust systems available for the older XSR900 than for new bikes. Like this system—which provides four more horsepower and a really nice aggressive sound, without being ridiculously loud.”
In true JvB-Moto fashion, the XSR was finished off in a livery that exhibits Scandinavian levels of minimalism. “The matte blue color may look overexposed in photos, but that’s exactly how it is in real life. It’s a gradient, fading from a crisp swimming pool blue to a less saturated grey-ish storm blue, contrasting with the matte black parts.”
Given that the first-generation Yamaha XSR900 is now almost ten years old, secondhand examples are becoming more and more affordable. That’s why Jens has explored more customization possibilities with the platform—a cheaper donor bike means more money for parts, putting a rowdy roadster like this more within reach for the average Joe.
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