Simone Conti has what many custom motorcycles builders strive for—an instantly recognizable style. Working under the banner of Simone Conti Motorcycles, the Italian craftsman creates machines that look fast, aggressive and futuristic, like two-wheeled mechanical aliens. His style is so distinctive, that when he told his friends he was about to customize a Yamaha XS650, they scoffed.
“I had this 1971 Yamaha XS650 engine,” Simone tells us, “and I thought I could make a bike with an old engine and a modern aesthetic. All my friends told me that it would never be beautiful, because the engine has totally different lines.”
Determined to prove his friends wrong, Simone set out to build one of his wildest motorcycles yet. Calling this a custom XS650 is actually a bit of a stretch, because the only original parts left are the engine, transmission, wheels and rear brake.…