Despite the company’s name, there’s nothing misshapen about Crooked Motorcycles‘ latest custom bike. This svelte Yamaha XS650 from the German shop is straight as an arrow; a riff on classic café racer style, infused with a little bit of Crooked’s personality.
It’s no accident then, that the shop has nicknamed the XS650 ‘Silver Arrow.’ “Right from the start, it was all about creating a clear line and still making the bike as rideable as possible,” Crooked co-founder, Dominikus Braun, explains. “The concept was minimal weight, a monochrome design and a clean silhouette.”
Crooked started with a 1978-model Yamaha XS650. Most of the running gear was usable—but the engine and wiring were tired. So the guys rebuilt the motor, and rewired the bike around a Motogadget control box.…