Motorcycle specifications YamahaXJR 1300 Yard Built -SKULLMONKEE- 2015 The Shadow Rebellion

A new creative exercise joins Yamaha's Yard Built family: the XJR1300 "Skullmonkee", created by the Wrenchmonkees. As standard, the 2015 Yamaha XJR 1300 and XJR 1300 Racer had already attracted considerable attention thanks to their innovative design, strongly inspired by the world of customization. Indeed, the shortened, streamlined chassis, narrower tank and smaller headlight are a fitting tribute to recent creations, and also demonstrate all the potential these machines offer in terms of customization.

"Thanks to their previous collaborations, the Wrenchmonkees were a great help with this new XJR model," points out Shun Miyazawa, Product Manager at Yamaha Motor Europe."The 2015 XJR follows in the footsteps of their Yard Built XJR 1300 'Monkeefist', a primary source of inspiration for this new design. This influence led us not to make drastic changes to the bike: instead, we focused on tweaks and improvements to enhance the machine."

"We made every effort not to drastically alter the design," comments Per Nielsen of the Wrenchmonkees."We wanted to give it our sleek style, with no cutting or welding on the chassis."

Nicholas Bech, another member of the Wrenchmonkees, adds:"We wanted to strip the bike bare by removing certain parts to give the impression that they'd never been there. From the outset we sought to work with other companies to find additional parts we could modify to imprint our style."

The Wrenchmonkees identified and modified the trendiest, sleekest aftermarket parts best suited to transforming a motorcycle. Parts shaped by the Wrenchmonkees were also added, such as machined engine covers and Monkeefist-style aluminum fork tees.

The sleek LSL Speed Match half handlebars are finished with Biltwell grips. In the center is a MMB digital mini speedometer and a custom WM yellow headlight.

The braking system has been seriously rethought with the use of a Beringer all-wheel configuration, including Hypersport disc brakes, Beringer calipers front and rear, a Beringer brake master cylinder and a matching Beringer clutch master cylinder. The final touch: black-tinted metallic aviation hoses.

öhlins STX 36 rear shock absorbers and Matt Black LSL aluminum remote controls provide a more aggressive riding position. For enhanced grip, Michelin Pilot Road 4s tires make their appearance.
An LSL Titan steering damper optimizes the machine's stability, and the Wrenchmonkees seat backrest with LED headlamp overlooks a 4-in-2 stainless-steel exhaust system, assembled with Wrenchmonkees/Spark mufflers.

Coated in gloss black paint, featuring the Skullmonkee tank emblem and topped with just a few gold accents, this sublime motorcycle is a fitting celebration of the 20th anniversary of this legendary tourer.

XJR owners wishing to infuse their machine with the spirit of Copenhagen can order Skullmonkee parts directly from the Wrenchmonkees website: www.wrenchmonkees.com.

Credits and images: Yamaha