Cycle World closed out 2017 with their annual Custom & Style Issue, and it was in that magazine that I learned about Jay Donovan from BareSteel Design. I’ve featured the work of hundreds of builders over the years, but Jay’s story stands out with this Yamaha because he was just 23 years old when he built this bike (in less than 10 weeks, natch). Whether or not you’re impressed with how young Jay was when he built this, I hope you agree that this is one of the coolest XS650s you’ve ever seen. If not – I expect that you’ll share the object of your affection in the comments!
Michael Lichter has curated the Motorcycles as Art show at the Buffalo Chip in Sturgis for the last 10 years. Last year Lichter decided to focus on builders that were 35 years old or younger, and Donovan was one of the invited artists. Those of you that were fortunate enough to attend The One Moto Show this year got the opportunity to see Manta in person. Or maybe you saw it at the Motor Bike Expo in Verona, Italy?
Manta at the One Moto Show
In Jay’s words, “The concept for this build came about with a desire to rework an original platform to give an impression that the entire project was designed from scratch. Much of the new frame and swing arm lines were inspired from the bikes original design, while the hand formed aluminum body section materialized with the desire for a very fluid yet aggressive natural looking design. As the design developed I drew parallels and took inspiration from the form and function of a Giant Oceanic Manta Ray, creating the name “Manta”.”
There’s lots of relatively bolt-on upgrades like ’02 SV650 forks (with Race Tech springs/emulators) and brakes, Excel wheels on the stock hubs, Boyer Bransden digital ignition, Mikuni VM34 round slide carbs, Woodcraft clipons, some Motogadget electronic goodies, and plenty more. But the highlight of the show is obviously the hand-formed one piece tank/tail bodywork. Other aspects I can’t stop staring at include the custom exhaust and the swingarm. For more on this incredible build, check out this story on BikeEXIF. Per that story, Jay handled everything himself except for a top end rebuild, upholstery, powdercoating, and plating. Not bad.
If you’re interested in Manta, drop me a line: abhi AT bike-urious.com and I’ll put you in touch with the seller. The asking price is $40,000.