Bandit9 Motorcycle Design made it their purpose to inspire other bike builders to experiment with lower-price motorcycles and not just Harleys or Triumphs. They proved that even a two-wheeler that “is not the most attractive” one out there can become an excellent base for a well-engineered bike like the one in these pictures.
They took a Yamaha XVS 400 and worked on it for almost a year to turn it into the “Atlas” version. The team gave up two previous iterations of the bike because they were not fully satisfied with the result, and so only the third one remained. They actually took apart two almost entirely completed versions because they could not settle for anything less than perfection.
The frame was reshaped to increase body length and to bring the Atlas closer to the pavement, the gas tank was swapped with a new stainless steel one, new side panels were added for design and sturdiness, the leather saddle was slimmed, the springer fork was tweaked, the headlight was changed and the pipes were given a “throaty growl” that sounds very much like the roar of a lion.
All these and a few other changes were carefully planned as to ensure an overall minimalist look. Check the Atlas out in the gallery below and let us what you think of this project.
