Mounting a specially developed 75-degree
V-twin engine on a pressed backbone type frame with Monocross rear suspension,
the "XV750 Special" (named the "XV750 Virago" in
its export version) was a pure "American" style cruiser in
every aspect. From the planning stage of the development project, user
surveys were conducted in the U.S. And, when those surveys reveled that
users considered the "V" engine to be the power unit of choice
for cruisers, the project would remain true to that preference. The fact
that Yamaha's engineers made the development of the company's first side-positioned
V-twin power unit the centerpiece of this project is further proof of
their desire to make this model the real thing.
At the same time they were fully aware that there would be no meaning
in building a bike that was merely duplication of the image of representative
cruisers by American makers like Harley Davidson. The aim was to fully
grasp the tastes of the American riders and then create a bike with
a distinctively Yamaha character and attention to detail. Only that
kind of attitude could produce an American-style cruiser that was the
real thing.
The appeal of the V-twin engines of American-style cruisers was the
kind of hard-biting torque that bites into the road and an exhaust
sound with powerful pulse. On the other hand, Yamaha's strengths lay
in high level of its race-bred engine performance, an obsession with
form and the beauty of the lines of the cooling fins. So the development
objective became a well-balanced marriage of these two contrasting
engine characters. The most difficult decision was the "V" angle.
After analyzing the full range of different angled "V" engines
on representative machines from makers like Harley, Ducatti, Vincent,
Moto Morini from the standpoint of pulse strength, quality of performance,
effect on chassis design and the beauty of the "V" itself,
the Yamaha team decided on the 75-degree V.
Then, in order to build a chassis with the impressive low and long
styling of the traditional American-style cruiser with a typically
Yamaha light weight and slim lines, a new monocoque structure steel
pressed backbone type frame was developed. This frame, which used the
engine as a stressed member, was design to embrace the engine with
all its front-rear, top-bottom protrusions of the head assembly in
a way that showed off the beauty of the air-cooled 75-degree V-twin
engine as much as possible. At the same time, numerous innovative measures
were taken to make optimum use of the limited space around the engine,
such as using the space inside the frame as an air passage to supply
air to the carburetors positioned in the V bank so that the air cleaner
box could be positioned under the seat. All this enabled a design with
a low seat height of just 750 mm and slim body lines.
Futhermore, taking into consideration the preference of American riders
for sturdy, durable design and the convenience of maintenance-free
components, a Yamaha-exclusive shaft drive system was adopted. And,
to ensure comfortable, enjoyable riding, Yamaha's latest Monocross
rear suspension was adopted and equipped with a remote-control 6-level
adjustable air cushion set.
The resulting model was a truly worth flagship for Yamaha as a maker
aggressively pioneering new possibilities in the "American" cruiser
category. Naturally, its release was greeted with high acclaim. In
the May 1981 issue of Japan's Riders Club magazine, motorcycle journalist
Ken Nemoto wrote: "This model is a fusion of state-of-the-art
Japanese motorcycle technologies that cannot be matched and the kind
of traditional appeal which has long been associated with the motorcycle
as a vehicle ... (delete) ... and also it is the beginning of specific
expression of a new movement to realize the important but easily forgotten "interactive
responsiveness" that can exist between rider and machine by approaching
it from a different dimension with the latest technologies available."
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