When you think of motorcycles that stand the test of time and models that achieve a long production run, one thing is clear; don’t mess with a winning formula. The British achieved that success with their parallel twins, but when the first UJM (Universal Japanese Motorcycle) hit the market in 1969, the Land of the Rising Sun was onto a blueprint that continues to deliver them incredible sales to this day. And one of the very best UJMs is Yamaha’s XJR series, and the big daddy of the lineup packs a serious punch. For Scotland’s Euan Ryan, the XJR1300 was a bike he’d always dreamed of, but when he picked up this example it was in a very sorry state. Thankfully the Shoogly Shed builder is no quiter, and overcoming many a hurdle, he’s built this hulky muscle bike for hard riding in the Highlands.
Euan is one of those guys who is the true lifeblood of the custom bike scene, a great fella, a backyard builder and someone who shares all of the ups and downs of his custom bike building journey on his Shoogly Shed Motors YouTube channel. He’ll give anything a go and he’s one of the few people who documents both the highs and lows, if he makes a mistake, he shares it so that his viewers don’t do the same. “I started building bikes in the original Shoogly Shed which was a 6×4 foot garden shed at my home in Glasgow. My first three builds came out of there. Then, when I moved to the Highlands of Scotland, I set about constructing a workshop in my new garden that could fit a bike lift, a lathe and a decent-sized workbench.”
Shoogly is a Scottish way of saying shaky or unsteady, and despite his new and improved workspace, the XJR was a little shoddy when Euan first picked it up. Luckily he’d negotiated and gotten himself a good deal, but a less than honest seller meant that the bike was “good from far, but far from good.” The more that Euan stripped it back, the more issues he found, with everything from dodgy wiring that was downright dangerous, to plenty of hidden corrosion and a cylinder that was wet when the head was finally dislodged with a fair bit of force. So, straight from the outset, one of the most impressive parts of this bike is the comprehensive rebuild it has undergone.
But Euan was never worried about putting in the hard work, “95% of my ethos is ‘suck it and see’ – just trying new techniques and learning along the way. From teaching myself to machine on my lathe, to buying a TIG welder and jumping straight in, I’ve made a shit tonne of mistakes but I’m pretty handy with an angle grinder.” And instantly those welding skills would come into handy, stripping down the engine meant removing seized bolts and welding on a nut and the corresponding heat helps there too. The big lump was set aside and it was time to work on the chassis, with that angle grinder now in Euan’s hands so he could cut off the back of the subframe.
In its place goes a super neat rear hoop, that, unlike the almost universal style we more commonly see, has a nice upkick which paves the way for a genuine two-up style seat. Understanding that such changes can remove strength from the area, Euan then fabricated an inner fender that ties to the subframe rails and really stiffens things up. His welding skills growing by the day, it was out with the cardboard to make a template and then TIG himself up a super neat battery box that hides down in the centre post location. Another piece of sheet metal was then fabricated up to form the seat pan and things were coming along nicely.
Having ditched the rear plastics, a set of side covers was needed, and once again it’s all shed built, with the aluminium pieces perfectly fitting the cutouts in the frame. Keeping with the minimalist look of the bike, a nice little blade fender mounts to the fork brace and it was time for the big ticket items. Tom Hurley has done a beautiful job and upholstered the seat, with the yellow stitching and raised passenger hump a real highlight. Euan himself poured a huge amount of time into getting that hulking tank spot on, even laying down the paint really nicely, only to cruelly see it ruined by a chemical reaction between the base coat and clear.
Thankfully Gav Brown stepped in to help out and the green with yellow accents are flawless, the Le Mans filler adding a nice touch. The fuel then flows into the massive air-cooled, four-cylinder engine and once again, Euan has done an incredible job, turning a shocker into a showpiece. Fully rebuilt from the ground up, it’s been refinished in glacier-black Cerakote which looks better than new. The exhaust system now delivers a hell of a bark and saves some weight on the way, with the custom stainless system, running rearward to a minimalist end can with a baffle. And to call a halt to the fun, you get the R1 style brakes, again fully rebuilt, with the rear on a custom hanger.
To bring the suspension up to the same standard, Euan completely stripped the front forks and had a company rechrome the stanchions, before building them back up to their best. The rear comes factory on the 2002 model with Ohlins rear shocks, and once again some magic has been performed to turn the second-hand items into something that looks and performs like new. The wiring loom too had to be completely rebuilt, the old a mix and match of stuffed original and crappy workmanship. To bring his bike into the 21st century, Euan then added a nice LED headlight and some NWT X21 momentary buttons on the flat bars.
All of his efforts haven’t gone unrewarded, with the bike proudly displayed at this year’s Bike Shed Show. But to truly appreciate this build, fawn over the photos and check out the build story on YouTube. Now we just can’t wait to see what rolls out of the Shoogly Shed next.
[ Shoogly Shed | YouTube ]