Released in 1984, the Yamaha XJ600 was the first inline-4 with a displacement of 600cc. The XJ was also one of the first bikes inline-4s to use mono-shock rear suspension design. It is a relatively light motorcycle with top half fairing and around 72 bhp (54 kW). Most of the XJ 600 models these days are only found at the junk yard and it’s a rear site to see a customised Yamaha XJ 600. Pimmel & Messer is a custom bike workshop based in North-eastern France who recently revealed their own version of this classic model with a few modifications. They swapped the stock tank for a 1978 Suzuki GS400 item, and the headlight for a 60 year old fog light off a class car. The bars were found at a swap meet, and to improve the stance and handling, they lowered the fork a few inches. The back of the frame was rebuilt to accommodate the Ducati SS-style tail unit which also hides the battery. The wiring was simplified; new exhaust pipes were crafted, finished up with custom paint in silver, deep black and Evian blue. The airbrushed racing number reflects this particular XJ600’s build date, 1985.
