Hookie Co, out of Dresden, has an impressive history of building both custom motorcycles and bolt-on kits — all with their signature minimalist ethos. Their latest project, a 1981 Yamaha XS650SE they’ve called ‘Raven,’ is more of the same. And in this case, that’s a very, very good thing.
One of the things this builder is superb at is making a lot of small tweaks that elevate their projects while making it look like that’s how the bikes were meant to be all along. And that’s on full display with this blacked-out bike, which has seen its frame cleaned and reduced, a complete rebuild of its engine, a stainless steel exhaust swap, new mufflers, a lowered cafe-esque front suspension with a new YSS Eco-Line rear unit, rebuilt brakes, and a full suite of updated electrics and lights. It’s a subtle build, but that’s exactly what we love about it.
