Deus Ex Machina has a knack for creating capable off-road platforms, and two-wheeled machines have been a mainstay of the company since it was established all the way back in 2006. Over the past decade, the team has bestowed a handful of unique builds upon the community; and with their most recent project, the Yamaha XSR700, they’ve proven that wisdom certainly does come with age.
The Yamaha XSR700 “Swank Rally” made its debut at the Rally of Sardinia earlier this year, and thanks to its operator, Olympic MTB rider Marco Aurelio Fontana, it performed exceptionally well. Weeks later, it was slated to arrive at Swank Rally Wheels and Waves in Biarritz, France, where it would be put on display for everyone to see. At the bike’s core, it retains many of the same characteristics as its donor; a power 689cc liquid-cooled DOHC inline twin-cylinder engine, six-speed transmission, and a Crossplane crank that delivers linear torque throughout the powerband. But, in typical Deus fashion, the ergonomics of the bike have been radically modified. From an increased suspension height, courtesy of the bike’s Yamaha Super Ténéré 1200 front-end, to a newly implemented Ohlins mono-shock absorber at the rear, the “Swank Rally 700” speaks an off-road language. A hand-made tank, saddle, and skid plate have been stylishly implemented alongside race-approved peripherals, like Acerbis’ handguards and a blacked-out SC two-in-one exhaust system.
