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Custom of the Week ‘Turbo Maximus’ by Derek Kimes | Yamaha XJ750, XJ900 Custom

3,228 views · Published 5 April 2018 · 1:55 · Indexed 8 November 2026

Channel: MOTO INTRODUCTION · 2018 · Autos & Vehicles

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To call ‘Turbo Maximus’ a restomod would be selling it short. It’s a re-engineered masterpiece.
A week ago we stumbled across this remarkable Yamaha at the Forged Invitational show. ‘Turbo Maximus’ took top honors at the Jekyll Island event, which is not surprising when you consider the XJ900 engine transplant, the properly engineered turbo conversion, and the delicious race replica bodywork.

A few days ago, owner Derek Kimes wheeled the Yamaha into the studio of the man who captured the atmospheric images from the show—photographer Steve West. And so we can now dig into the story a little more.

Derek is a relative latecomer to the world of bike building. After serving eight years in the US Navy, he left the beaches of San Diego and moved to Atlanta to pursue a degree in engineering. While studying, he started working on bikes to learn hands-on skills, and found out that Bryan Fuller’s shop was located nearby.

“My savings were drying up and I needed a part-time job. I sent an email to Bryan and to my surprise, he responded. I started working part-time, sweeping floors, taking out the trash and doing small tasks to help the guys at the shop.”

“I am so grateful that Bryan gave a guy with no real fabrication or welding background a chance to prove himself at his shop. Without that chance, this bike would never have happened.”

Derek spent many nights and weekends in the shop, working on his skills after hours. But despite that, this is the first and only bike he’s ever owned.

“I bought it used, in completely stock form, in 2005,” he recalls. “It’s a 1982 Yamaha XJ750 Maxim, originally painted black. I enjoyed riding it but wanted to make it better.”

Then Derek fell in love with the XJ750R (0U28) that raced in Japan in the 1984 Suzuka 8 Hours—the only XJ series bike that Yamaha prepped for the track. And that’s where the inspiration for this restomod came from.

“I thought to myself, how would an OEM build this? I have learned to respect the amount of engineering that a manufacturer puts into a model; matching the quality level of OEM parts is a very difficult task.”

So Derek decided to transform his old XJ750 into a modern, fuel-injected, boosted superbike. “People said I was crazy—why do that to a tired old XJ? I wanted to prove them wrong.”

The 750 engine came out, and a 1983 XJ900 mill was swapped in. It’s been been fully rebuilt by NASCAR engine builder Jordan Hersey of Atlanta, GA, with 9:1 custom forged pistons, adjustable camshaft sprockets from an FZ750, and titanium valve springs from Kibblewhite.

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