Olivier Ortolani has a flair for the dramatic. This is a guy who once wrapped a Ducati Panigale 1199 S in hand-shaped polished aluminum bodywork, so there’s no line he won’t cross. Which is exactly why his newest client was happy to let him loose.
The owner of this 1982 Yamaha TR1 didn’t have a donor bike in mind when he first visited the Ortolani Customs workshop in Nice, France. But he liked what he saw, and wanted his own ‘Ortolani.’ So he sourced a TR1, then rode it for six months to make sure there weren’t any gremlins lurking.
Olivier’s client specifically wanted something sporty that’d be a joy on the twisties in his region. So although this TR1 catches the eye with sculpted forms and the ultimate 1980s-style front wheel, there’s some trick engineering going on too.
Once Olivier had stripped the 1,000 cc v-twin down, he began switching out its running gear. The TR1’s handling was never top drawer, so this one has a full complement of Triumph Daytona 675 R bits. That included the Daytona’s adjustable Öhlins suspension, wheels and brakes.
At the back, Olivier took just over an inch out of the swing arm, and modified the shock mounts to realign with the chassis. Up front, he paired the Daytona suspension with a set of custom-made triples from USV Racing. And he installed wet weather tires from Continental.
If you’re trying to figure out what’s going on with the front wheel, it’s been dressed up with a pair of modified discs from a ‘turbofan’ wheel—a design used in racing cars like the Lancia Delta HF and Audi Quattro DTM.
Olivier trimmed the fans to match the Triumph wheel, then CNC-machined special brackets to attach them. It’s a tight fit, with mere millimeters between the discs and the brake calipers.
“The real usefulness of this adaptation is aesthetic,” he admits, “but it works perfectly, accentuating the aggressive and racy side.”
Once the TR1 was built up to a rolling chassis, Olivier turned his attention to the bodywork. Step one was to test the new design with shaping foam—a process that helps Olivier to visualize the final form, and highlight any potential fit issues early on.
With the foam shapes settled, work began on the final aluminum parts. Olivier ditched the airbox, and designed a new system that passes air down through two intakes poking out the top of the tank.
The rear section was built to house all the electric bits, particularly the Motogadget m.unit that the bike has been rewired around. NMB Design handled the seat upholstery, then Olivier finished off the tail with a light that combines a Kellermann LED with a Plexiglas fin.
The front fairing wears an LED headlight, with a yellow hue to match the tiny windshield. Behind the fairing is a set of clip-ons, with Bonamici controls, and a speedo, grips and bar-end turn signals from Motogadget.
Lower down, Olivier upgraded the carbs from the stock Hitachis to a pair of Mikuni units. The stainless steel exhaust system is a one off, terminating in asymmetrically-mounted mufflers, inspired by MotoGP bikes.
Olivier finished the TR1 off with a wild and colorful livery—but there’s more to the visuals than just the paint job. The motor’s been refinished too, and the Öhlins suspension components have shed their signature gold touches. Even hard parts like the brake calipers have been re-colored to match the new palette.
This Ortolani special sure is eccentric, but it’s also a fresh, zingy take on the established Yamaha XV genre of customs. A huge step up from the lumpy original, we’d say.
Ortolani Customs Facebook | Instagram | Photos: Nicolas Licari Photographe
