A conversation with Portugal’s Holy Moly about designing, building and riding retro Yamaha Ténéré 700s
Holy Moly Motorcycles began life as a custom bike builder in 2015, during the Bike Exif and Bike Shed boom of interest in café racers. Initially focused on custom builds of Japanese motorcycles, the Lisbon-based company began to stand out from the crowd when they created a bolt-on retro styled bodykit for Yamaha’s Ténéré 700, in 2020. The change of direction was ‘a creative outlet during the lockdowns,’ explains Holy Moly co-founder, Francisco Menezes.
The spur to create a body kit came from an unfortunate episode when Francisco crashed his own T7. ‘It was a significant incident with my personal T7 that was the trigger to take a different approach with the bike, which resulted in a different style of Ténéré. We recognised an opportunity to sell these kits, and that brought us to where we are today.’
Francisco isn’t shy in admitting he’d had a few ‘offs’ while riding his adventure bike. ‘I’d say it’s part of the thrill. Riding off-road involves challenging yourself, the bike, and the environment, and misfortunes can happen. I also think I’m a better rider than I actually am!’
Where some would look at a smashed-up bike and see a problem, Francisco saw things differently. Inspired by the looks of the 1980s single-cylinder Ténéré 600, Holy Moly created a set of bolt-on body panels they named, simply, the Retro Kit, and people loved it.
After a development and testing period, the kit was tooled up, and went on sale in 2025. The original Retro Kit comprised new sidepanels, a three-piece tail section, tail tidy, Acerbis retro headlight, dash relocation bracket, radiator guard and front fender.
‘We are approaching 100 units sold within our first year of sales,’ says Francisco. He adds it would take a home mechanic, no more than four hours to fit the kit themselves, with the stock donor bike requiring no cutting or drilling. The original kits came in a variety of retro Yamaha colour schemes and race replicas. ‘The Marlboro and Lucky Strike editions were a huge hit. We only produced five units of each and they sold out within a week of launch. From the regular collection, the black/yellow and white/red options are tied for popularity.’
Development has continued, with Holy Moly offering a Baja Kit, similar to the Retro, but with oversized twin rally lights in a protective frame. ‘No wiring hacks required,’ says Holy Moly. The firm have also updated the Retro Kit. The 2.0 version has an improved EU-approved headlight, replacing the original kit’s Acerbis, and an improved tail tidy, and costs €1850. The Baja option is €2190.
A fan of Kriega luggage, Francisco kitted a couple of the firm’s converted Ténéré 700s with our OS Rackless system for a road trip through Portugal, during which these photos were taken by his friend, Tiago Ribeiro.
‘Every summer we gather a group of friends to ride through the interior of Portugal,; says Franciso, ‘This most recent trip took us through the mountains from Lisbon northward. We wanted to find empty roads, connect with nature, and experience a true adventure across both road and off-road terrain. It was the perfect environment to present our latest build for Yamaha Portugal, the blue T7.
‘Our goal was to show the real-world use of the motorcycle and the gear, demonstrating that a "regular Joe" on a bike can find joy on the winding roads of his own country.’
When asked what’s next for Holy Moly, Francisco says, ‘That is the million-dollar question! The Ténéré is certainly our primary focus with the Retro kit, Baja kit, Retro 2.0, and the upcoming ADV kit launching at the end of March. However, we have just closed a deal with a manufacturer for a new build, and two new kits for different models will be released this summer. We don’t have set rules or rigid plans, but the path forward is definitely in adventure motorcycles. Maybe an open workshop and cafe... That would be great!’
PHOTOS: Tiago Ribeiro
Holy Moly Motorcycles used the OS-BASE Tenere 700 with OS-12 Adventure Packs.
To get your own Kriega adventure luggage, order directly from kriega.com or head to your local dealer for a closer look
Kriega UK dealer network
Kriega Worldwide importers