Realized Flat Tracker for a compelling argument like real, everyday street bikes. They are lightweight with comfortable ergonomics, but not as high as seven feet off the ground like dirt bikes. So it’s a mystery why many manufacturers don’t bring up the factory problem street watchers.
Another person interested in the flat track style is Irwann Cheng, of the Malaysian bike company FNG Works. He just worked his magic on a client’s MLE XTM 200; a Chinese-made supermotard for sale in Malaysia.
The project happened at the right time. As the world slowly closed a few years ago, Irwann was forced to take on a motorcycle job that he didn’t particularly enjoy. Sure, it paid the bills – but it was extinguishing his creative fire.
Fortunately, a customer approached FNG Works to purchase a flat-style bike. It was a fitting project to ignite Irwan’s love of customization — especially since the client gave him full creative control.
Street watchers are all taking a stance, so this is where Irwann begins. The front end is lowered 4 inches inside and the wheels are wrapped in new dual sport rubber. Irwann chose to stick with the 17” wheel because he thought the 19” wheel combination would be disproportionate—and it was a good way to keep costs down.
The MLE’s body design is unusual, but there’s a specific thought process behind it. “The frame of this bike is a twin,” explains Irwann. “I had seen other people make a tank around the frame to create a horizontal bone line but I decided that instead of working against the frame, I should collaborate with it.”
It’s refreshing to see someone work with what they have, and Irwann has done it brilliantly. Instead of making the body out of fiberglass, Irwann decided to stick with what he knew and built it entirely out of metal. The monolithic construction rises above the gas struts to reveal the genius beneath.
The speedometer, engine electronics and Dynavolt Nano Gel battery are all located above the engine. The speedometer protrudes through the bodywork – a simple touch that means a lot in terms of practicality and design.
With the electronics up front, there’s one glaring omission: the fuel tank. You’ll find it fits snugly between the rear subframe’s rails. The 7.8-liter juice box not only looks cool under the tail, but also has a rear storage bin that helps distribute weight.
The striking bodywork needed a new paint job to keep up. Irwann opted for a red and yellow color scheme — a flashback to his younger years watching the Malaysian Cub Prix. We can’t stop looking at it, even if it hurts our eyes a little.
“’FNGWORKS’ and ’87’ look as blurry as an out-of-focus camera, because I love the effect,” says Irwann. “I like to imagine, maybe in a race, it would make other riders feel dizzy just looking at it.”
The number relates to the owner’s year of birth, and the Dynavolt and RK Takasago logos are a nod to Irwann’s sponsors for this build. The engine and frame are powder coated black, and the swingarm is swapped out for an aluminum part, polished by Irwann to a shiny finish. Sharp-eyed viewers will notice a clear floating bowl over the cabin — a beauty associated with the paint scheme.
Back to the top, the stock handlebars have been swapped out for a set of blacked flat groove bars. Switchgear has been reduced to bare minimum, as has the lighting. Motogadget mo.blaze disc end-of-line turn signals run through the lines.
LED headlights are essentially lights raised from a car. Nestled inside the front license plate, it helps the car look like a flat race car, especially with the trimmed fork guards that Irwann has repainted to match. A small LED taillight is buried deep into the rear of the monocoque.
With Malaysia’s hugely popular Art of Speed program underway, Irwann decided to get into cycling. Then, with only ten days to go, he encountered a traffic jam: the bike wouldn’t start.
Irwann quickly discovered that the 200cc MLE XTM engine was based on the Suzuki GN125 and the wiring was a copy of the Suzuki Thunder 125. With that knowledge, he rewound the bike and got it working again. .
“For the past ten days at the store, sleeping only two to three hours a day, I hustled to finish the bike,” says Irwann. “I didn’t even celebrate my birthday with my wife and son. I felt like I was on the other side of the world, even though they were only about 30 minutes away.”
The juice is definitely worth squeezing. FNG Works won the International Guest’s Favorite Song award, chosen by Scott Johnson of Mama Tried, along with three other awards. If we were there we would definitely choose it as well.
FNG Works Instagram | Facebook | Photo of Amin Hamid
