Yamaha’s favorite SR There have been many sizes over the years, all of which are roughly the same. Out of all of them, the SR150 is an exception. The now-defunct single was made in Taiwan exclusively for the Taiwanese market, with a few visual differences from its Japanese cousins.
While the SR150 doesn’t quite have that timeless vibe like the rest of the lineup, it’s still selling like hotcakes. Since it’s built locally, it’s subject to less sales tax – so it’s cheap and readily available. Rough handicrafts Driver Winston Yeh’s first bike was a used Yamaha SR150, and it cost only $700.
This custom 1997 model SR150 rival Just as cute as any other SR-based customization we’ve seen. It’s the work of Twist.Co — a custom store for two based in Taichung City, central Taiwan. They started the business in 2016 and split their time between building custom bikes and making parts.
Twist.Co received a commission for this build from a client, tasked with building something “simple and elegant”. With some tasteful tweaks and neat fabrication, they knocked it out of the park.
Step one is to tear the bike down to the frame, and close the trunk. The duo modified the next subframe and extended the swingarm for overall proportions. Sitting atop the new subframe is a slim three-quarter bench, upholstered in leather with contrast stitching.
A new shock absorber has been fitted and the original drum brake hubs are attached to the 19F/18R rims, which adds bulk to the petite SR150. They are fitted with Taiwan-made Duro tires.
Twist.Co wanted to add a unique touch to the car, so they decided to build their own fuel tank instead of re-stocking the tank from elsewhere. To make their metal forming skills a success, they built a teardrop-shaped part with a polished stainless steel bezel running on top and a pop-up lid.
The tank only has a single color patch on the bike. A third party has painted it in a beautiful metallic blue, white and gold, with ‘covered’ Yamaha logos emulating the classic Triumph branding.
The aluminum fenders, side caps, and front sprocket cover are also handcrafted by Twist.Co. Those parts have been given a polished aluminum finish, adding a raw metallic feel to offset the vibrant fuel tank paint. The engine has also been cleaned and now looks like new.
Next, Twist.Co reached out to Taiwan’s compatriot custom shop, 2LOUD, to crim a custom handlebar set. They wear vintage-style handles, levers and mini switches. A single mirror is cleverly mounted off the top yoke.
Classic center-mounted headlamps are located at the front, fitted with custom machined spacers for positioning. The rest of the lighting, from the turn signals to the generous taillights, looks no less classic, as does the compact analog speedometer.
Elsewhere, these people installed a NIBBI Racing carb; the red knob that you see on the side operates the built-in inductor. The handcrafted stainless steel exhaust system completes the car in a unique way.
This charming scrambler may be based on a lesser-known variant of the iconic SR, but you wouldn’t be able to tell the same when looking at it. Thanks Twist.Co, it deserves to be included in the annals of the custom Yamaha SR.
