Weekend is just here, so what better way to celebrate than with a hot two-stroke street racer? This wild Yamaha RD400 is the work of Garett Wilson of Colorado, USA—and it’s as refreshing as a root beer float on a hot day.
Operating as DubStyle Designs, Garett has a flair for construction flat track inspired bike was built for street-driving fun. He was also quoted as saying that he liked “trucks with side pipes, boat scale paint, and girls with bangs.” That’s why everything that rolled out of his shop not only looked like a fun car to drive, but often had hotrod paint to match.
This 1977 Yamaha RD400 street watcher made no difference, even though Garett’s original plans for it were far different. “I traded in my KTM 250SX for it about nine years ago,” he told us, “after I tore my knee up and realized that with a wife, kids and mortgage, I probably should stop racing dirt bikes.”
“Originally I thought I would build a bike that my wife and I could take on date nights. I’ve been working on it a bit between other builds I’ve been working on, fabricating a new subframe and passenger seat, and installing a GSX-R fork and some 19F/18R Excel wheels with Cruiser tires. But I realized that would never feel comfortable for either of us and took it off.”
The project stalled until earlier this year, when Garett decided to pull it back to the drawing board and give it the quintessential DubStyle treatment. With the Handbuilt Show in Austin serving as a deadline, he got to work.
Garett designed his RD400 loosely based on the iconic Champion-framed flat trackers of the ’70s. That meant sourcing a fiberglass Champion tailpiece and fabricating it. create a new subframe with a perfect rear end. But before the tail and frame can meet, some adjustments must be made.
To start, Garett modified the side of the rear end to interface neatly with the Yamaha’s OEM oil tank, and even added a neat little cutout for the dipstick. Next, he cut and reshaped the rear to install LED strip tail lights. (The vehicle’s important electrical components are also hidden underneath.)
A custom saddle sits on top, sporting an eye-catching stitched pattern, courtesy of Brian Kugler. A recycled aluminum fuel tank from a 1970s Yamaha YZ400 off-road racer sits up front; an inspired choice that fits with the rest of the composition beautifully.
Moving to the RD400’s drivetrain, Garett ditched the GSX-R forks in favor of a set of upside-down Yamaha R6 forks. An aluminum swingarm from a 1970s Kawasaki sits at the rear, hooked up to a pair of Fox shocks.
The beautiful 7-spoke Morris rims are also a classic Kawasaki product. Garett had to machine new brackets for the brake discs and rear sprocket, before equipping the car with Brembo brake calipers and Galfer discs. Due to the pick and mix nature of the build, even smaller parts like the brake caliper brackets had to be machined from scratch.
The exhaust system is another cut and paste job. Garett started by recycling a dented Factory Pipe system—including repairing a dent that was too severe to live with. He then cut out the silencer and soldered a pair of FMF cans.
“I don’t want to spend a lot of money to buy new tubes (yet),” he joked.
A custom number plate sits up front, housing a pair of rectangular headlights. Other changes include Renthal handlebars and grips, along with upgraded pegs and foot controls. Among the big items are a slew of custom-designed parts; Garett credits Jake Shellito for helping him machine them in time for the Handbuilt Show.
In true DubStyle style, Garett chose a great classic livery to push his Yamaha RD400 street racer to the finish line. Whitey’s Paint Shop lays the groundwork with root beer and red, orange and yellow graphics, while NeCo Customs handles Cerakote’s myriad finishes.
The only thing that makes us happier than knowing there’s another classic RD400 on the road is how good it looks. Now if only Garett would hand us the keys, our weekend would be perfect.
DubStyle Design | Instagram | Image by Garett Wilson, with thanks IMI Sports Complex
