Any custom workshop has been in operation for a long time there are bound to be loads of leftover parts lying around. But how often is that the right kind of spare part to build a thoroughbred race bike? It’s a rare situation—but that’s the story behind this hybrid Yamaha frame.
It’s the work of Jeff Palhegyi, the man behind Palhegyi Design. An accomplished frame builder and builder, Jeff is no stranger to Yamaha’s flat trackers. That’s because he played a key role in the development YAMAHA MT07-sourced racing bike that Estenson Racing has offered in the USA flat road TT racing series; MT07-DT.
If you’re new to the flat road TT format, it’s the same as regular flat road racing—except the track has both left and right turns and at least one jump. Estenson Racing’s Yamaha MT07-DT has dominated the format for the past few years, with rider JD Beach sitting behind bars.
But the story goes much further than that. The MT07-DT is actually born from a concept bike that Yamaha USA and Palhegyi Design collaborated on in 2015, to show the potential of the powerful MT07 engine. That concept evolved into a flat-racing bike and Jeff has been developing them ever since.
This particular chassis from Yamaha is now the 18th that Palhegyi Design has produced. But despite the graphics, this one isn’t for the Estenson team. Jeff built this bike just for himself, using leftover parts from four prototype racing bikes he’s built over the past three years.
“Always experimenting with lighter and smaller tubes, different swingarms and linkages, and adjustable shapes can leave a lot of parts floating around the store,” he explains. “So I put this bike in my personal collection.”
The heart of Jeff’s bike is the 689 cc parallel twin engine from the Yamaha MT07 2021. It produces 74.8 hp and 68 Nm in its original form, with Yamaha’s 270-degree ‘horizontal plane’ adding added maximum features. (If you’ve driven a Yamaha MT07 or XSR700, you know how great this engine is.)
The engine is mounted on a chrome trellis frame, with a tubular swingarm at the rear. The swingarm rests on an eccentric shaft, giving it full range of adjustment front and back, up and down.
The Palhegyi Design chassis is complemented by a range of top-of-the-line components. Öhlins fork and rear shock, Brembo brakes, 19” flat-track wheels and tires from Roland Sands Design and Dunlop respectively.
There’s also some trickery attached to Yamaha engines. Mounted below it is a Yamaha Racing oil pan, machined from a solid 18 lbs billet of aluminum. It’s designed to provide extra headroom when cornering—but it’s also stronger than the factory unit so it can take a hit.
The ignition cap is another part of Yamaha Racing, once again designed for durability. The Chunky K&N filter replaces the airbox, with a two-in-one titanium exhaust system from Graves Performance on the opposite end. The cockpit sports a trio of Duralle racing wheels, Vortex steering wheel and AIME dashboard.
Every last part on this build is premium—from the carbon fiber front sprocket cover, to the footpegs and keychains. Even the coolant recovery tank looks luxurious.
It’s all about performance and weight savings. We don’t know the bike’s overall weight, but Jeff has confirmed that the frame weighs just 15 lbs—making it the lightest bike he’s built to date. Estenson Racing’s carbon fiber bodywork doesn’t add much to the scale, weighing in at under 6 lbs, painted and fitted with Saddlemen seat cushions.
Benny Flores is responsible for creating the Estenson Racing paint colors. And as always, Jeff got help from his right hand man, Craig Smith, a Palhegyi designer, every step of the way.
Buttoned and race-ready, Jeff’s MT07-DT looks absolutely phenomenal. But since he didn’t build it specifically for racing, we wonder what he has in mind for it.
He quips: “It’s just a little light from being a street watcher. “That could be the next step.”
Design Palhegyi | Instagram | Pictures of Jordan Penchion
