From an inspired Cyberpunk Honda scooter, for a Yamaha R1 cafe racer, we’ve got a little something for everyone this week. In other news: a Yamaha RZ350 up for auction, a documentary about the late Jessi Combs’ debut, and a few cyclists unboxing a 40-year-old Yamaha for the first time.
Honda Spacy 110 by Rainbow Moto Builder It’s no secret that we have a soft spot for custom scooters—that’s why you’ll see them often on these pages. But while we love spreading the net widely, we’ve never seen anything quite like this.
That’s right: hidden under the body of this sci-fi-inspired machine is a scooter. Specifically, a 2012 Honda Spacy 110 with modest colors.
In stock form, it’s just another commuter scooter with a generic look, designed to do more than get from A to B. But Indonesia’s Rainbow Moto Builder saw the potential. capacity for more than that.
Inspired by the Cyberpunk video game series, the crew wrapped Spacy in full hand-shaped metal body panels. It’s covered from head to toe with neat little touches, includes lots of air vents and a bunch of lanyards that, from a distance, mimic the studs on the fuselage.
Looking out ahead are two super bright LED headlights, inspired by the main character in the animated movie WALL-E. Immediately after those, the cutouts make room for a set of clamp-ons, fitted with accessories from RCB and Rizoma. The ignition is to the left of what is said to be the main crank, with an upgraded turbocharger mounted on the fuel tank cap.
There’s a surprising amount of detail for such a modest sponsor bike. The tail section features integrated LED taillights, which can also be removed to accommodate passengers. Further down the line is an upgraded rear set and passenger latch.
Rainbow Moto Builder also upgraded the engine capacity up to 135 cc and installed aftermarket exhaust pipes. The Spacy also rolls new wheels — but they’re wider than stock, so the team had to work their magic on the forks and swingarms.
It’s a wild thing on a scooter, but we’re all for it. And this isn’t the first time Rainbow Moto Builder has done this at the top—scroll through their Instagram feed and you’ll spot a few other bikes that look like they’ve come out of a movie. cartoon sci-fi. [Rainbow Moto Builder Instagram]
Yamaha R1 by Robert Catanese and FrameCrafters Some guys even happily glued the tail section and tailgate to an old Honda CB and called it a cafe racer. But not Robert Catanese. His concept for a cafe racer was something that combined modern performance with classic style — like a Yamaha R1 repackaged into a completely reserved chassis.
Based in Chicago, Rob is a huge fan of both motor racing and the custom motorcycle culture. He also has some pretty sinister relationships — like the father-son team at FrameCrafters in Union, Illinois. So this project never goes to anything other than extreme.
Rob’s project started out quite similar; a sketch on napkin made on beer with a friend. Armed with that sketch and a near-perfect sponsor of the 2012 Yamaha R1 Rob went to FrameCrafters to show off the rest of the build. In the end, the engine, the R1’s ECU, and a few key “geometry points” remained.
The 182-hp four-cylinder now sits (as a load-bearing member) in a custom chrome frame. It’s not just gorgeous — Rob has an aggressive riding style, so the chassis is built to deal with that. The swingarm is also a hand-crafted chrome-plated part and everything is nickel-plated as a fit to the old Rickman frame.
FrameCrafters then adapted a Ducati 750SS crank and tail assembly to fit the bike, matching a handcrafted aluminum fuel tank. An alloy air intake is hidden beneath it.
Continuing the show theme, Rob throws a laundry list of odd parts at the building. It rolls on carbon fiber wheels from BST, and is stopped by Beringer brake calipers and Brake Tech rotors. Other upgrades include Attack Performance spokes, Öhlins rear shock absorbers, GP-style foot controllers from Vortex, and a bunch of Lightech and Motogadget bits.
Rob also fitted a custom titanium exhaust, and tweaked the car. It now weighs 50 lbs more than a classic R1 and makes about 200 hp.
Best of all, it is ridden all the time. [Source]
For sale: Yamaha RZ350 1985 If you prefer classic performance bikes to cafe racers, the folks at Iconic motorcycle auctions have a treat for you. They are currently auctioning a 1985 Yamaha RZ350.
Sure, the RZ350 is the most iconic two-stroke model Yamaha has ever made, but it’s still special in its own right. For starters, this was one of the last two-stroke engines Yamaha built, before tight emissions requirements started suffocating the market. The RZ350 does it in its own skin, thanks in part to the fact that it features one of the industry’s earliest catalytic converter-equipped exhaust systems.
According to Cycle World, it was also a good player, who put it on their cover in July 1984 and rated it as “a perfect 10 on the fun scale”.
Yamaha marketed this bike in the US by creating a reliable ‘win on Sunday, sell on Monday’ sales model. So the US-market RZ350 donned a yellow ‘speedblock’ shirt, with Kenny Roberts’ signature on the chassis.
The example for sale here has 7,859 miles on the clock, and most are stock. The only obvious changes are the Allspeed exhaust, braided pipes and new grips.
Iconic staff did a good job on the vehicle once and noted that while the tires were in good condition, the fluids were fresh and all the electrical equipment was in working order, there would be a gas leak that needed to be fixed. must be classified. The bike also shipped with some spare parts and a new battery pack installed.
Judging by the close-up photos on their listing, Yamaha can clean up the solid aesthetic as well. But if you have a little money to spend and can jump on it before the auction ends in three days, this might just be the perfect little winter project. [More]
Fastest woman on earth Known as “the fastest four-wheeled woman,” Jessi Combs tragically died in 2019 while trying to set a women’s land speed record in a jet-powered car. Before the fatal crash, she was at a speed of 522,783 mph [841.338 km/h]- broke a record that has been in place since 1976.
Currently streaming on HBO Max, ‘Fastest Woman on Earth’ is a documentary that chronicles Jessi’s record-breaking seven-year journey and reflects on her extraordinary life. And her life is certainly extraordinary.
Born in South Dakota, and obsessed with speed from an early age, there was hardly anything Jessi didn’t do during her time here. She’s a racer, a builder, an artist, a photographer, and a television personality. And even though most of her accomplishments happen on four wheels, she loves — and absolutely loves — in the motorcycling scene.
She lived her life to the fullest and even now, she inspires others to do the same. [Image source: The Jessi Combs Foundation]
Exploiting the new 40-year old Yamaha SR500 Not long ago our friends at Silodrome reported on a new brand, Yamaha SR500 degrees being sold. That bike was actually one of two, originally bought by a gentleman back in the days when manufacturers still let you assemble your own bike. His intention was for him and his son to ride together on the right bikes – but they never did, and the bikes stood.
One of them was recently purchased by the people behind the YouTube channel, Beards and Bikes. Once they had it in their hands, they did what many of us secretly love to do, but may not have the courage to do: they sorted, assembled, and started it. In the process, they are faced with everything from mouse droppings to missing key sets.
Pour yourself a refreshing drink, relax and enjoy the fun below.
