Custom motorcycles today context is a melting pot of old and new techniques. Traditional manual methods coexist with modern software-based design and additive manufacturing. And sometimes — as in the case of the Yamaha SR400—They collide.
The Moscow Copper Chopper built this hardtail bobber almost entirely from scratch, using pipe benders, lathes and welders. But before builders Alexey and Igor got their hands on the metal, they designed the frame and eventually the entire bike, using 3D Fusion 360 design software.
Copper Chopper has been in business for about six years, and originally started as a side gig with the mantra of “buy, build, drive, and then sell”. But these men have been full-time in the business this year, and as a result, they’ve started taking on the job at hand. This SR400 was their first customer build, and it was a step into the world of professional custom work.
You can count on one dial the parts sold on this Yamaha. Alexey and Igor started off with a stock-sponsored SR400, Lowbrow Customs front wheels, rear chain brake setup and headlights from FNA Custom Cycle. The rest is their own craft.
The SR400’s engine has been implanted into a rigid stainless steel frame, with a custom beam-like front end. The whole chassis is very slim – that’s exactly what the guys aim for. Alexey said: “It has to be as thin as possible”, “the thinner the better” Maxwell Hazan’s masterpieces. “
The lack of available parts to implement Alexey’s vision for the fork meant that everything from the spokes rim and minimalist handlebars, to the actual shock absorbers, had to be built. “We didn’t have a milling machine,” he said, “so we had to invent a way to fix the material to the lathe and grind there. That happened throughout the whole project.”
The rear wheel is also customizable. Starting with a stainless steel billet, Copper Chopper formed the base of the hub on a lathe, then welded on a set of laser-cut flanges and fine-tuned the part. It is designed to match the chain brake they have on hand and adds a custom built chain tensioner.
The Yamaha sits on a custom center stand when parked, and rolls on classic Avon and Firestone tires, front and rear.
Upstairs is an elegant twin tank arrangement — again, rebuilt from the ground up. The left side holds fuel, while the right is reserved for electronic components. To keep things super sano, Alexey and Igor routed most of the wires inside the frame itself.
Fair consideration was given to the cockpit, where the duo built an internal throttle and clutch. (The sharp eye will notice that the two are not connected—the cables were added after these pictures were taken.)
Sitting behind the tank was a skinny chopper-style chair. Copper Chopper shapes the saddle and rear fender, in-house, but has been professionally executed in leather.
A handcrafted stainless steel oil tank is hidden under the saddle. With so much polished metal already on the bike, Alexey and Igor didn’t want to use rubber for their plumbing. So all fuel and oil lines are also hand made, again using stainless steel.
Wondering where the exhaust pipes, foot controls and every last nut and bolt come from? You guessed it: they were also made from scratch.
It’s rare to find a custom motorcycle designed digitally, then made without a 3D printed part… but here we are. If Copper Chopper continues to do this, they should have no trouble filling their order books.
