GP-inspired, 2-stroke tribute to Barry Sheene!
The Suzuki A100 was a small displacement 2-stroke that the company called a “sportcycle” built for “sprinting around town.” The 98cc engine was good for 10-hp, pushing the 183-lb machine to a top speed of 67 mph — about the same as the old Honda S90.
Enter Renanda Gustafyawan, who wanted to build a 2-stroke tribute to his hero, Barry Sheene. He bought the donor bike from a friend of his for only $90 — the price reflecting the terrible condition of the bike. “It was complete garbage,” says Renanda. He enlisted the help of brothers Nawan and Sigit Widodo of Indonesia’s Blacksmith Custom. Renanda admits that he’s a little rotund, so he worked to “stretch the bike,” making it look less small when he was riding it. He knows that the 100cc engine may not be the most powerful, but the bike was built for fun. In some ways, it’s the most true kind of cafe racer, in that he rides it to local coffee shops on a regular basis.
Below, we get the full story on the bike — as well as the story behind the name, “Halimun.”
Suzuki A100 Custom: In the Builder’s Words
This is my Suzuki A100 1997 that I customized into an 80s-themed, GP-inspired race bike cafe racer (well, I’m not really sure what to call it.)
I found this bike in early 2016. It was my friend’s bike. When I saw it the first time, it was complete garbage. The shock breakers, the body — almost everything was trash. But it was the engine that matters to me. I asked him if he wanted to sell his bike. And then, after a long negotiation, finally I bought this gem for about $90.
Then I took it to another of my friends’ garage. Their names are Nawan and Sigit Widodo (they are brothers). The garage’s name is Blacksmith Custom. Located in Palagan, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
I knew about Blacksmith Custom from around 2014 when I passed in front of their garage and I saw their masterpiece. Blacksmith Custom (Instagram : @blacksmithcustom & @sigitblacksmith) really is the place to build the best Cafe Racer in Yogyakarta.
Actually, there are no unique parts. As I said, almost all of the bodywork was done using a lot of used parts. But what really makes the bike unique is how we managed the used parts so that the concept still fits.
My bike used a lot of used parts from other motorcycles. Like its rims and front shockbreaker were from Honda Tiger Revo. The swingarm was from Yamaha RX-King. And the rear shock breaker was from a Suzuki Shogun 110.
I really wanted to “stretch” my bike because I’m, well… fat. That’s why I used a fairing, long gastank, and a long seat. So that when I ride it, it won’t look too small. And the materials that I used for the bodywork (fairings and seat) are from fiber glass. So the bike won’t be really heavy. All of this was done by Blacksmith Custom and painted by their friend, Bowo (Instagram : @belsaamelia)
The paint scheme was inspired by Suzuki’s factory color in the 70’s and 80’s. The one who made it popular is my idol, Barry Sheene. It was also a tribute to him.
Also the name, “Halimun”, it means “fog” or “mist” in Bahasa Indonesia. I named it because some of my friend that rides with me always complains to me about the smoke that came out from the exhaust. Yes, it’s a 2-stroke engine and I love to pour a lot of 2T oil. I don’t really care about the engine’s performance, because, it is fun! Almost like a vapor!
And finally, the main reason I build this bike was for fun. But not only for fun, it was also my main vehicle to go to many local coffee shops here. I love to drink coffee, and that is why cafe racers are the best ride to a coffee shop. And also all of the stickers on this bike are from all of my friends local companies and businesses.
Follow the Builder on @kaptenjambrong
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