The Yamaha RX-Z 135 was a 2-stroke, 21-horsepower naked bike built from 1985 to 2011. A successor to the RD125, the little 2-stroke-that-could quickly gained popularity among young riders in Indonesia and Malaysia, where it became a popular steed among Mat Rempit street racers. Over time, the RX-Z gained a 6-speed transmission, cross-drilled brake rotor, and catalytic converter — losing one horsepower, but gaining better torque.
Enter Thomas Edwards, founder of Peloton Supershop, who found his love of motorbiking after moving to Bali, where the long stretches of beach and jungle trails begged to be ridden on two wheels. His workshop is a small Benkel container in the heart of Denpasar, where he works on bikes with his friend Sinyo. We recently featured his custom Kawasaki KLX250 scrambler, built for his trans-Indonesian adventures.
With the surf super-crowded and rainy season looming, Thomas needed a new project, and a trip down the rabbit hole watching vintage motocross put a vintage-inspired 2-stroke enduro in his sights. He was particularly inspired by the DT100 enduro, and it shows.
Below, we get the full story on this custom Yamaha RX-Z 135 “time machine.”
Yamaha RX-Z 135 Scrambler: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
My name is Thomas, Currently living in Indonesia living the dream & building bikes haha.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?
1990 RX-Z 135 2 Stroke
• Why was this bike built?
Personal project. The surf has been flat and super crowded. I needed something to get me through the rainy season, something really appealed to me about the vintage scene here in Indonesia, it’s really on the rise.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
I took a lot of inspo from the DT100 enduro & a ’79 yz. I got caught one night watching vintage motocross on youtube & somewhere down the rabbit hole I became infatuated by the whole vintage scene.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
We stripped the whole bike down to the bone, the engine came from an RXZ 135 in java, the locals here call it the criminal’s bike, they are so fast, the cops can’t keep up with them.
We did a few minor adjustments to the sub frame, got an exhaust made here which is the most beautiful sounding pipe I have ever heard, and to finish it off we added a vintage tank & plastics.
• How would you classify this bike?
Time machine.
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
Exhaust for sure, this young kid knocked it up in his house in under 3 days, it’s a masterpiece.
Follow Thomas at @chateaurelaxeau and @transmatahari
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