Yamaha YARD BUILT SR400 'CS_05 ZEN' BY ITROCKS!BIKES, a “Flat track” that looks a lot like a “cod” [PHOTO]

Yamaha YARD BUILT SR400 'CS_05 ZEN' BY ITROCKS!BIKES – CS_05 Zen, the latest creation by the Portuguese preparers it roCkS!bikes, was born from the partnership between Yamaha, the Portuguese Motociclismo magazine and the custom workshop based in the north of Portugal. Alexandre Santos and Osvaldo Coutinho of it roCkS!bikes have dedicated their talents to the complete transformation of the Yamaha SR400, using their signature style, the monocoque design, to create their personal interpretation of a Yamaha classic.

La Yamaha YARD BUILT SR400 'CS_05 ZEN' BY ITROCKS!BIKES It is inspired by the first "Flat Track" bikes and adopts the distinctive design feature of the Portuguese bike makers, namely the single block between the tank, saddle and tail. “Osvaldo and Alex have used their magic touch, and have once again created an interpretation of a classic Yamaha model clearly recognizable as the work of itroCkS!bikes”, commented Shun Miyazawa, Product Manager of Yamaha Motor Europe. “It seems like they can easily apply the monocoque design to a Yamaha, the engineering work is impressive. What I appreciate most is that they have lost none of the fun, rideability and character of the SR400.”

The double rear shock absorber of the Yamaha YARD BUILT SR400 'CS_05 ZEN' BY ITROCKS!BIKES it has been replaced by a centrally mounted mono, which has the unusual length of 240mm, with only 36mm of travel. The tubular steel swingarm was designed from scratch, and the frame was extensively modified to adapt it to the monocoque. The saddle was constructed with painstaking care by a Portuguese craftsman with top quality leather, with reinforced stitching that suggests a work of haute couture. The Bridgestone 100/100 – 18 inch tires mounted on both wheels accentuate the dual personality of this Yard Built.

The single-cylinder of the SR400 on the Yamaha YARD BUILT SR400 'CS_05 ZEN' BY ITROCKS!BIKES it hasn't been touched, but its performance increases thanks to the new enlarged air intake and the new exhaust, built from scratch in steel and aluminium. The two-tone paintwork, red on one side and yellow on the other, with some hints of black and white, intends to express the different identities of Yamaha and It roCkS!bikes, the two partners of this complex project. Portuguese have affectionately nicknamed it "bacalhau", in Italian "baccalà", due to its resemblance to fish, which is also a Lusitanian gastronomic specialty.