Wrench Kings Suzuki GS450L

Wrench Kings Suzuki cafe racer GS450L

“Guys!! Is the Suzuki still for sale??” That’s the question we received a couple of months after we sold the Suzuki GS450L he was referring to.
So no, the bike he was looking for was long gone. But of course we can make something that looks alike. Not exactly the same, as each bike should have its own unique features, but something similar.

Rens, that’s the guy we’re talking about. A very friendly bloke who lives at the west side of The Netherlands, the glasshouse area of Holland (you know, where you get all your beautiful red tomatoes from…).
Rens was very particular on his wishes; the triangle underneath the seat not too open and vintage blue and yellow colors on the tank. And with that basis we started.

Searching the Kingdom we found a perfect Suzuki. It required some on-the-spot maintenance to get her up and running again (old petrol and very dirty carbs), but the bike itself was in a perfect condition. No rust anywhere and hardly any mileage on the odo. A rare find in a country as wet as Holland!
We drove the bike back via country side villages and back roads, as we didn’t want to be seen on it in its original state… Kidding, it just makes for a fun drive and we had all the time of the world!

We stripped her, cleaned her, chopped everything off that wasn’t required and powder coated everything that was left over. We dare to say that the bike in its current condition is better than original (and a hell of a lot better looking!).
And driving! What a nice machine it is now!! The Tarrozi pegs are placed to fit with the new seating and this definitely adds to the handling. Flat through the corners and more than enough power to have a race feeling!
The Japanese builders boost about their original design and the road handling features already. “Because the low placement of the handle bars and the rear set foot pegs, the rider is put into a racer position when cornering” (not our words). We replaced the original high handle bars with low tracker handle bars and placed the pegs higher and more to the rear, which makes it a completely different type of bike. The old chopper is transformed to a classic racing machine now, perfectly suitable for people with average height.
The sound of the bike is typical for the air-cooled, two cylinders, four stroke engine. You’ve got to love the sound! But at the same time we managed to reduce the sound in such that you will still be able to attend the neighbour’s barbecue.

The main modifications on this bike are:
A complete blacked out look whereby really everything is powder coated.
Customized sub frame to fit the seat
A custom box underneath the seat for the ignition key and light switch
A new wiring loom whereby the visible wires in front are made of classic fabric material.
All electric components hidden underneath the seat
Clear and visible battery, purposely kept on its original location
Clean handle bars, with only a custom switch for the blinkers
Slick shorty dampers (with additional modifications to reduce the sound)
Of course a Wrench Kings paintjob on the tank
Progressive rear coils
Tarrozi foot pegs, including a custom brake and gear system
Lowered and more progressive forks
A shitload of subtle custom brackets (blinkers front and back, blinker switch, speedo, electric components, etc). And of course these are all powder coated as well.
In other words, a complete new bike! Rens needs a few weeks to recover from a busted knee, but we’re absolutely sure that he will have a blast of a time with it! Summer is coming!!

Up to the next build! We’ll keep you posted!
Pictures are taken by Bas Duijs (Facebook: @Basduijsphotography Instagram: @Basduijs). Bas is a master in portraits and film stills and with his graphic design background he has a clear eye for concept, light and detail. For more info on his work visit his website at www.basduijs.com.