Suzuki EN125 Scrambler by German Bastos

Of course, everybody likes to see a solid, high-end custom bike from the pro’s. Professional workshops keep popping up everywhere and the growth of the custom scene still didn’t stop so far. Which is a good thing. BUT, I also very much like the shed/yard/basement/bedroom builders. The guys that simply try and build their very own custom(ized) bike. And just like the pro’s, these guys also deserve a spot here!

The bike right here is submitted by German Bastos from Posadas in Argentina. After being bitten by the custom bike bug some years ago, he thought it was time for his own project and asked a friend to help. Custom bikes are still pretty rare in South America, due to the lack of availability of custom parts, but it’s getting better. He took a small Suzuki EN125 from 2014 as a base bike and turned it into this little scrambler. The EN125 is a pretty unknown bike, which usually is used for the cheap commuter works in urban areas. And plain ugly. But German and his friend managed to turn it into this small, agile and desirable bike. And pretty fun to ride. It’s just under 100kg with around 12hp. You won’t win any track days with this bike, but it will make you smile!

Although the bike looks completely different, the modifications are modest. Most important change is that German ditched the “all-plastic” look of the bike and brought the bike back in the essentials. He took the gas tank from a Suzuki AX100 and customized it to fit the frame. The beautiful custom leather seat has room for small bits ‘n bites like a phone or tools. The front mudguard is custom built by German and his friend and the rear one comes from a Harley Sportster.

And then those beautiful wheels… He got rid of the standard cast wheels and ordered a set of custom wheels by a local factory. The multipurpose rims are Pirelli MT90’s, 120/80/18″ in front and 140/80/18″ on the rear. The front suspension and hub come from a Gilera 250 to fit the wheel. The braking system and disc come from a Honda Tornado 250. The rear shocks are made to order to fit the new – more active – stance of the bike.

The engine was painted black and got a new aftermarket exhaust. The carburetor comes from a Yamaha 250 and got a new K&N filter for some more air. The electrical system was completely built from scratch with LED head and rear lights, backlit handlebar controls, modern LCD speedo, and “bullet” indicators. The rest of the parts are general aftermarket parts: bar end mirrors, rear sets, Wimbledon grips, and some smaller parts here and there. All and all a pretty cool bike which looks really desirable!

PS. this is not German, but tChristian Garcia, the owner of the barbershop ;)