First coming onto the scene in the 1970s, the Yamaha SR range is a lineup of air-cooled single-cylinder standards that remains in production today, having gone largely unchanged since the range’s roughly debut half a century ago. With its simple stripped-down nature and old-school aesthetics, SR bikes have become a popular platform for customization. Demonstrating this point is Taiwanese shop Twentytwo Custom, which has just breathed new life into an SR150, transforming the small-displacement single into a modernized cafe racer with a dash of sci-fi influence.
Dubbed “Neo Nostalgia,” the project began with a full tear-down, with the donor being stripped to the frame. From there, the chassis was built back up with a truncated subframe, a modified SYM fork slotted in Yamaha FZ yokes, and an extended aftermarket swing-arm paired with a set of MJP Factory shocks. What really makes the build shine, however, is its bodywork. The SR now sports a boxy, retro-inspired monoposto tail section, a set of custom side covers, a low-profile headlight nacelle, and a tire-hugging front fender. Though it retains its stock fuel cell, the Yamaha’s tank has also received a set of custom aerodynamic winglets.
Another major element of the build is its paint job, which consists of a blacked-out, matte and gloss-finished livery complemented by dark gray Yamaha and shop logos. Finished in fluo yellow, a single Brembo caliper provides the majority of the project’s stopping power, while also affording a dash of contrast and modern style. Completing the package is a set of spoked wheels shod in contemporary sport rubber, a suite of LED lighting, a set of clip-on handlebars, new rear-sets, and a one-into-one stainless steel exhaust system that sweeps beneath the frame and culminates in a reverse cone Suzuka Super Street muffler.
All in all, Twentytwo Custom has managed to deliver an incredibly transformative cafe racer build through only a handful of key modifications. And while the Yamaha SR150-based Neo Nostalgia build is already spoken for, the shop is currently accepting commissions for future builds.
