Indonesia’s Knuckle Whackjob turns a classic Suzuki GT185 two-stroke right into a elegant classic enduro.
We needed to do a double-take when this good-looking little scrambler landed in our inbox. At a look, it appears like a neatly restomodded Seventies Suzuki enduro—however its twin-cylinder two-stroke motor says in any other case, since all of Suzuki’s grime bikes from that decade had been singles.
In actuality, this little ripper is a 1974 Suzuki GT185 highway bike, masterfully reworked by Knuckle Whackjob in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Launched in 1973, the GT185 featured a 184 cc two-stroke twin with Suzuki’s patented Ram Air cooling system. The distinctive design featured an aluminum cylinder head with vertical fins on the entrance, which inspired airflow to the engine, making it one of many coolest-looking models round.
This explicit Suzuki GT185 has fairly an origin story. It initially belonged to a gentleman who was pressed to promote it to pay for his kid’s schooling. His good friend, Tommy, purchased it to assist him out, however the bike proved to be unreliable in the long term.
Tommy tried to repair it, however ultimately threw within the towel and stashed the bike away in his storage, the place it languished. Years later, his spouse strongly urged that he both promote or get rid of the drained previous GT, as a result of it was taking on house.
As an alternative, he reached out to the fellows at Knuckle Whackjob about whipping it again into form. What began as a simple restoration job rapidly advanced right into a full-blown {custom} undertaking.
Slightly than flip to Suzuki’s personal classic grime bikes for his or her cues, the Knuckle Whackjob crew appeared outdoors of the model. They drew inspiration from classic Triumph desert sleds as an alternative, setting themselves the problem of constructing a two-stroke sled that might rival the long-lasting four-stroke machines of the period.
Regardless of the unconventional redesign, Knuckle Whackjob was adamant about preserving the GT185’s authentic bones, which is why it appears extra like a restored manufacturing facility particular than a {custom} bike.
The engine and carbs had been stripped and rebuilt utilizing authentic Suzuki elements, and the body was principally left alone, save for some tweaks to the subframe.
The OEM entrance forks had been prolonged, whereas the rear shocks had been changed with longer models scalped from a Harley. Knuckle Whackjob retained the Suzuki’s 18” rear wheel, however laced the entrance drum brake hub to an aftermarket 19” rim. The wheels are wrapped in Shinko SR241 tires.
All of the GT185’s inventory bodywork was scrapped for aluminum items, handcrafted by the workshop’s fabricator, Dani. Every half is elegant in its personal approach—from the prolonged entrance fender proper via to the broad rear fender with its built-in quantity boards. Dani opted for a petite design for the gas tank, and constructed an aluminum oil tank that matches seamlessly with the bespoke aspect covers.
Knuckle Whackjob made the chromed motocross handlebars and bench seat, too, each of which recall the desert sleds of yore. The GT185 is completed off with custom-made exhausts—one on all sides—with warmth shields paying homage to classic Suzuki designs.
For the colour scheme, the crew settled on a elegant cocktail of maroon, satin brushed finishes, and chrome. The pipes had been coated in black, whereas the engine was vapor blasted to a satin end and left uncooked.
Someplace in the course of the construct course of, the lubrication firm IPONE hit up Knuckle Whackjob about the opportunity of collaborating on the launch of a brand new line of two-stroke oils. So the crew added a smattering of IPONE logos to the Suzuki GT185, took it all the way down to the seashore, and spent a day flinging sand round whereas filling the salty air with all of the smells and sounds that solely a two-stroke can produce.
Knuckle Whackjob Instagram | Pictures by @prakosoumam and @iamgegess_
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