On this planet of digital music, Girts Ozolins is a titan. Because the founding father of Erica Synths, he spends his days designing modular synthesizers which are as uncooked and uncompromising as the economic soundscapes of his house in Riga, Latvia. However when the soldering iron is chilly, Girts interprets that very same ardour for high-fidelity grit into the workshop of ZEPS Moto.
We’ve beforehand marveled at Girts’ sharp-edged KTM RC8, however his newest undertaking is one thing extra visceral. He once more teamed up with Andis Zeps to rework the 2006 Yamaha MT-01. With an enormous 1,670cc air-cooled V-twin, the MT-01 is a hammer of a motorbike.
Riga is a metropolis of contrasts: a UNESCO-listed Outdated City outlined by medieval appeal and Artwork Nouveau class, bordered by a contemporary, bustling metropolis on the Baltic Sea. It’s a becoming backdrop for Girts’ design philosophy.
“I really like the uncooked energy and torque of the MT-01, however the unique design is a bit outdated by in the present day’s requirements,” Girts explains. His aim was to take care of the bike’s aggressive, “muscle-on-wheels” silhouette whereas stripping away the mid-2000s bulk to create one thing that feels concurrently acquainted and alien.
Probably the most polarizing characteristic of a inventory MT-01 is its jet-fighter-inspired, under-seat exhaust system. To streamline the bike’s rear, Girts known as in BZL Exhaust, an area one-man specialist, to manufacture a customized stainless-steel system that now terminates in a low-slung Remus muffler.
With the huge pipes gone, the rear of the bike seemed unfinished. Zeps developed a customized, shortened subframe and a bespoke fiberglass tail unit. The brand new fairing was designed to sit down flush towards the aluminum body, elegantly hiding the mounting “bumps” the place the unique exhaust as soon as lived. The result’s a strictly solo-rider machine.
Girts admits to having a “candy spot” for belt drives—a rarity within the high-performance sport-naked class. He sourced a conversion package from VH Motorradtechnik, however the construct hit a technical snag when he determined to switch the manufacturing unit three-spoke wheels with Kineo spoked items.
The Kineo rear hub utilized a customized sprocket sample that did not match the belt pulley. Undeterred, the crew modified the belt sprocket to suit the Italian-made wheel, combining the basic look of stainless spokes with the silent, maintenance-free effectivity of a belt drive.
The main points of the construct exemplify the “much less is extra” philosophy, with each element chosen to emphasise the MT-01’s brutalist structure. Up entrance, the unique cumbersome lighting has been changed by a customized fiberglass fairing that tightly hugs a Highsider LED headlight and a secondary high-beam unit. The engine’s visible mass was additional enhanced by reshaping and slimming down the facet covers, a surgical contact that reveals extra of the 48-degree V-twin’s huge, air-cooled cylinders.
The cockpit underwent the same thinning course of to attain a razor-sharp profile. Girts opted for Grazzini risers and handlebars, making a clear command middle topped with a Magura hydraulic clutch and brake system for contemporary tactile suggestions. The bars are completed with Motogadget mo.view frameless mirrors.
To tie the undertaking collectively, an area upholsterer crafted a bespoke solo seat, whereas the bodywork was drenched in deep matte black. The ultimate flourish is a pair of matte silver racing stripes that run the size of the bike, a design Girts mirrored on his matching Hedon helmet for the final word coordinated aesthetic.
By ditching the “signature” options of the MT-01 in favor of a leaner, extra industrial aesthetic, ZEPS Moto has introduced this monster into the fashionable period. It’s a bike that seems like an Erica Synth—deep, rhythmic, and able to shaking the foundations of any road in Riga.
Trending Merchandise
