Dune: A Suzuki DR350 scrambler destined for the desert

The worth of an object isn’t all the time measured in financial phrases, as Arnaud Cailly realized when his workshop was damaged into—and his beloved Kawasaki KLX300 stolen. “That Kawa wasn’t price a lot, but it surely meant quite a bit to me,” he remembers. “I saved it in good condition for the occasional journey with my dad.”

Arnaud runs Le Cent Vingt Cinq out of Thoiry, a city simply west of Versailles, France. He began the workshop throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, when France’s lockdown prevented him from working as a physiotherapist (his foremost supply of earnings).

Le Cent Vingt Cinq has grown to a three-man workforce over the previous couple of years. And though they’ll customise absolutely anything, they’ve a selected proclivity for pre-2000s Japanese bikes.

Though the workshop’s instruments have been additionally stolen throughout the theft, the lack of the KLX400 left a small journey bike-sized gap in Arnaud’s coronary heart. “A couple of months later, I stumbled upon a brilliant clear 1993 Suzuki DR350 on-line and snapped it up straight away,” he tells us.

“Across the identical time, Gasoline Bikes introduced Scram, a 10-day off-road journey in Morocco. No inventory bikes allowed—each motorbike needs to be custom-built. I pitched the thought to my dad and brother and, earlier than we knew it, we have been all in.”

Very quickly, the Suzuki DR350 had gone from being a alternative for Arnaud’s misplaced KLX400 to a full-blown {custom} scrambler challenge. First, he turned to 2R14 Design to assist him flip his imaginative and prescient right into a digital render. Then he started sourcing the components wanted to deliver it to life.

First to go was the DR350’s OEM gas tank. The Le Cent Vingt Cinq modified a 1974 Husqvarna CR250 tank to exchange it, topping it off with a knurled filler cap. The intricate paint job was dealt with by Rob Art-Custom, with inspiration taken from the North African Berber tradition.

Subsequent, the crew fabricated new fenders for the entrance and rear, plus a brand new subframe to accommodate the Suzuki’s new bench seat. They made the crash bars too—however retained the unique aspect covers, which have been painted to match the tank.

The DR350’s massive hoops have been swapped out for a set of 18” Excel rims, completed in a champagne gold hue. They’re wrapped in chunky 120-section Maxxis tires. Arnaud admits that the smaller hoops may not be splendid for off-roading, however he’s pleased with the compromise—and moreover, there are many off-road-focused mods elsewhere.

The crash bars bear a pair of LED spotlights, whereas a burly sump guard protects the stomach of the superbly refinished engine. Le Cent Vingt Cinq additionally specced it with gigantic foot pegs and a rear brake caliper protector.

Up prime you’ll discover a set of custom-made enduro bars with a welded-in cross brace, sporting new grips, pared-down switches, and Beringer controls. The dual headlights have been lifted from a Honda Zoomer (the Japanese model of the Ruckus), earlier than being retrofitted with a guard and a baggage rack. “It provides me that Baja racing vibe,” says Arnaud, “but it surely additionally has house for a blanket, made by my pal Camille at The Wild Whispers.”

Different mods embody a Motogadget speedo and neatly built-in Highsider LEDs for the flip indicators and taillight. The exhaust makes use of a custom-made header with a Triumph-specific Ironhead muffler, and the suspension has been overhauled with new springs and oil. Then there’s the leopard-print suede seat cowl, and the delicate gold particulars that echo the edges.

Nicknamed ‘Dune,’ Arnaud’s Suzuki DR350 scrambler ticks two main packing containers; it’s enjoyable and it’s succesful. “Dune isn’t only a present bike—it’s constructed to journey,” he provides. “Now, I simply can’t wait to take it to Morocco.”