Photo: Alan Lapp
A mechanical engineered for Dolby Laboratories in San Francisco, Julian Farnam is also a bike enthusiast. And since enthusiasts often get involved in all sorts of wacky projects, seeing Julian competing the the San Francisco Dirtbag Challenge.
The Dirtbag Challenge has very simple rules: bike budget under $1,000 (€735), maximum build time – 30 days, and on the Judgement Day, the bike must run the 100-mile (160 km) lap without breaking, seizing, exploding, or catching fire.
We must say that Julian built this bike in his spare time and it is the result of his long years of owning Yamaha RD bikes. Given the strict budget, Julian got the parts from multiple bikes, swapped and sold them until he had what he needed. Yamaha RD 250, 350 and 400 and Suzuki GSX-R machines have all played a role in bringing the CHOPPRD to life.
The frame was simply chopped off, with a leading link steel front end and a custom swingarm maunfactured in-house. And thanks to the extremely un-Yamaha 40-degree rake and rebuilt rear end, the CHOPPRD is now almost 8-feet-long (2.4 m).
The CHOPPRD will be loaded with Ohlins shocks, but for the Dirtbag Challenge they were out of budget range, so the bike got some scrapyard suspensions. However, when Julian took the CHOPPRD Yamaha RD400 to the SFDC, it brought him a "Coolest Bike" award and a trip to Portland, Oregon, at the 2013 The One Motorcycle Show.
We'd be in trouble labeling this machine... it may be a chopper-cafe or the other way around, but one thing is impossible to deny: the bike is awesome! Seen on Pipeburn.
We must say that Julian built this bike in his spare time and it is the result of his long years of owning Yamaha RD bikes. Given the strict budget, Julian got the parts from multiple bikes, swapped and sold them until he had what he needed. Yamaha RD 250, 350 and 400 and Suzuki GSX-R machines have all played a role in bringing the CHOPPRD to life.
The frame was simply chopped off, with a leading link steel front end and a custom swingarm maunfactured in-house. And thanks to the extremely un-Yamaha 40-degree rake and rebuilt rear end, the CHOPPRD is now almost 8-feet-long (2.4 m).
The CHOPPRD will be loaded with Ohlins shocks, but for the Dirtbag Challenge they were out of budget range, so the bike got some scrapyard suspensions. However, when Julian took the CHOPPRD Yamaha RD400 to the SFDC, it brought him a "Coolest Bike" award and a trip to Portland, Oregon, at the 2013 The One Motorcycle Show.
We'd be in trouble labeling this machine... it may be a chopper-cafe or the other way around, but one thing is impossible to deny: the bike is awesome! Seen on Pipeburn.
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