This Stretched Custom Honda Ruckus Doesn’t Hold a Single Trace of Restraint

A little while back, we introduced you to a bonkers Honda Ruckus (or Zoomer, as the model is known down under) built for a guy by the name of Jono. Not giving a flying damn about practicality on this occasion, the client wanted something very unusual but equally interesting. Namely, he was looking for a stretched Ruckus he could take on group rides with his friends, all of whom had a similar machine of their own.

The raddest of them belonged to a lad named Tai, and it had also been put together by Ellaspede’s connoisseurs a few months prior. This is the specimen we’re here to talk about today, so you’ll want to brace yourself because it’s just as crazy as the build it later inspired! The two are actually very similar, strongly benefiting from the surprising amount of aftermarket support available for the little Ruckus.

While the 2009-model scooter was being taken apart, many of its factory components were shown the door, including the brakes, suspension, and diminutive 49cc powerplant. Then, the Ellaspede squad sourced a much larger GY6 engine from Rolling Wrench, with more than three times the displacement at 171cc. The Ruckus would top out at a mere 35 mph (56 kph) in stock form, yet this new power source enables it to reach 62 mph (100 kph).

Of course, that’s still not quick by any stretch of the imagination, but would you really want to go faster on a tiny scooter never intended for those speeds? The GY6 mill is held in place by 12-inch billet aluminum engine mounts, and it breathes through a premium pod filter and Yoshimura exhaust pipework. A replacement shock absorber takes care of suspension duties at the back, with its upper end connected to a custom bracket.

Up front, we’re greeted by a shorter set of aftermarket forks steered by way of CNC-machined clip-ons. If you thought you’d never see clip-on handlebars fitted on a Honda Ruckus, now’s the best possible time for you to think again. The cockpit area is also home to Koso instrumentation, new grips, and adjustable control levers, as well as Motogadget bar-end turn signals and rectangular mirrors in carbon fiber housings.

With the 171cc GY6 engine now acting as its power source, the Ruckus needed some fresh braking hardware that would cope with the additional grunt. Ellaspede installed 220 mm (8.7-inch) brake discs fore and aft, linking them up to Brembo calipers and Teflon-coated hoses. The upgraded brakes are worn by groovy Mesh Love wheels from DorbyWorks, measuring 12 inches at the front and 13 inches on the other end.

Their rims are embraced by beefy Michelin rubber, with a rear tire barely large enough to fit the wheel’s humungous width. As you might imagine, the bike’s chassis had to be stiffened up given all the structural changes and performance upgrades, so it’s been braced with a central bar running from the front fairing to the rear framework.

Furthermore, the seat subframe was modified to sit a bit lower, in keeping with the slammed appearance Ellaspede’s artisans were going for. The rearmost portion of the tubing is equipped with a bright LED taillight from Koso, and the whole shebang is topped with a custom saddle fabricated in-house. It was put together using high-density foam padding and handsome Alcantara upholstery.

The license plate is located nice and low on a swingarm-mounted bracket, which is also home to a tiny pair of aftermarket blinkers. All the electronics have been hooked up to a replacement wiring harness, and the twin headlamps at twelve o’clock were deleted in favor of LED substitutes. Moreover, the rack they’re attached to was refurbished and repainted for an ultra-clean appearance.

Other accessories worn by this custom Ruckus include CNC-machined foot rests, a new fuel tank cover, and a billet filler cap. In terms of paintwork, items like the front fairing, rear frame, and tank cover have all been clad in a gorgeous cyan hue, while most of the other parts were either powder-coated black or left unpainted and polished.

Once Ellaspede had taken care of the paint job, the bike was complete and ready to be handed back to Tai. Call it ridiculous, impractical, or over the top if you will, but we honestly dig its playful nature and the fact that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. At the end of the day, motorcycles and custom projects are all about having fun, so it doesn’t hurt to throw the rule book out the window and go nuts from time to time.