Tracker Nor Scrambler: Candy’s SR400

Candy Motorcycle Laboratory is a small, 2-person motorcycle workshop based in Japan. And they have a very special focus on the Yamaha SR400. A bike we don’t see that often here in Europe, let alone that it’s been used as a basis for a custom project. But not in Japan, Candy has an impressive track record when it comes to building custom SR400’s. They’ve literally done it all: bobbers, cafe racers, trackers, scramblers, brats etc. They’ve shown that the SR can be turned into anything. When you’re working on a single model for a couple of years, it both becomes easier and harder. The easy part is that the machine holds very little secrets and the hard part is that it becomes more and more difficult to stand out. But their latest build got me: first of all, it’s keen on the eye. And next to that, it’s not clear to define: it’s neither a tracker or a scrambler. But yes: I really like it and it looks like a lot of fun to ride.

The idea was to create a mix of a hardcore MX bike with a flat tracker. The result is a machine with a narrow silhouette and a rather flamboyant color palette. A lot of elements are one-off like the gas tank, seat/cowl combo with integrated tail light, handlebar (with integrated indicators), exhaust, muffler, and subframe. The engine got a refreshment with new paint just like the frame. To match the new exhaust setup with some more fuel and air, they’ve used the carburetor of a SR500. The big 19″ front wheel together with the 16″ wheel in the back with a big fat 4.00 Michelin X11 tire give it just about the perfect proportion.

Oh yeah, it’s called “Pucci”; you can create your own definition of that ;).