There are a thousand ways to approach motorcycle customization. Some custom builders are slaves to geometry, creating machines that boast architectural levels of mathematical harmony. Then there are artisans like Mike Chen.
Mike runs the eponymous Mike’s Garage in Taipei, Taiwan. His builds often appear to be cobbled together from mismatched parts, but the reality is that every part, detail, and finish is carefully considered. That’s how he manages to create bikes that are both offbeat and charming—like this Yamaha SR150 café racer.
Made in Taiwan for the local market, the diminutive Yamaha SR150 has become a firm favorite among the current crop of young Taiwanese custom builders. “It’s a classic and iconic bike in Taiwan,” says Mike. “If you’re familiar with my previous work, you’ll know this model handles all types of modifications with ease.”
Mike’s client—a Japanese expat working in Taiwan—asked for a compact café racer that he could bop around the city on. Mike sourced a 1999-model SR150 and got to work.
With the bike stripped to its frame, Mike set about adjusting its stance. The wheels were swapped out for 18” wire-spoked hoops, shod with retro sawtooth treads. The front end features the lowered forks from a Yamaha FZ150i, the hub and rotor from a Dragstar 150, and the caliper from a Majesty 125 scooter.
Mike lowered the front forks and swapped out the rear shocks, creating a level bone line that runs parallel to the ground. Next, he fabricated a new subframe and cleaned up the triangle under the seat, creating the perfect blank canvas for the bike’s bespoke bodywork.
The SR150’s silhouette takes cues from the café racers of the 60s. A handmade fuel tank takes center stage, sporting a squared-off, slightly elongated shape. The tail hump is a fiberglass piece, with a molded vibe that incorporates a pair of vintage turn signals and a classic Lucas-style taillight.
Moving to the front, Mike took a replica of a 1960s BSA headlight, sunk an aftermarket speedo into it, and mounted it on elegant custom-made brackets. “It’s intentionally mounted higher, to evoke that old-school street racer vibe,” he explains.
Mike paired down the bike’s electrical system too, which gave him room to clean up the cockpit. The layout is simple, featuring chromed clip-ons, vintage grips and switches, and a tiny handmade ‘dashboard,’ hosting a warning light and a couple of push buttons.
Lower down, modern rear-set assemblies are matched to classic Bates-style rubber pegs, while a custom ‘cooling cover’ adorns the front brake disc.
The Yamaha’s 26-year-old engine didn’t go neglected either. Mike’s Garage rebuilt it with a new piston, connecting rod and camshaft. The clutch was refreshed too, and the carb was swapped out for a Keihin PE28. The exhaust is a one-off, designed to mimic the original BSA Goldstar pipe.
This judicious blending of old and new styles is a hallmark of this Yamaha SR150 café racer—as is its hot-rodded livery, which was executed by Jeffrey’s Custom Paint. But before Mike handed the bike to Jeffrey, he had the arduous task of picking a suitable design…
“I had no inspiration at first,” he tells us. “After a long struggle, I decided to go with my favorite hot rod flames, but I couldn’t settle on the color. My wife eventually chose it for me—a bold magenta pink over a multilayer metallic base coat. I ended up loving the result!”
“I really enjoyed working on this project. Blending classic café racer style with hot rod paintwork in a cohesive way was super fun and a new kind of challenge for me.”
Mike’s Garage Instagram | Images by Dong Lin (outdoor) and Weeber Photography (studio) | With special thanks to Barry Lim
