Source: Bike Bound

Bali-Built: Treasure Garage’s 400cc Cafe Racer… 

The SM Sport SM3 is a 400-class roadster available in various parts of Southeast Asia, produced by the major Malaysian distributor and manufacturer MForce. The engine is a 378cc liquid-cooled, fuel-injected parallel-twin that makes 36 horsepower, and the bike has the look of a modern retro along the lines of the Triumph Bonneville or Ducati Scrambler 400. It’s more than a basic commuter, with upside-down forks, spoke wheels, electric start, six-speed transmission, and optional ABS.

Neo-classic bikes like these can be deceptively difficult to build into cafe racers, as they may look relatively minimalist on the surface, but the builder must confront all of the modern electronics and equipment that come standard on a liquid-cooled, fuel-injected machine. That task was made only more challenging in this case, as the donor bike — a 2023 SM3 — had been previously customized…and not to a good standard.

Fortunately, the task of transforming the bike into the cafe racer you see here fell to one of Indonesia’s most talented builders, Prakoso “Nuel” Imanuel of Bali’s Treasure Garage. Bali is a hotbed of the modern custom scene, and Treasure Garage has turned out a staggering array of builds over the years, including their Honda Africa Twin Scrambler, Ducati “Lambo” GT, Gulf Racing-inspired Yamaha R6, and customs based on just about every style and donor bike imaginable. Truly, few workshops can boast the range of Nuel and his Bali-based team.

With this project, the customer’s wishes were clear:

“The design was a pure cafe racer, classic one-seater with a hornet tail and clip-on handlebar is a must.”

In order to conceptualize the build, Nuel turned to none other than Radite Octavanka of design studio RAXE97, whose Kustomfest-winning Suzuki A100 “Resurrection” we just featured. Radite has built a name for himself designing bikes for builders across Indonesia and even internationally. We don’t always get to see the original sketches and design for a build (and some builders don’t use them at all), so it’s neat to compare Radite’s vision (below) with the final product.

Translating this computer design into reality would be a labor-intensive job that involved experts in various areas: fabrication, mechanics, paint, and more. The biggest structural change is the conversion of the chassis from a twin-shock to monoshock setup, complete with a Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade swingarm adapted to work with bike.

Then there’s the bodywork. Nearly every body piece is custom, and it’s 100% alloy — minimal fiberglass or plastic here. Fender, tail, radiator cover, side covers, flyscreen, etc.

Other highlights include the split saddle, rearset controls, Koso digital speedometer, Daymaker LED headlight, and of course the full custom paint job.

Usually the final product deviates visually from the design, but this cafe racer is a striking replicate of the original vision — a testament to the high level of execution on the part of Nuel’s team, as well as the high standard of the RAXE97 design.

It was no easy task, but Treasure Garage has managed to transform this machine into something that looks like it could roll out of a factory design studio and onto the carpet in Milan for the EICMA trade show.

“From vision to reality – this café racer journey has been one for the books. Every detail, from the planning to the design and execution, was worth the grind.”

Indeed! Below is our full interview with Nuel about the build, and stay tuned for more customs rolling out of Treasure Garage.

400cc Cafe Racer: Builder Interview

• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?

It’s an SM Sport SM3. 400cc. Year 2023.

• Why was this bike built?

It’s customer project which was previously customized but failed and didn’t reach the expectation. which it is now.

• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

The design was a pure cafe racer, classic one-seater with a hornet tail and clip-on handlebar is a must. And the design is kind of inspired by Triumph Thruxton.

• What custom work was done to the bike?

It had a lot done in terms of bodywork. 100% alloy body works. It was a big job converting the swingarm from a Honda CBR1000 Fireblade and the monoshock suspension.

Installed underbone footpegs, Koso speed gauge, Daymaker headlamp, and it has a full custom paint job.

• Can you tell us what it’s like to ride?

I’m honestly surprised that it’s so nice and comfortable on the road. Of course cafe racers aren’t meant for long 2+ hour rides… But I would rate this one 8.5 out of 10 in riding comfort.

• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

I’m most proud on the bodywork and paint job. Also the precision of how closely we transformed the 3D concept into reality.

• Is there anyone you’d like to thank?

Thanks to all team:
Design: @raxe97ninetyseven
Fabricator: Guswi
Paint job: Vidhi and Henryan
Mechanics: Dar and Rudi

Follow the Builder

Web: treasuregaragebali.com
Instagram: @treasuregarage
Facebook: @treasurecustomgarage

More Treasure Garage Builds

---

 

 

 

 

Click here to see source