The custom motorcycle scene in Malaysia has grown by leaps and bounds, fuelled in part by the annual Art of Speed show, now in its sixth edition. The event showcases custom cars and motorcycles from both local and overseas builders, along with invited guests who are icons in the custom world.
As part of this year’s event, a very special dragster-style machine will be making its public debut at Art of Speed, the RXZ Twinboss. Many paultan.org readers will no doubt be familiar with the RXZ name, it being Yamaha’s 135 cc, two-stroke sports bike much favoured with street racers in the late 80s and early 90s.
Taking two single-cylinder engines, the RXZ Twinboss is built entirely with local materials and talent and is the brainchild of Art of Speed organiser Asep Ahmad Iskandar. Inspired by the “Digger” style of custom motorcycles, the Twinboss is low-slung and long, following the lines of dragster motorcycles.
Building the RXZ Twinboss was a challenge, says Asep, because the idea for the machine only came to fruition in April this year, and many builders were reluctant to take the job due to the short time frame before the Art of Speed takes place on July 29. The challenge was accepted by Universite Teknologi Malaysia graduate Irwin Cheng from Ipoh, Perak, who runs custom engineering shop FNG Works part-time.
Placing the two Yamaha engines in tandem position, Cheng uses a chain to mate the crankshafts together, with drive going to the gearbox and then to the rear wheel, also using chains. Asep pointed out the gearbox is currently not required to transmit power for the Twinboss, but was left in place due to time constraints.
Everything superfluous to requirements on the Twinboss was removed, but sections of the frame and the front forks from the donor Yamaha RXZ were retained. This gives the machine a stripped down look, with the focal points being the extended frame and the massive water-cut steel plates cradling the engines.
The Twinboss uses kickstarting to come to life, with the kickstart lever on the second engine retained only for cosmetic purposes. Asep said that while the Twinboss is not extremely powerful as far as custom motorcycles go, it does put out significantly more powe than the original 20 or so ponies coming from the original Yamaha RXZ.
In keeping with the dragster ethos, the Twinboss omits the front brake, with all stopping power concentrated in the rear brake disc. With just over two weeks to the show, completion status of the Twinboss is now at 70%, according to Asep, with bodywork being performed at custom shop Beautiful Machines in Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya.
Cost for building this twin-engine dragster, according to Asep, consumed not far short of RM40,000. The RXZ Twinboss will be fired up in public during the Art of Speed show, and visitors will get the chance to hear the twin two-stroke engines crackle to life.
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When I was young in the 80s, I had a Yahama RXZ bike. Only RM3000 or less then. Imagine, having a top of the range bike then for RM3000. Today, even kapchai also cannot buy with RM3000
well in the 90s brand new RXZ was RM7000++…
Bro. This nutjob was only BORN in the 90s and then went into cave during 2000s.
Local pipu have done something retro-cool with steampunkish elements. So much for ur nonsensical statement of teh tarik & nasilemak, eh?
But yet here u r, spouting bollocks as usual. What contributions did made for the local biking scene?
I think the Cost for building this twin-engine dragster of RM40,000 will be one of the main point.
All in all, the guy who DARE to take up the challenge in a short time should be commanded.
No sound of the rumble of a large 4 stroke engine for sure, just the ring ding sound of a 2 stroke engine. One of the main attractions of custom motorcycles is the sound or should it be, the rumble of something large and intimidating – not something puny like an RXZ engine