Yamaha’s SR400 (and 500) has played donor to many a custom over decades of production, thanks largely to a relatively straightforward platform to modify. Its uncomplicated design however hasn’t stopped a few shops from going all out and poring staggering amounts of resources into the Japanese air-cooled single-powered scoot. One great example of this is the Capelo’s Garage build I featured back in November, while another is this equally involved one-off SR project from Norfolk, England-based customs outfit, Old Empire Motorcycles.
First unveiled back in August of 2016, the “Snipe” hides more details than the average eye would catch. Its forks were cut down by three inches which required modifying the Yamaha’s yokes. In back, a set of Bullet shocks were tacked on. The brakes on the Snipe are also pretty snazzy, comprised of machined and finned calipers and a custom Harrison floating brake disc activated via trick K-tech brake (and clutch) lever(s).
Despite the tank resembling the SR’s stock fuel-cell, the Snipe’s gas tank is actually a one-off aluminum unit, as is the build’s tail-section (with removable rear cowl), both of which are adorned in OEM’s hand-dyed, machined and laser cut leather work — matching the SR’s grips, pegs, kick starter, knee pads, and side-cover-bags. A bespoke front cowl houses a Bates headlight while also hiding an offset mini speedo and tach.
Other minor knickknacks on the Snipe include upgraded rear sprockets and chain, Dunlop K70 rubber, Motogadget indicators, custom gas cap, oil-temp gauge, one-off stainless exhaust, trick switch gear, and an upgraded ignition thanks to a Power Commander unit. The airbox on the Yamaha was drilled and the intake ducting was jettisoned to improve airflow. The last stage of the build consisted of hitting the custom bodywork with a coat of Jaguar E-Type grey with gold pinstriping and lettering, finished off with a touch of airbrush shading.
Upon its release the Snipe was featured on both Pipeburn and Return of the Cafe Racers, and as one might expect, this example is far from cheap. Regardless of its price, this is a pretty awesome SR build, and it only has a claimed 500 miles on the odo.
You can find this 2015 Yamaha SR400-based “Snipe” build from Old Empire Motorcycles for sale here on the BikeShed in London, England with a price of $19,000 (or £13,500).