While you’d probably never guess just by looking at it, this one-off Yamaha named “Primus” was the inaugural project for up-and-coming Slovakian customs outfit Free Spirit Motorcycles. The shop is headed up by Slavo Danko, a brand director at an advertising agency by day who recently began moonlighting as a bike builder. For Free Spirit’s first build, Slavo selected a 1981 Yamaha SR250 that he proceeded to tear down and transform into the machine you now see.
The stock subframe was chopped off and replaced with a shortened, hooped unit capped off with a custom seat-pan and saddle. Next Slavo whipped up a custom hand-formed set of side panels, fenders, and headlight shroud using 1.5mm 5754-grade aluminum. The SR’s original tank remains in play, though it was slightly reworked to better jive with the new seat and tail.
The SR’s top-triple is another custom piece, housing an analog Tumbleton & Twist speedo and LED warning lights. The part was designed and 3D-modeled by Slavo’s son, Matus (an industrial design student), before being CNC-machined from 5038 aluminum billet and then sandblasted and clear coated. The build’s exhaust is another highlight, comprised of 15 sections of stainless steel tubing that have been beautifully TIG-welded together before culminating in a GP-style muffler with riveted “Primus” badges.
Primus also features a simplified wiring setup, lithium-ion battery, Motogadget M-Blaze pin micro LED indicators front and back, a USB port, custom stainless chain/sprocket cover, aftermarket clip-ons, modified aluminum Tarozzi rear-sets, Rizoma mirrors, custom side stand, and a nifty custom key fob made from the same leather as the seat and grips. Almost every inch of the SR has also been painted or powdercoated, including the frame, wheels, suspension, top end, and bodywork throughout.
Upon its debut, Free Spirit’s SR garnered a fair amount of attention online, receiving coverage from outlets like TheBikeShed and BikeExif — the latter of whom marveled at how incredibly clean the bike was, comparing studio shots of the build to digital renderings. Primus was also invited to TheBikeShed’s London show, the Moto Circle Festival in Vienna, and the All Ride Show in Prague, as well as receiving a multipage spread in Built Magazine. Now that the bike has finished doing its rounds at various shows, Slavo is seeking a new home for the build.
You can find this 1981 Yamaha SR250 entitled “Primus” from Free Spirit Motorcycles for sale here on TheBikeShed in Zohor, Slovakia with a price of $16,230 (or £13,350).