USA - motorcycle - 125cc
I have never ridden one of these but I dig the concept and geometry. I’ve also seen them in a broad variety of looks, and they have recently introduced a fat-tired 200cc/250cc version though I would want a sturdier frame to offset the torque increase (not to mention that being a solo-seater only the 125cc qualifies as a BRAT). My only reservation (as usual) is the auto clutch/suicide shifter, but I understand the old-school ethos and that production cost necessitates the inexpensive Chinese-built auto-clutch motor. A manual Japanese motor of similar displacement must be salvaged from a used bike (Japanese motorcycle engines cannot be purchased new) so there would be a greater cost involved and doubtless some modifications required to the frame, but as this is sold as a kit (VIN #’s and reg are the customer’s responsibility) you could conceivably bolt on any motor you desired. It is very complicated to build a motorcycle frame from scratch and most frame-builders do not do custom jobs as it requires producing a jig which is cost prohibitive on one-off orders...so...if you want to build a small-displacement custom chopper consider buying this kit and enhancing it with a manual-clutch left-side-shifter bulletproof last-you-a-lifetime engine made in Japan that you've pinched from a secondhand small-displacement dirt or streetbike. Whew, does all that make sense?
