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Edi Buffon of Machine 1867 with his wild-looking Suzuki GS650 bobber shows us that money is the least of the requirements for a head-turning build.
In the media and movie world, it is often said that with less budget comes more creativity. And Edi Buffon from Australia is proving that this is also valid in the beautiful world of custom machines. We have come across some coolest custom motorcycles like the futuristic-looking BMW R NineT and the two-faced Buell S1. But all of them require a certain level of financial commitment.
Edi, on the other hand, set out on a challenge to build a custom machine with zero investment! Yup, you heard that right. This turbocharged Suzuki GS650 bobber has been created by Edi's one-man custom house - Machine 1867 us as little money as possible. The only cash he invested was for the leaf-shaped seat leather upholstery.
Building a custom motorcycle is an art, but building one with no money is on a whole different level. Edi had to go minimal on the bodywork which not only helped him save bucks but also gave this bobber a raw and mechanical theme.
He had a Suzuki engine lying around for a long time, which came in handy here. Oh, and not to forget those protruding carburetors on one side and the turbo housing on the other, which adds more drama to the build. Even the side stand looks like a piece of art, despite being a bent-out rod of metal!
Edi Buffon of Machine 1867 with his wild-looking Suzuki GS650 bobber shows us that money is the least of the requirements for a head-turning custom build.
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Edi already had a half-worked Suzuki GS650 in his garage. This motorcycle had taken the side seat when he lost interest and carried on with other custom-builds. But it has been lying unattended to for quite some time, and so he decided to do something creative of it.
He started from scratch by putting the engine and the wheels onto a table and contemplating on what to do next. And that's when he decided to go "zero dollars" on the build and create something with parts and bits from his parts bin.
Edi didn't go all mellow just because he wanted to do a parts-bin project. Because of this, he decided to slap on a turbocharger onto the air-cooled 673cc DOHC inline-4 motor. In the stock form, this engine pumped out 73 hp and 42.2 lb-ft of torque. These figures are rather healthy even by today's standards for a middleweight offering.
Adding turbocharging is only going to make things more fun. Edi also added in a custom dual Webber carburetor setup protruding from the right side upwards. It has been coupled to a custom hand-built manifold. And on the left side he positioned the turbo system, almost all of its parts are custom-made. The actual figures are not known, but it sure will put a wide grin on the rider's face.
Edi's plan on not using a single penny had him think radically to come up with solutions. The whole frame has been built using spare tubes that were lying around in the workshop. He went for a low-slung laid-out setup with the rack angle set to 35 degrees and a long wheelbase of 61 inches.
Then the turbo-engine got a custom exhaust system built using the original headers coupled to an end-pipe using 3-inch bits from a box of cut-outs from older builds. And when he ran out of the 3-inch pipes, 2.5-inch bits were used, and it was coupled to the 3-inch tubing using an improvised flange from a four-cylinder engine.
Both the end pipe and the turbo dump pipe faced upwards which twinned with the carb setup. It should be noted that this is a through-and-through show build, with little to no practicality baked in! He fabricated a girder-style front fork setup using a pair of mountain bike shocks he had lying around.
He then welded on a set of handlebars to the forks and carved in a set of knurled grips too. He kept the front section simple with no brakes and used a lever-actuated throttle system. Both the throttle and clutch used inverted levers. The rear brake assembly and pedal setup was pieced together from numerous salvaged parts.
Related: 10 Things Every Motorcycle Enthusiast Should Know About The 2022 Suzuki SV650
By using no money on this build, Edi managed to bring about a crude, minimal and industrial theme to the motorcycle. But despite the constraints, he still managed to make it a clean one. He built sharp-looking custom split tanks. The tanks were made out of steel which was further polished to bring that shine out.
He made a custom seat design that looked like a leaf. It was wrapped in custom red leather upholstery. He hid away the external fuel pump and a 12V battery pack under the seat. To uphold this build's raw appeal, he decided to flaunt the fuel and vacuum lines.
He painted the custom tail section and the front forks in black. He also tried a hand at a chemical bluing process for the frame and other metal fitments. Interestingly, the stock wheels were retained and went very well will the overall build. The only bits that he shelled out money for were the leather upholstery and ceramic coating to protect this artwork on wheels.
Edi Buffon with this turbo bobber build showed us that you don't need a bucket load of money to make a wild custom motorcycle. Skills and out-of-the-bucket thinking are all that is required (and experience of course). Edi is the Dumbledore of the custom motorcycle world!
Sources: Machines That Dream Via Instagram, Machine1867 Via Instagram
Tijo is an engineer, mechanic, gamer, and an avid content creator. He is a grease-monkey who loves tinkering with automobiles every now and then, when not busy penning down his passion for them. He has always had a soft spot for JDM and is keen on diving deep in for anything that involves wheels and engines.