Telescopic forks have become the de facto solution for motorcycle front suspension, but most major manufacturers have dabbled in alternative designs at some point. Yamaha had the GTS1000 in the 90s—a sports tourer with a front swingarm setup that was vaguely similar to hub centered steering.
The GTS1000 wasn’t a big seller when it launched, but these days it scores mega points for being rare and unusual. It’s also an unlikely donor for a café racer project. Luckily that didn’t stop Aki Suokas from tearing into his own GTS, to create this sharp blue machine.
Aki lives in Finland, and has been riding since the age of 10. He credits his father with not only teaching him how to ride, but igniting his interest in the technical side of motorcycles.…