In Taiwan, small bikes rule the roost. The country is bursting with sub-200 cc commuter motorcycles, many of which are produced locally. They’re easy to handle in tight traffic, robust, and easy to maintain—and since they’re not subject to the same taxes as bigger bikes, they’re more affordable too.
The utilitarian nature of these plucky single-cylinder machines means that, although they’re visually bland, they’re also very simple. And that makes them ripe for customization.
The Taiwanese workshop 2LOUD Custom knows this all too well. Founder Ma ‘Max’ Yicheng has churned out countless customs based on small bikes from popular local brands like Kymco and SYM. Today, he’s treating us to a delightful Yamaha SR150 street tracker.
A distant cousin of the more famous Yamaha SR500, the now-defunct SR150 was built in Taiwan exclusively for the local market.…