Maarten Poodt is a creature of habit. Each winter he drags another Yamaha into his workshop, rebuilds it to his taste, and sells it to fund the next one. But he’s changed things up since last year, and now takes on commissioned work too.
Judging by the stellar job Maarten has done on this Yamaha FZS600 Fazer, working to a client brief hasn’t cramped his style one bit. That’s because he’s stuck to the same formula that he uses for his personal projects: retro-inspired sportbikes with an OEM feel.
The ‘factory’ effect that Maarten aims for isn’t just about the fit and finish. He tends to put his own spin on classic Yamaha designs, and he often keeps his bikes street legal, with the sort of chunky turn signals and plate brackets you’d get on a stock bike.…