When you’ve completed the mandatory period on your learner’s license and it’s time to get your first big bike, you’re absolutely spoilt for choice these days. But there was a period when, for most, there really were only three names: Fazer, Bandit, Hornet! The most popular spec in each used a detuned supersport 600cc engine, hand-me-down parts, and naked styling. But you could pick them up at a bargain price, they were reliable as hell and compared to that old learner lightweight, they felt bloody fast. Nostalgia runs deep for these machines, and for the owner of this stunning 2001 Yamaha FZS600 Fazer, it’s the second one he’s had turned into a custom in just over a year. To make his dreams a reality, he relies on Marcel Galuszka of Blackout Custom Design, and the Czech builder made sure to deal him a winning hand.
Based in the small Czech city of Karvina, Blackout Custom Design has been Marcel’s full-time gig since 2018. And he’s one hell of a prolific bike builder, turning out endless cool customs for his loyal customer base. Most of the bikes he works with tend to be around the twenty-year-old age mark, so there is as much need for giving these bikes a refurbishment as there is for custom treatment. The Fazer has actually proven a very popular model amongst his customers, and proving he’s been around the traps, he’s also built custom Bandits and Hornets too.
But having built a previous Fazer for ‘Blackjack’s’ owner, Marcel was surprised when a year later another donor Yamaha arrived at the shop. Work couldn’t commence straight away, a busy shop has a backlog, but the idea was to improve on the first build and refine everything they’d previously done, to produce a winner. Although clearly his client likes to set him a challenge, as Marcel was quick to notice that not only had the donor bike been crashed, with damage all over the left side of the bike and the subframe destroyed, but the carbs looked worse for wear too. But the real damage was discovered after the Fazer had been stripped back to a bare frame and sandblasted.
The crash that had busted up the left side of the bike had also warped the frame and left some cracks at junction points around the front end. So, the first task was to straighten everything out, weld up and strengthen where the cracks had appeared and ensure every part of the chassis was arrow straight. Next on the agenda was an all-new subframe, the broken one went straight in the bin and in its place goes a classically styled piece, with an upswept rear hoop and underside bracing. It’s also mounted higher on the main chassis than on the first build, and also given a little more angle towards the tank. Then, all of the new metal work was reblasted and powder-coated gloss black.
Now with a brilliant base, Marcel could start to build the bike back up, and rectifying the crash damage was a top priority. The airbox had been destroyed, so that was given the flick, and the alternator cover was scratched up good and proper, although from the expert repair job, you’d never know. The engine was filthy too, so the whole thing was blasted clean, each part was properly prepared and then painted in a matte black and a host of the bolts were replaced with stainless items that deliver a neat contrast. “However, I have to mention here that I have never seen carburettors so rusty and clogged/stuck,” Marcel laughs.
So, he painstakingly stripped them back and took his time to rebuild all four back to their factory best, making the right jet changes to suit the switch to pod-style filters. To add a little extra giggle, the factory exhaust has been recoated and then blasts the high-revving four-cylinder sound out of an SC-Project muffler. Now the real customisation work could begin, and starting at the back of the bike, you get a high-end finish on the seat, with black leather and Alcantara brought together with a red diamond stitch. The underside of the subframe is brilliantly boxed in, creating a neat inner fender and the perfect place to store a host of electrical components.
The small factory side covers would never look right, so a set of sheet metal replacements has been bent up and drilled and attached with stainless bolts. But to really give the Fazer a different appearance, it’s the front end that gets the big overhaul, with the small cowl and tinted screen helping to give the bike a more timeless appearance. The front fender has been beautifully finished, and the tank sports a race filler. “Since the owner and I had planned red from the beginning, I was thinking the whole time how to keep the colour not ‘only’ red, and I also knew that the motif would be 21 Blackjack. So I chose a matte finish with black glossy Blackjack accessories on the tank and shield and a few others on various parts of the bike, but so that it wouldn’t be too flashy.”
Time to take care of the functionality, and there was a host of small jobs to do, relocating the number plate to a custom axle-mounted bracket really tidies up the tail. A lithium-ion battery goes under the seat, and LED indicators are used front and rear, with the back end utilising 3 in 1 technology. The headlight is another LED item, with a Koso speedo added, and the ignition has been relocated to keep things clean. A new set of bars are set to suit the rider’s height, and they’re finished out with Biltwell grips and a set of adjustable levers. It’s another slick build from Blackout Custom Design, and it’s also proof positive that these old four-cylinder favourites still have a whole lot of life left in them, especially when you’re prepared to double down.
