For the past decade, when it comes time to select our Top Ten bikes of the year, the creations of Virginia’s Sean Skinner are either right there on the list or narrowly miss the cut — the man simply doesn’t know how to build a bad bike. Once dubbed a “silent achiever,” the MotoRelic mastermind has since made serious waves in the custom scene, thanks to his love for powerful, screaming two-strokes that are impossible to ignore. That’s exactly how his latest client discovered him: after spotting a previous build, he knew he wanted something special of his own. What he delivered to Sean was a battered wreck — but with an open chequebook and total creative freedom, the outcome was bound to be spectacular. Enter the MotoRelic 1973 Yamaha RD350: pure two-stroke perfection that’ll have you hanging on for dear life when it comes on the pipe.
The price of any classic bike is absolutely crazy these days, so it’s hard to turn down a bargain when you come across one. But can something be too cheap? “John reached out to talk about letting me create a street tracker out of a barn find RD that he picked up for $350. Normally, getting a bike for $1 a CC is a great deal but when he sent the photos, I feel he overpaid,” Sean laughs. “It was the crustiest, most forgotten bike I’d ever seen. We had a laugh and I told him, if it’s not locked up then it will be great since his idea for the build will only require me to keep the frame and engine. Everything else will go to the dumpster. John was prepared to spare no expense on this build, which makes my job way more fun!”
After plenty of good chats, John and Sean had a clear understanding of the direction of the build and the desires John had for his dream bike. So, with the beat up barn find at MotoRelic HQ, it was time to strip it down and get to work. One of the first things Sean did was pull the engine and send it out to Ed Toomey to work his magic and build a monster motor. Then it was time to piece together a shopping list to die for, selecting all of the best bits for the build to come. One of those items was a Trac Dynamics aluminium swingarm that could be ordered with a 2-inch stretch and would allow for meatier rubber to be fitted. For the wheels, Cognito Moto machined a stunning set of hubs, which are laced to 19in Sun rims and wrapped in John’s choice of Hoosier rubber.
To handle the suspension side of things, a set of GSXR750 forks have been selected for the front end, and given Cognito love to work with the Suzuki product, the fit up is absolutely stunning. For the rear end HyperPro 467s work beautifully with the new swingarm to really get the bike handling a treat. Speaking of the rear, while they were building the hubs, Cognito Moto had made a beautiful disc conversion setup, using one of their mounts and braces, and swinging a Brembo caliper. So, given he had a Brembo out back, John decided they should splash out the cash and trick out the front end with the same Italian beauties. This did mean, however, for the back end, that Sean had to modify the pegs and mounts, and make way for a master cylinder, all beautifully fabricated.
Now with a stunning rolling chassis, the bodywork was next on the list, and Sean decided to think outside the Yamaha box. “I had a Honda Ascot tank that really screams Tracker but it was fairly wide for this skinny lady. I decided the side profile was perfect so I cut the tank in half then narrowed it 2 inches and fabricated all the mounts to make it fit the frame. The tank has an interesting shape on the top with different angular panels and I wanted to let that flow back to the tail. I shaped the tail section out of 16g aluminium to match the top of the tank and gave it some style down the sides. The frame received all the mounting tabs to hold it all in place.”
In the back section of the Honda tank is a recess that was used by the factory to form a neat flow to their seat design. So, rather than cut the back of the tank off, Sean used this area to form up the front of his own seat and then create a design that runs seamlessly into the custom tail piece. Then it was out to the guys at Counterbalance Cycles to finish off the design, using a stunning, rich brown leather to stitch up the perfect saddle.
“Keeping with the tracker theme, I started on the front number plate. The Motogadget Chronoclassic gauge is not small and to make it fit, I added a bit to the front plate to mount it and make it feel more incorporated into the design,” Sean explains. Eagle Lights supplied the super bright LED front lamp and its low profile styling made it an easy pick for the job.
The RD350 came with Yamaha’s ‘Autolube’ oil injection system, so while you don’t have the mess or fuss of premix, you do need an oil tank. But Sean was determined to find a way to keep the system, without having the clutter that such a tank can create to the side profile of the bike. And needing an inner fender as well, he decided to combine to two, fabricating a slim tank that holds a quart and has a level built in. “With that wrapped up I called it done and ready for tear down. The paint was knocked out of the park by Danny at Knights Customs. I wanted a brilliant blue that matched with Yamaha colours. The tank layout is a play on other RD models.”
Now the fully built engine by Ed Toomey could be bolted in, and the fully ported monster is designed to make bulk power and do it reliably. To feed the fire, a pair of 28mm Keihin PWK carbs provide the fuel and breathe through a very clever intake, with an upturned air filter that provides maximum flow but without the visual bulk. And then, how about those pipes?
When doing his shopping, Economy Cycles happened to have the stunning Jim Lomas system sitting on a shelf, complete with stainless expansion chambers and carbon mufflers. “1st gear is a serious handful,” Sean smiles, and 2nd is no different, the RD getting nasty and trying to launch you off the back of the bike as it hits its powerband. Very few angry beasts manage to look this good, and John has the MotoRelic two-stroke monster of his dreams.
[ MotoRelic | Photography by Jonathan Thorpe ]