Photo: Joel Araujo via Pipeburn
As a professional art director, Sergio Almeida over in Portugal clearly knows what it takes for a motorcycle to turn heads. He brings his expertise to the bike-modding world as WKND Customs, operating out of Porto and serving customers well beyond his country’s borders. The stylish scrambler pictured here was commissioned by a client from Paris, and it looks absolutely splendid from every angle.
It started out as a Suzuki GS1100G from 1984, but the donor came as a collection of individual parts as opposed to a fully assembled machine in working order. This hasn’t deterred Sergio from taking it out for a stroll down custom avenue, though, so let’s go ahead and see how he’s managed to turn the old GS into a stunning piece of custom artwork.
First, he had to figure out which parts were missing or in need of immediate replacement, then the real fun could get underway. The motorcycle’s subframe was shortened and looped to tighten up its rear-end proportions, while the stock fuel tank has been revised and repositioned to make everything line up. Bespoke side covers fill up the subframe triangle, concealing an under-seat electronics box made from scratch.
An elegant leather saddle is now placed atop the subframe tubing, accompanied by a neat custom fender further back. The mudguard is topped with a circular LED taillight, and a second handmade fender can be spotted at the front. Higher up, there is an aftermarket LED headlamp secured in place via custom brackets, right below a Daytona speedo acting as the bike’s only instrumentation.
The cockpit area is also home to a Tommaselli handlebar outfitted with Motogadget bar-end turn signals and Biltwell grips color-matched to the seat upholstery. Billet aluminum foot pegs complete the ergonomic package on this modded GS1100. On the suspension front, we find a modern pair of adjustable shock absorbers from YSS, but the OEM forks were retained and thoroughly rebuilt.
A comprehensive overhaul of the brakes was on the agenda, as well, and the wheels got wrapped in dual-purpose Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR rubber at both ends. Turning his attention to the specimen’s inline-four engine, Sergio decided to outsource this powertrain makeover to an experienced mechanic. That ensured the best possible result, with the four-banger now performing better than it did on day one.
It bears goodies like oversized pistons and a fresh starter clutch, as well as some updated breathing equipment in the form of pod filters and a custom exhaust. The plumbing came with the Suzuki went it first crossed WKND’s doorstep, but it’s been reworked and capped off with a bespoke stainless-steel muffler. Lastly, the chosen color scheme features white accents over a gloss-black base, with vertical stripes appearing on the fuel tank and side panels.
First, he had to figure out which parts were missing or in need of immediate replacement, then the real fun could get underway. The motorcycle’s subframe was shortened and looped to tighten up its rear-end proportions, while the stock fuel tank has been revised and repositioned to make everything line up. Bespoke side covers fill up the subframe triangle, concealing an under-seat electronics box made from scratch.
An elegant leather saddle is now placed atop the subframe tubing, accompanied by a neat custom fender further back. The mudguard is topped with a circular LED taillight, and a second handmade fender can be spotted at the front. Higher up, there is an aftermarket LED headlamp secured in place via custom brackets, right below a Daytona speedo acting as the bike’s only instrumentation.
The cockpit area is also home to a Tommaselli handlebar outfitted with Motogadget bar-end turn signals and Biltwell grips color-matched to the seat upholstery. Billet aluminum foot pegs complete the ergonomic package on this modded GS1100. On the suspension front, we find a modern pair of adjustable shock absorbers from YSS, but the OEM forks were retained and thoroughly rebuilt.
A comprehensive overhaul of the brakes was on the agenda, as well, and the wheels got wrapped in dual-purpose Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR rubber at both ends. Turning his attention to the specimen’s inline-four engine, Sergio decided to outsource this powertrain makeover to an experienced mechanic. That ensured the best possible result, with the four-banger now performing better than it did on day one.
It bears goodies like oversized pistons and a fresh starter clutch, as well as some updated breathing equipment in the form of pod filters and a custom exhaust. The plumbing came with the Suzuki went it first crossed WKND’s doorstep, but it’s been reworked and capped off with a bespoke stainless-steel muffler. Lastly, the chosen color scheme features white accents over a gloss-black base, with vertical stripes appearing on the fuel tank and side panels.
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