The cool blue ride – Rx 135 Cafe Racer by Rustom Engineer

When it comes to Bawa’s, nothing beats 2 things:

1. Their remarkable sense of humor.
2. The way they maintain their vehicles.

The same is the case with one of our friends, Mr. Rustom Engineer, and his Yamaha Rx135 turned cafe racer. When Rustom set out to acquire and build a Cafe Racer, he had a clear goal in mind. The Bike has to be 2 Stroke, it had to be fast and it had to be a Yamaha. Keeping this mind came in the Rx 135, which he started working upon and it was his personal project.

When the work started, the bike was not really in good condition. Thus each and every part had to be checked thoroughly. Originally the bike was a 4 speed 135cc, which is now ported to 140. The oversize piston is race-specific, and the bike has been tuned for power. Also the 4-speed gearbox has been replaced with a 5-speed, and Rustom had to wait an excruciating 2 months for this acquisition.

The stock front forks have been replaced with the ones from TVS victor for added travel. The rear suspensions have been reworked upon to increase the suspension travel by 3 more inches. The air filter is an original Pipercross, and so is the carburetor, that too from Japan. The seat and the handle grips are custom made. The rims are also brand new, procured from Hero Honda SVC, as they belong to a CBZ. The spokes have been painstakingly custom made to have a peculiar design.

Even the speedometer has been replaced with the one from Yamaha Enticer as it has integrated light and turn indicators in it.  The headlight has been replaced with a bigger one with an LED below it to have a better throw of light. The fuel tank is stock but has been cleaned and coated with epoxy from inside to avoid rusting over time. The exhaust of the bike is custom-designed and the note creates the synergy with the intake growl that resonates from the front of the bike.

While working on this Rustom made sure each and every part is carefully inspected and replaced if needed. There were no stones unturned while working on the bike. It took him almost a year and a half to get the bike up and running to where she is today, and all his hard work has paid off. The bike has won the title of “The best-modified Bike in Mumbai” and was applauded at “Mumbai International Auto Show 2017” at BKC. She even had her own stand in the event.