In search of perfection – A poised blue Yamaha RX135 cafe racer by Shivshahi Custom, Alibaug.

India is full of young talent, be it in the field of software, marketing even in designing. We are entering times where the very perception of degrees and diplomas are being challenged by sheer visions of the youth. Also are the conventional thought patterns are being questioned.

One such example was set by none other than one of the youngest customizers we know, Shivshahi Custom, Alibag, run by Susmit Tirlotkar at a mere age of 22 years old, Susmit began his journey in the custom scenario at a relatively young age. Hailing from Alibag, he was obsessed with a vision of building the perfect cafe racer, and when the opportunity presented itself, he grabbed it.

When Susmit finally got his hands on an old beat-up Yamaha Rx 135, he executed his plans of turning it into a cafe racer. This was done back in 2018. He began with ripping out all the parts and panels from the bike and exposing its chassis. He wanted a bare to the bone classic cafe racer.

Starting from the front, he chucked the mudguard and kept the tires exposed. The stock spoked rims were removed and replaced with the ones from Pulsar 200 ns, making them tubeless and adding a disc brake in the front in the process. The headlight was recalibrated and adjusted for a better throw. The speedometer was replaced with a new round one. The stock handlebar was replaced with a drop-down clip-on style to give a more sporty appeal to the bike.

When one observes the tank from the side, one can notice that the profile of the tank has been kept stock, but the added scoop on either side gives a burly appeal to the bike. The stock suspension setup was completely discarded and replaced with a mono-shock in the center of the bike. The length of the swingarm was also increased with a disc brake in the rear to add to the appeal and stopping power of the bike. The rear frame of the bike was also modified and shortened.

A cafe racer is not complete without a leather finish, and the seat is where exactly susmit managed to cram in the leather in a perfect ratio and stitches. The rear part has a minimalistic brake light with integrated turn signals.

Susmit has managed to create a perfect cafe racer that ticks off all the right boxes in terms of looks and performance. What impresses us the most, is that he has managed to do this in a sum of about 80,000/- and also in a location where the availability of resources is scarce.