Using a commuter bike as a platform for customization is hardly a new idea. But we’re still impressed whenever a custom builder manages to turn a humble runabout into a bodacious custom moto. And that’s exactly what TwentyTwo Custom has done with this Kymco flat tracker.
It’s not the first time we’ve featured a custom Kymco from TwentyTwo. This one is sort of a spin-off; the first was called the ‘Urban Drifter’ and this one’s the ‘Urban Drifter Flat Track Edition.’
Based in Taiwan, TwentyTwo Custom is the custom motorcycle arm of the apparel brand Persist Motorcycle Company. Just like before, they collaborated with Tough Tracker in Taichung to rework Kymco’s plucky KTR 150 commuter.
At the risk of stating the obvious, the idea was to build another Kymco in roughly the same style as before, but with a strong flat track vibe. “I wanted a bike that could be used in dusty races, but can also be used on the street,” says TwentyTwo’s head designer, Dong Lin. So while this Kymco looks like it’s a dirt-only machine, it’s just a few tweaks away from being street-legal.
Step one was to tweak the Kymco KTR 150’s stance. The team laced up a new set of wheels with fresh Dunlop K180 rubber, measuring 19” up front and 18” out back. Flat tracker rear wheels usually measure 19”, but TwentyTwo was aiming for a more versatile setup.
The back end also wears a longer swingarm, courtesy of another one of our favorite Taiwanese custom shops, 2LOUD Custom. 2LOUD has launched itself into the world of parts manufacturing, and the swingarm is a bolt-on part for the Kymco KTR series. The elegant chain guard is another off-the-shelf 2LOUD item.
A pair of new MJP shocks props up the rear, sitting perfectly parallel to the bike’s main frame thanks to the revised swingarm geometry. A single Brembo brake does duty at the back.
The front forks are stock, save for a set of plastic fork protectors. The fork lowers still wear their original brake mounts, but that’s not because the builders were lazy. The front brake setup is in storage, ready to be installed when the bike needs to do duty on the street.
For the bodywork, the crew adapted a Honda CB100 fuel tank to fit the Kymco’s frame. Sitting behind it is a fiberglass tail unit from another Taiwanese outfit, Twist Co. It’s topped off with a luxurious elk leather seat pad, and the subframe’s been trimmed to accommodate it.
Flanking the bike are blacked-out aluminum number boards, fabricated to sit perfectly against the flat track tail’s contours. A pair of drilled mounting plates hold them in place.
TwentyTwo Custom and Tough Tracker also ditched the bike’s speedo and headlight, adding an alloy number board in place of the latter. They’ve wired in a special connector though, so that they can plug a headlight in in minutes. The blacked-out handlebars are TwentyTwo’s own design, while the blocky grips come from Oury.
Look closely, and you’ll also spot a license plate bracket and up-cycled Honda CRF300L taillight tucked under the tail unit. Tiny LED turn signals sit just below the number board up front, and just behind the upper shock mounts out back. Finishing things off is a custom exhaust header, terminating in a handsome Supertrapp muffler.
Although TwentyTwo Custom set out to build another Urban Drifter, they’ve taken the design a few steps further. The key parts on this build might have come from different sources, but they match up remarkably well. The overall aesthetic is compact and playful, with just the right amount of paint and graphics to keep things interesting.
It’s another win for TwentyTwo, and another reason to love small, unassuming bikes.
TwentyTwo Custom | Persist Motorcycle Company
