Custom bike builders often find inspiration from unlikely places. And furniture designers seem to have a particular affinity for motorcycles?Stefano Venier being the most high profile.
But this elegant Yamaha is the first build we?ve seen that?s directly inspired by an iconic furniture design. It?s from Pista Design of California, and takes its cues from the 1956 Eames Lounge Chair.

Pista is the brand of three friends, united by a love of music and motorycles: transportation designer Lindsay Ross, race team fabricator Alex Kors and classic car aficionado Robbie Pyle.
?We originally set out to build a tracker with a retro-modern vibe,? says Lindsay. ?One that could live on the street as well as the dirt. Instead of going too modern, we decided on the simplicity and honesty of an old carb’d machine.?
Not too old though: the ?Case Study Tracker? is a WR400F that left the Yamaha factory in 2000, and then spent its life as an adventure bike exploring the deserts of the Southwest.
Most importantly, the WR400F is street-legal in California. It?s more or less a ?Wide Ratio? version of the YZ400F, so it’s a lot lighter and more nimble than a typical street enduro/SM, such as a DRZ.

To crank up the performance even more, the Pista crew have installed Stage 2 YZ racing cams from Hot Cams, re-jetting and tuning the Keihin FCR carb to match.
They?ve also slotted in newer generation Yamaha YZ450F forks, and a longer swingarm from the same bike. Braking is stepped up...