The 90s was a weird and wonderful time for graphic design. And nowhere was this more pronounced than in the motocross scene, where bikes and gear were slathered in retina-searing colors and chaotic patterns. Australian custom builder Cheyne Speak has captured a little bit of that vibe with this Suzuki TS185 street tracker, and we’re all for it.
Cheyne’s based in Perth, where he works as a motorcycle postie (that’s a postal delivery officer, if you’re not familiar with Aussie slang). He’s been into motocross, BMX and hot rods all his life, but this is a first time he’s built a custom street bike. And it’s a stellar effort.

Starting with a basket case 1976 Suzuki TS185, Cheyne kicked off the project with no particular direction in mind. ?I stripped it down to a bare frame, put it on the bench and let the bike develop organically from there,? he says. ?I basically just designed and fabricated as I went along, just doing I though looked right.? Cheyne did everything except for powder coating himself, working out of his home garage without any particular sense of urgency?so the project took 18 months to complete. It only cost him about $2,500 though, because none of the parts on it were particularly expensive. ?It was a combination of parts I had in my workshop leftover from my MX bike builds, marketplace finds, and parts friends had laying around,? he explains.

Up front are the forks, yokes, hub and brake from a KTM 450 SX-F, trad...