We’re not sure how much longer Yamaha can keep the iconic SR400 on its roster. With European emissions laws tightening, its days are numbered.
Still, the plucky little thumper remains a favorite with custom builders?even superstars like Belgium?s Fred ?Krugger? Bertrand, who has won the AMD World Championship twice.

When Fred was asked by Yamaha Motor Europe to build a bike, any bike, the SR400 was his top pick.
And why is that, when acclaimed modern Yamahas such as the XSR700 are available" ?Because it’s a light machine with a single cylinder,? says Krugger simply. ?A return to the basics of a bike.?

The brief was wide open, so Krugger decided to build a compact cafe racer: a supercharged tribute to another very skilled Belgian bike builder, the MotoGP mechanic Bernard Ansiau. Bernard (below, right) currently swings the spanners on Valentino Rossi’s Yamaha?and has worked with greats like Wayne Rainey, Kenny Roberts and Mick Doohan.

?I admire his work,? says Krugger. ?I’ve worked a lot in motorsport, and the job done by mechanics in the shadows is part of the victory of the pilot. But they are rarely mentioned. Here, I am contributing in my own way.?
?In agreement with Bernard, I went into the aesthetics and racing spirit of the 70s?a tribute to the famous Yamaha TZ line and quite faithful to Bernard’s career.?

The SR400 now looks far more racy than when it rolled off the assembly line. And there’s a helluva lot going on un...