Analog Motorcycles SR500 Bruto
By Anthony van Someren - 02 Mar 13
The humble Yamaha SR500 has been a popular custom bike donor for a while now, but not many come up as pretty as the "Bruto" from Analog Motorcycles, run by Tony Prust out of Gurnee, a town around 40 miles from Chicago.
Tony often picks up donor bikes for potential builds, and this Craigslist find quickly turned into a project for himself, but as the bike took shape Mark Wator turned up looking for a bike along the same lines and reluctantly Tony handed it over as his commission.
The donor is a 1979 Yamaha SR500 which the previous owner had given up on. Mark wanted a bike to simply cruise around on and show off, but along with that brief he also asked for a dual seat, just in case he ever needed to impress the fairer sex on a ride home. Perhaps his two-up aspirations were also behind his request for quality brakes on hydraulic lines. However, apart from asking for a raw metal look he let Tony loose with his budget, and this lovely machine is the end result.
The engine was rebuilt to factory spec with a K&N air filter and aftermarket exhaust from Dime City Cycles. The gorgeous front end with upside down gold forks and stanchions came from a Suzuki GSXR complete with the triple clamps and brake calipers running Hel braided lines. Wavey discs added a hardcore look to underline the seriousness of the chassis parts to anyone who wasn't paying proper attention. Clip-on Vortex bars were clamped to the top of the forks for precise cafe-racer manners with gum grips and updated controls, while a Koso speedo helps the rider stay honest through the speed traps.
The tank was modified and riveted by hand to remove the stock gas gap, and the rear mount was relocated to provide a more level fit. Freshly powder coated rims wear Shinko 705’s. Paint was by Kiel and is clear coat over raw metal with distressed black accents and gold pinstripe by Brando. It's kinda 1950s Flash Gordon cool.
The rear of the frame was modified to accommodate a custom made seat pan, upholstered by Rod's Designs with the underside housing LED integrated running, brake and indicator lights. Beneath all that there's a custom made stainless steel riveted battery tray hiding a ballistic 4cell battery. Suspension at the rear was taken care of with Gazi Hyper Lite shocks.
Tony is really happy with how the bike has turned out and wished he could've ridden it himself for a while before handing the keys over to the new owner. We don't blame him. Check out more from Analog Motorcycles on the Bike Shed and on their own website.