The Hero MotoCorp Impulse has been discontinued from the Indian market and there really isn’t any motorcycle that comes close to it in the sub INR 1 lakh price bracket. The next best option is the Royal Enfield Himalayan but it is carries a relatively steep price tag of INR 1.60 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). So if you’re held back by budget, here’s something that might help. One of our readers, Dhruv, decided to customise his Yamaha SZ into a dual purpose motorcycle and here’s what six months of hard work got him.
After suffering a minor crash, Dhruv decided to get rid of the rattling plastics and restore the motorcycle’s lost sheen. The Yamaha SZ has received a massive overhaul and save for the fuel tank, all the body parts were tossed into the bin for custom built panels. The factory installed rider footrests, for example, were replaced by aluminium footpegs. The stock battery holder was trimmed while the battery cover was fabricated from 2mm thick sheet.
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The stock headlight was replaced by a unit from an Eicher truck and is now protected by a fabricated grill. After many permutations, Dhruv zeroed in on the high-low mudguard combination. The upper mudguard was fabricated from sheet metal and it fixes onto the headlight stay. The lower mudguard was picked up from the parts bin and its stays were designed to fix it to the existing fork leg mounts.
The stock handlebar was replaced by a tall set unit while the cables were re-routed to ensure adequate play. To offer more protection to the levers in case of a crash, a pair of aftermaket handguards were added to the handlebar. A stock gear lever was replaced by a toe shifter.
The tank shrouds were completely eliminated while the fuel lid was polished to get a brushed steel finish. The stock instrument console was retained for functionality. The rear mudguard was taken off while the LED tail light, rear LED blinkers and number plate now fit directly to the sub-frame. The aluminium underseat tray is designed to prevent mud splashing onto the electricals and seat lock. A luggage rack was welded to the stock grab rail for those long rides.
The seat was redesigned to flow with the contours of the bike. Coarse grain seat cover fabric was chosen to minimize sliding during hard braking.
To improve its off-road prowess, the motorcycle was equipped with dual purpose tyres. Upfront is a CEAT Secura Sport (3.00 x 17) tyre while at the rear is a Ralco Blaster (100/90 x 17) unit. The overall build took six weeks. The next leg of modifications will see Dhruv upgrading the engine and the suspension for improved off-road prowess.
Do check out Dhruv’s Facebook page
