Enrico “Ricky” de Haas founded Wannabe-Choppers at the age of 15, full of imagination and unconstrained by the conventions that often accompany adulthood. 20 years later, he's still breaking stereotypes.
Based in Huttenberg, north of Frankfurt in Germany, Wannabe's latest creation is a 172cc, two-stroke Land Speed motorcycle with a kerb weight of just 53kg. [117 lbs]There's no front brake, there's barely a seat, and the bike is almost certainly not intended for road use. But it's absolutely stunning.
Nicknamed “Zwei” (German for “two”), this cheeky racer is a sort of sequel to a bike Wannabe built a few years ago. A small chopper with a deceptive electric motor, this bike the scales showed 79.4 kg [175 lbs]To celebrate the store's 20th anniversary, Ricky decided to build something smaller, lighter, and gas-powered.
The construction of this pint-sized speeder is simply out of this world. Wannabe built the frame from aluminum tubing, then cast the fuel tank, rear fender, and seat from aluminum. The ancillary parts are welded directly to the frame, effectively making them part of the chassis and adding stability.
Wannabe then took a set of Manitou Dorado mountain bike forks, polished them, modified their clamps and mounted them to the front of the bike. A cast aluminum structure was welded to the top clamp to support the custom handlebars and chopper-style headlight (which was provided by CT Newman in the US).
The wheels are custom made using 19″ motocross rims and Menze spokes. The front hub is a modified motocross piece, while the rear hub is a custom piece with Vespa drum brake internals. The tires are vintage-style Avon Speedmasters.
At the bottom of the frame is a unique two-stroke engine, assembled from parts from a surprisingly wide range of sources. The crankcase was made from Vespa engine parts that Wannabe cut up, welded together, and added castings. The cylinder and head are heavily modified Malossi parts.
Other features include a high-compression crankshaft, internal rotary ignition, and a YSN carburetor. Even the rubber intake manifold was made from scratch; a labor-intensive process for a part that’s barely visible. Power is sent to the rear wheel via a custom belt drive with a CVT transmission and centrifugal clutch.
Starting the engine involves hooking a power drill to the crankshaft on the right side of the engine. To turn it off, you can either shut off the air flow to the carburetor or use a kill switch Ricky made from an off-the-shelf switch from Walmart. (You'll have to crawl under the exposed belt drive to access it.)
The controls on the handlebars are also simple. The lever on the right activates the rear brake, while the one on the left acts as a throttle. The fabric grips add a touch of retro style to the bike.
Castings are one of Wannabe's specialties, so this handcrafted machine is littered with cast aluminum and brass embellishments. You'll find their handiwork on everything from the engine covers and rear wheel hub cap to the countless brass pieces that replace all the plastic parts on the carburetor.
Wannabe also created cast brass inlays for the tank and seat instead of painting them. They are inscribed with the store's slogan: “Soli Deo Gloria.” Used by classical composers such as Bach and Handel, it means “glory to God alone” in Latin.
Ricky adds that while he thinks of the bikes he builds as works of art, the Zwei was built for racing. The 30 horsepower engine makes a big difference given its lightweight construction, and initial testing on a short stretch of road showed a top speed of 110 km/h. [68.4 mph]Ricky is confident that the bike will do the job as long as there is enough room to ride.
“It should definitely be able to go a lot faster,” he adds, “but I don't think I'd risk it given the tiny drum brake on the rear wheel.”
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