A lot of people seem to be treading up the path of constructing Café Racers at the moment, some look nice, most look shite, but here’s one that most certainly doesn’t relate to the last comment, right? And the most impressive part is that it’s built right here in SA instead of some pampered affair from, er, not here.
Centurion Yamaha have been SA’s number one Yamaha dealer for ages and the owner, Andrew Plummer, who inexplicably has a similar walk to Mussolini, recently completed this stunning ‘take’ of the Café Racer theme using a 1975 Yamaha RD400 - sweet or what?
‘Sir’ Plummer has an eye for attention to detail after many early years of sticking out his tongue whilst constructing Airfix WW2 models, and he already enjoys an enviable collection of classic Yamahas, but this one is extra special.
Three months of hard graft later, and by tipping a large bag of overseas parts into the cauldron of customization and you end up with this – the fanciest RD400 in Africa.
The images tell all but basically the bike has a modified frame, with all the offensive bits ground off, an aluminium extended swing-arm, posh shocks, rebuilt motor, DG billet radial cylinder heads, JL expansion pipes, 1974 RD350 tank, Mikuni 34mm flat-slides, V-Force carbon reed valves, GPT digital clocks, EBC floating discs, Brembo master-cylinder, carbon seat from Germany, gorgeous paint, and so much more I’ve forgot about, because there’s so much to take in that a mere photo doesn’t really do this bike justice.
‘Benito’ Plummer would now like to sell this bike because his addiction to restoration, or the like, has now consumed him like a dose of Ebola and he wants to move on to the next project. So this one is up for sale and go to www.centurionyamaha.co.za for contact details if you’re interested, but it will not be cheap, obviously. Or just pop in to the Centurion dealership to see his fine classic collection, and this RD, and have a chat with the friendly dictator and his officers? 
