Flowed Warrior
FLOWED WARRIOR
Sweet and low down
DOES THIS MOTORCYcle make you want to buy a new Road Star Warrior, bust out the Sawsall and credit cards and get on with your own customizing project? That’s the idea behind factory-commissioned customs such as Palhegyi Design’s latest Yamaha creation, dubbed, simply, the “Silver Bike.” Machines such as these are meant to generate enthusiasm and show potential owners what might be accomplished with a new model. Call it priming the idea pump.
First off, it’s pretty obvious PD’s chief Jeff Palhegyi isn’t big on naming his bikes-his last to appear in CW, one we called the Rogue Star (January, 2000), was, in his words, the “Blue Bike.” Perhaps this is because the bulk of his energies go into creating what are some of the best conceived, finely finished customs you’ll find on any show circuit.
Just feast your eyeballs on this ultra-clean Warrior. Which brings us to the first point: You know right away this is a customized version of Yamaha’s new power cruiser, even though virtually every part has been altered for a lower, smoother, moreflowing look.
It’s no mistake, of course, because there was but one constraint laid upon him by Yamaha when it commissioned the project and gave Palhegyi one of the first Warriors in the U.S.: Do what you will, just don’t loose the Warrior essence.
So things like the signature stock header pipes and their mid-bike mount had to stay, even if the slashcut megaphone and mounting bracket are Palhegyi one-offs.
Ditto the overall character and sweep of the bodywork. Sure, the tank was stretched and reformed for a sleeker profile in Palhegyi’s San Diego area studio, and the fenders were heavily massaged-sectioned, cut, widened, reshaped and remounted-to lower the look of the bike. Of course, the monstrous 8.5-inch-wide rear wheel and its huge 250/40-18 Avon Venom X tire also had something to do with the extensive fender
mod at the back! While both wheels are standard Performance Machine pieces
(the “Player” design) the hubs had to be custommachined to accept PM’s YZF-R1 brake discs. Palhegyi figured if the Warrior was equipped with R1 calipers, it ought to have discs to match.
If the giant rear tire doesn’t suggest that Palhegyi was going for the American bar-hopping hot-rod look, then the 2-inch-lower suspension should convince you. The fork is a chopped stock Warrior item hung in Palhegyi’s own billet triple-clamps.
The rear was dropped an equal amount through the use of a custom linkage.
Certainly there’s plenty of true custom detail work going on (smoothing the aluminum frame joints, the fabulously fabricated velocity stack and the purposebuilt Corbin seat), but lots of pieces came from the Billet Bin. Take the Yamaha Accessory engine covers, or the Arlen Ness grips (handlebar, too, even if it’s not billet), PM mirrors and levers and forward foot controls and...well, you get the idea.
Overall, it’s quite the stunning effect. Consider the idea pump primed.
—Mark Hoyer
