The second he dropped a gear and hoisted a superbly managed, one-handed wheelie over the end line at Wheels & Waves’ Punks Peak hill climb, is a reminiscence that may reside lengthy within the thoughts of Sticky’s Pace Store founder, Matt Coulter. It took a while getting there. The finances was busted and friendships strained to hit an immovable deadline—however get there he did.
Matt is well-known in customized circles for constructing in-yer-facefour-cylinder superbikes (and the odd twin). When the chance to construct a single landed, he partnered up together with his common collaborator, the English artist and illustrator, Ryan Roadkillto create the idea. The fee itself got here straight from Royal Enfield—and the bike on the chopping block was the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450.
“The concept we got here up with was a teenage moist dream, an early-90s Supermoto from an period me and Ryan can typically get caught in, however that additionally displays our model,” says Matt. “The inspiration was reminiscences of seeing images of the fluoro race bikes in magazines, and the early days of freestyle motocross movies on imported VHS tapes.”
The transformation from Guerrilla 450 to City Guerrilla SM450 is so full, few individuals can pinpoint the donor bike with out clues. The important thing to the entire look, in line with Matt, is the 1987 Yamaha YZ250 tank—a one-year-only mannequin that was arduous to search out. Matt had given up and began shopping for options to strive, when he lastly discovered a battered one on eBay.
In spite of everything that, the uncommon tank was solely ever going to be a information for Coba Valley to make use of to make an alloy model. Matt lower the plastic YZ tank into quarters, crudely widening and lengthening it with picket strips, till it match the Guerrilla’s inventory predominant body. That was sufficient for Coba Valley to work with. The result’s excellent.
A crusty Yamaha YZ125 body was purchased and lower up for its subframe, which was made to suit the Enfield predominant body, earlier than being powder-coated white. Enfields are made to outlive years of abuse on Indian roads and trails, so they’re sturdy relatively than light-weight. Matt lower out a giant body brace and eliminated brackets, saving a bunch of weight, then welded in new cross members to mount the customized mono-shock to.
“My mate, Gary Saunders Fabrication, did a variety of the fab,” he tells us. “Between us, we sussed out the suspension alignment. The decrease linkage is from a Suzuki GSX-R750 SRAD.”
The rear shock, so long as a pogo stick, was one other non-negotiable for Matt. It needed to be proper. Name after name went nowhere till he spoke to Ben on the Öhlins specialists BG Motorsport. “He didn’t actually get what I used to be doing, however he was accommodating.”
Paying for the ensuing yellow and gold unit was an eye-watering endeavor, however Matt wasn’t about to chop corners on the primary bike he’d ever constructed as a collab with an OEM. It was ‘make a press release’ time.
One other assertion is the billet Steelheart Engineering swingarm. No welding, all bolted collectively, and length-adjustable, due to blocks that may be swapped out to stretch or shorten the wheelbase by 150 mm (6”). It was a giant studying curve for all concerned, however the result’s chef’s kiss. (The ‘SUS-PECT’ sticker down the swingarm’s aspect is a Sticky’s Pace Store tackle the acronyms that flew round 80s and 90s motorcycling like wasps on a dropped ice lolly.)
The huge fork legs are from an 80s or 90s Husqvarna, picked up at a swap meet, “I feel they’re the largest right-way-up forks ever fitted to a manufacturing motocrosser,” says Matt. He clamped them in purple XTrig CRF450 yokes, having sleeves made to go well with.
“The pink fork gaiters have been important,” provides Matt, who has a factor for pink and purple. They got here from Australia and price practically as a lot because the forks, as soon as he’d paid for transport and import taxes.
The whole thing rolls on Talon hubs and Excel rims, wrapped in sticky Michelin wets for the supermoto race aesthetic. The discs are KTM spec, whereas the remainder of the braking system is from UK-based HEL Efficiency, which Matt has relied on for many of his current customized builds. “They despatched the calipers and grasp cylinders, however I painted the logos in pink myself,” he says.
CP Racetec even made pink brake hoses for Matt. And have you ever seen the chain? I feel this bloke might need an issue…
A YZ rear fender and radiator scoops have been discovered model new, as was the Acerbis Elba headlight unit. Now Ryan Roadkill’s graphics could possibly be laid on. Sticky’s enterprise, Picture Worx, produced the graphics, Alex at AK Paint sprayed the tank, and B-Trim upholstered the seat. (All are primarily based in Essex, UK.)
“My favourite factor about the entire bike is the best way the graphic runs from the rad scoops to the tank to the seat,” Matt tells us. “It begins as a vinyl graphic, then it’s paint on the tank, and leather-based on the seat.”
The Guerilla 450 has a ride-by-wire throttle as commonplace, however Matt fitted a cable throttle, after having the wiring loom remade by Gareth at Williams Motorsport Improvement. This meant that the ABS could possibly be ditched too.
On recommendation from the Royal Enfield DTRA grime observe workforce, Matt fitted an IgniTech ECU and JenVey throttle physique. The button that switches using modes is hidden underneath the ‘R’ of the Renthal bar pad cowl. The stainless-steel exhaust tubing is definitely a cut-up Harris paddock stand, and the silencer was one other flea market discover.
Fortunately, Matt solely lives a few hours from the Royal Enfield UK Expertise Centre, one of many firm’s two growth and design facilities (the opposite being in India). It meant he might spend a protracted day establishing his City Guerrilla on their dyno, with one of many firm’s technicians readily available.
Loads of niggles have been ironed out, and Matt didn’t go away till midnight, 12 hours after arriving. A number of days later, the bike was racing at Wheels & Waves—one-hand, one-wheel over the end line.
Sticky’s Pace Store Instagram | Photos by Thomas Kettlety | Wheelie picture by Dalek
