I’m Billy Marijn Kuijken and I run Rogue Motorcycles, a custom motorcycle shop in Perth, Western Australia. At Rogue, we do everything from minor servicing, fabrication and manufacturing to full ground-up custom builds. We also manufacture and supply motorcycle parts and apparel. The custom bike community is tight here in WA and that’s what makes it so fulfilling; being able to enjoy the lifestyle and share the passion with fellow motorcycle enthusiasts.
‘Hooligun’ is based on a Suzuki DRZ400E. I chose it because I wanted to get my hands dirty on something different to what I had previously worked on. The aim was to create a futuristic, minimal look, but also give it plenty of attitude. I wanted it to be light and powerful with a large chunky front end to compliment the fat tyres I planned to use. So the skinny wheels were the first to go, plastics were next and then the subframe. The water-cooled engine contributed nicely to the futuristic look I was going for. I knew fairly well where I was headed with it from the get-go and I managed to sell most of the original parts, giving me additional cash to add to the build budget.
One of the reasons I chose the DRZ400 was its bolt-on subframe. Like a lot of the custom parts that we create, I started with sketching up some designs for the new subframe to get the lines and proportions right. I fit the fuel tank from an SR400 as a mock-up to finalise the design of the aluminium subframe. Next, I moved to 3-D software to model the parts before sending the plans to the laser cutter. When the subframe arrived I started routering down the laser cut parts to create a raw, smooth machined look. Once machined down and welded up, I could finally see how it would look on the bike. It’s these moments of a build that are the most rewarding.
To support the subframe, we used a pair of marine-grade stainless steel turnbuckles. For rear lighting, I decided to install a TruFlex LED taillight. It was a good fit, but it needed something extra to make it more integrated. We called in our mate Scott Lintern from Black Magic Fabrication, to work his magic on it. The taillight was filled in with resin and flushed. It was a flawless execution and the perfect thing to finish off the tail. It reminded us instantly of Robocop!
The carbon fender was also created by Scott and carbon wrapped set of fat bars were added. To match the lighting at the rear I positioned a couple of LED turn signals in front of the handlebars. The number board/faceplate was laser cut and machined the same way I did the subframe, and to keep everything as compact as possible 3 LED headlight strips were installed into it.
Another reason I chose the DRZ400E was its massive conventional forks and the desirable FCR flat slide carb on these particular models (more power!). As they say “with great power comes great responsibility”, so I installed a big brake kit. The front end was lowered and stiffened up to be responsive on the road and the rear shock was swapped for a Kawasaki ZX7 item. The fork brace/fender mount is a one-off too and was designed to keep the front end as clean as possible. The original radiator was also replaced by an aluminium Honda CR250 racing unit that is positioned behind a custom made grill.
With some more sketches and 3D modelling, I designed the aluminium chain guard, stainless sprocket cover and custom footpegs. I stumbled across some stainless steel valves that were lying around the workshop. They reminded me of a table my father once made that had similar valves at the end of its legs, we called it the ‘Moonlander’. This gave me the idea for the design of the bikes side stand.
When the seat by Andrew Di Bono from Beyond Trim was in place, the bike really started taking on the look I was after. The tank was treated with brushed stainless steel inlays and a knurled fuel cap was welded in. It was painted gunmetal grey by Jack Johnson from Kingston Kustoms in the UK. Jack also painted the frame, wheels and engine covers.
The stock wheels were replaced with a set of 17” Excels and painted gunmetal grey with black spokes and a brushed lip. I decided on Shinko white walls as I thought were a great fit for the bike. 130 on the front and 160 at the rear. The stock hand controls are replaced with tiny stainless steel push buttons on the handlebars and fuel tank and the wiring runs internally, again to keep things minimal.
The stainless steel exhaust I made needed to be simple and the Lossa Engineering muffler was the perfect addition to finish it off. Aftermarket parts like the brake/clutch levers and the expansion reservoir were chosen as they matched the machined alloy look of the bike. A Motogadget Miniscope speedo was installed between the bar clamps to finish everything off.
When I finally got to stand back and take the whole bike in I realised it had a sense of rebellion about it. It was different from the norm, powerful and wild and its stance was standoffish. It was a hooligan finished in gunmetal grey… the Hooligun.
Story by Billy Marijn Kuijken / Photography by RSK Photography
