“All purpose stealth scrambler…even James Bond would be stoked to ride.”
Boy Janssen of Pancake Customs is a full-time, self-taught builder who builds original, high-quality customs out of his small shop in Rheden, in the east of The Netherlands. The blacked-out machine you see here is his latest customer build, built from a 1996 Yamaha XT600E.
The Yamaha XT600 was one of the most popular enduros of all time — a bulletproof thumper built to take on a vast array of terrain. Fittingly enough, Boy decided to build an “all-purpose stealth scrambler on which even James Bond would be stoked to ride.” The end product is a machine that’s hard to define — part tracker, part scrambler, part desert sled — but which would certainly fit 007’s needs quite well, whether he was motoring to a cocktail party in a bespoke suit or shooting across a desert under cover of night.
Below, we get the full story on this secret agent scrambler.
Yamaha XT600E Scrambler / Desert Sled: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
Boy Janssen, full-time autodidact bike builder for three years now, got my workshop in a small place called Rheden in the east of the Netherlands. Built my first bike about five years ago and now trying to make a living building original high quality customs.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?
1996 XT600E
• Why was this bike built?
Customer build
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
All purpose stealth scrambler on which even James Bond would be stoked to ride.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
Full custom build, so everything has been modified, replaced or improved
• How would you classify this bike?
Scrambler/desert sled
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
Especially stoked on the exhaust and headlamp.
Photo Credits and Thanks
- Photos: Berber Theunissen
- Special Thanks: Bas Janssen — Boy’s cousin who helps on the digital side of things.
