West Rambler: Yamaha WR155 Scrambler

Indonesia has become a hotbed of custom motorcycle culture in recent years. The country consists of more than 17,000 islands — Java, Sumatra, and Bali to name a few — and motorcycles are a way of life. While a vast array of customs come out of the nation’s workshops, the country’s builders seem to have an affinity for scrambler and “vinduro” (vintage enduro) style machines particularly well-suited to the mountainous jungle trails, sandy beaches, and windy roads of their native islands.

Back in 2022, we featured a Yamaha WR155 scrambler built by Maulana Sandi of West Java’s Barokah Djaya Sukabumi workshop. If you’re a regular BikeBound reader, then you might be familiar with the WR155R, a small but modern dual-sport with liquid-cooling, fuel injection, and variable valve timing — basically a smaller sibling of the WR250R.

Back to the 80s: Yamaha WR155R Scrambler

One look at the build above and you can see it was inspired by one of its ancestors, the legendary Yamaha XT500. It’s no easy feat to transform a modern dual-purpose bike wrapped in plastics and radiators and coolant hoses into a retro-style scrambler, and Barokah Djaya did a bang-up job on the original build. But that was just the beginning…

Sometimes we lose sight of the fact that each custom bike we feature goes on to have a long life, often switching hands, hopefully adventuring on roads or trails as intended…not imprisoned in a garage or showroom. Fortunately, this WR has found its way into the hands of our new friend Pungky Mardhany, cofounder of Jakarta’s Solace Motor.

Pungky bought the original build from Barokah Djaya and rode it for a year, taking the bike on all kinds of trips and adventures before deciding to re-customize it according to his own style and preferences — with some performance upgrades to boot.

In the process, he rechristened the bike the “West Rambler” — a nod to both the bike’s birthplace and intended purpose:

“Born from the West side of Java, shaped to beat urban concrete streets and dirt roads of the countryside, to find leisure in the journey.”

Below, Pungky tells us about the modifications that reshaped his beloved WR155 and made it truly his own, including that lovely paint by Balinese artist Nyenyok. Enjoy!

WR155R Vinduro: In the Builder’s Words…

My name is Pungky Mardhany, a Creative Design Lead working 9-5 in ShopBack, a tech company, based in Jakarta. I’ve been in love with the custom motorcycle scene since 2013, when I was looking for design and typeface inspirations, and stumbled upon a piece of motorcycle illustration drawn by Carby Tuckwell, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Deus Ex Machina. I fell in love with the brand and artworks, which turned me into a custom motorcycle enthusiast. I’ve been riding several custom builds, like a Bajaj Pulsar 200, Kawasaki W175, Yamaha SR400, and the latest one is Yamaha WR155. Everyday I ride to the office and back home, a total of 45km. And with Jakarta traffic, using a car is the worst option. Hence I was happy with the current WR155, as it could be my daily bike, and even take it out to the dirt on the weekend. 

I also co-founded Solace Motor,  a motorcycle collective based in Jakarta. Solace Motor is our passion project, to be our escape from 9-5 daily work. We specialize in content creation, working with several brands, and build several bikes that you can see on @solace.dev.

So what happened is I bought the bike from Barokah Djaya. And after using it for a year, I decided it was time for the bike to be personalized to my preferences. The default bike was inspired by the Yamaha XT500 and I loved that, but I think the subtle and humble appearance is something that’s already desaturated in this peak scrambler/vinduro/dual purpose era. I want to give a more vibrant touch, while also adjusting some of the parts here and there. The paintings were also done by Balinese artist, Nyenyok, who also happened to work in Deus Ex Machina Bali as the painter.

The yellow and Yamaha racing stripes were chosen as a homage to Yamaha vintage enduro bikes, while a dash of silver is given as a reference to the modern engineering & performance. The headlight also changed to the 2008-ish scrambler era, when the smaller headlights and grill cover was popular.

In the handling area, I changed the handlebars to a Renthal Kawasaki KX250 bar, Odi Lock-on Grips, and Daytona Quick Throttle. Swingarm and suspension were also upgraded with Scarlet racing parts. Rims upgraded with Excel Takasago rims, and the tire is provided by Indonesian tire manufacturer Millennium Tires. All of these are to strengthen that it is not just a visual update, but also performance upgrades.

Yamaha WR155: Build Sheet

• Build by Barokah Djaya
• Paint works by Nyenyok
• Renthal KX250 handlebar
• Biltwell barpad
• Odi Grips handgrip
• ASV lever handle
• Daytona quick throttle & lowering kit
• KYB stock front suspension
• Twistic Custom headlights & grill
• Stock engine
• BRT clutch springs
• XR250 turn signal & stop lamp
• Acerbis Nost front & rear fender
• Excel Takasago rims
• Stock hub & spokes
• Millenium X-Tra Cross tire
• Scarlet racing rear shock & swing arm
• GMS racing gear set
• TK racing chains
• Custom bodykit & seats
• Custom exhaust
• YGP skid plate
• Stock footrest & shifter
• Gashakon side logo decal
• Solace Dev valve cap

Follow the Owner

Instagram: @pungkymardhany

More Yamaha WR155 Builds

West Rambler: Yamaha WR155 Scrambler - Indonesia has become a hotbed of custom motorcycle culture in recent years. The country consists of more than 17,000 islands — Java, Sumatra, and Bali to name a few — and motorcycles are a way […]

Vagabond: Yamaha WR155R Tracker / Scrambler - Yamaha WR155 “Furai-Bou” from Katros Garage…   The Yamaha WR155R is one of those bikes we wish was sold in more markets. The small displacement dual-sport has a liquid-cooled 4-valve engine with fuel injection and variable […]

Back to the 80s: Yamaha WR155R Scrambler - Vintage Style, Modern Tech: Yamaha “Retromod” from West Java…  The Yamaha WR155R is one of the most advanced small-displacement dual-sports currently in production. A smaller sibling to the WR250R, the bike features a 155cc four-stroke […]

Retro Enduro: Yamaha “XT155” by Treasure Garage - Throwback Thumper: Yamaha WR155 gets a retro makeover… The Yamaha WR is the company’s series of liquid-cooled four-stroke enduro / dual-sport motorcycles. WR indicates a wide-ratio gearbox, which is better-suited for street and trail use […]