Le Petit Démon: Yamaha SCR950 Street Tracker

Yamaha SCR950 Street TrackerEl Rollo-Racing SCR from HardHeads Motostudio x Altísimo Cromo…  

Introduced in 2017, the Yamaha SCR950 is one of the most underrated production bikes of recent years. The steel-tube frame, 41mm forks, and 942cc 51bhp air-cooled 60° V-twin came from Bolt / XV950 series of cruisers, but the bike was revamped with a “neo-retro” style similar to the Triumph and Ducati factory scramblers.

Like those machines, it was primarily designed for street use, but it handled light off-roading better than its cruiser DNA might suggest:

“In true scrambler fashion, the SCR saw the Southern California dirt and loved every second of it. The mellow power delivery was ideal for fire roads, and even as we just criticized the brake’s stopping power, it shined on the dirt, as it wasn’t overly aggressive.” –Cycle World / Sport Rider

Yamaha SCR950 Street Tracker
@puko.moto

In a world of increasingly complicated production bikes — many of them looking like they were designed in origami — the SCR was a solid, old-school roadster that could do a bit of scrambling if you were bold enough.

“The 950 is still an absolute gas to ride…an old-school, re-purposed cruiser; a throwback to simpler times when all you needed to go off-road was a Steve McQueen stare and the will to do it, rather than a flagship techno-marvel that could win the Dakar…” –MCN

Yamaha SCR950 Street TrackerThe SCR was also affordable, reliable, and made a great base for customization. However, the bike’s relatively short production run means we’ve only seen a handful of SCR950 customs over the years, most notably and recently Bullet Bob Moto’s “Tengu,” which made our list of the Top 10 Scramblers of 2024.

The Tengu: Yamaha SCR950 Urban Scrambler

So we were thrilled to learn our new friends from Mexico City’s Hardheads Motostudio had built an SCR950 street tracker for the brand Altísimo Cromo after the two teams met each other at the International Motorcycle Show in their home nation. Altísimo Cromo, who organize group rides and adventures, wanted an SCR street tracker that didn’t just look the part; they planned to take the bike to Wheels & Waves 2024 and race it in the El Rollo flat track event.

Wheels & Waves 2024: El Rollo Flat Track

Ignacio “Tato” Maggi handled the design, while Nicolás Gómez Acuña managed the build itself. More than 500 total hours would go into the planning and execution, and the modifications are the most extensive we’ve ever seen on an SCR.

Yamaha SCR950 Street Tracker
Nico on the SCR

The original 41mm conventional forks were swapped for a Showa SFF inverted front end, while the existing 19-inch front wheel was matched with a newly-laced 19-inch D.I.D DirtStar rear wheel, both rims wrapped in street-legal Dunlop K180 rubber with a classic dirt-track tread pattern.

Yamaha SCR950 Street Tracker

The bike is now riding on Öhlins STX36 rear shocks, and the old belt drive was converted to a 525 chain, allowing on-site sprocket changes for optimal gearing at the track.

Yamaha SCR950 Street Tracker

The team binned the stock Yamaha tank for a customized Harley unit, which had to be modified to work with the bike’s fuel injection system — no simple task. A homemade thermoplastic skid plate and fork guards protect the bike in case of a tumble, and the S&S Grand National exhaust looks and sounds the business.

Yamaha SCR950 Street Tracker

The fiberglass tail unit features a hydraulic-operated storage compartment for tools and documentation, and the front mask was designed to house a pair of 2-inch Rigid Industries LED headlights.

Yamaha SCR950 Street Tracker

The bike was completely rewired with new accessory lighting, and the cockpit includes ProTaper bars, ASV levers, detachable Motogadget mirrors, and a Motogadget Motoscope Mini in place of the OEM gauges. Dani Kustom Paint laid down the bone and cherry-red pearl color scheme, and the grips and seat were custom-made for the build.

Yamaha SCR950 Street Tracker

This SCR, known in-house as HH13 and nicknamed “Malandra” or simply “Le Petit Démon” (The Little Demon) by the new owner, made it all the way across the Atlantic in time for Wheels & Waves 2024:

“The HH13 is the first Mexican motorcycle to race at the Wheels & Waves event in Biarritz, France, and was named Bike of the Month by Irons Cafe Racer in Madrid.”

Yamaha SCR950 Street Tracker

Bravo to Nico, Tato, and the rest of the HardHeads family for transforming an underrated donor into the dirt-worthy street tracker you see here. Below is our full interview with Nico Gomez Acuña, cofounder and general manager at HardHeads Motostudio. Photography credit for the W&W shots goes to Puko Moto.

SCR950 Street Tracker: Builder Interview

Yamaha SCR950 Street Tracker

• Why was this bike built?

The motorcycle was built for the company Altísimo Cromo whose mission was to promote their brands. They reached out to us after meeting us at the International Motorcycle Show in Mexico, with the idea of creating a project that looked wild.

Yamaha SCR950 Street Tracker
At Wheels & Waves 2024
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

Originally, we started by looking at classic flat track motorcycles, but the project gradually took on a life of its own with the selection of parts, such as the rear Öhlins suspension, the front Showa suspension, and the type of exhausts. The color palette selection was inspired more or less by the Yamaha RD350.

Yamaha SCR950 Street Tracker

The HH13 is a high-displacement hybrid Flat Tracker bike designed for both street and dirt tracks, offering extreme versatility. This unique design grabs attention from both motorcycle enthusiasts and the general public.

• What custom work was done to the bike?
  • Chassis & Posture: Ergonomic improvements and handmade skid plate and suspension protection in HDPE.
  • Exhaust: S&S Grand National exhausts with polished aluminum supports and steel manifold.
  • Tank: Adapted HD Sportster EVO tank for fuel injection.
  • Suspension: Inverted front Showa SFF suspension and rear Öhlins STX36.
  • Wheels: 19” rear wheel with D.I.D DirtStar rims and Dunlop K180 tires.
  • Brakes & Transmission: Custom front caliper bracket and swap from belt transmission to Regina 525 chain transmission system.
  • Lights & Electronics: Complete reconstruction of the electrical system with 2” Rigid lights. Kellermann Atto 3-in-1 turn light, and Rizoma EE130B tail light.
  • Handlebars: Rizoma 42mm risers, ProTaper handlebars, ASV levers, Motogadget Mini gauge, and detachable Motogadget mirrors.
  • Paint: Bone color with cherry red pearl and black pearl accents by Dani Kustom Paint.
  • Upholstery & Grips: Custom-made, matching the bike’s design.

 

• Can you tell us what it’s like to ride?

Riding this motorcycle is an adrenaline-filled experience. It has a lot of power and torque since the transmission was changed from belt to chain. Plus, it’s super tall due to the overall changes in the suspension, wheels, and handlebar! It’s a wild horse!!!

• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

It has so many details that it’s hard to pick just one, but let’s say that swapping the front suspension for an inverted one was the most challenging, especially because of the size of the bike. Also, adapting fuel injection to a standard Harley Evo tank was tricky. Fixing and adapting the full electrical wiring, installing motogadget accessories. The final stance of the bike, with the 19″ rear wheel, gives it a very unique look.

• Is there anyone you’d like to thank?

Yes, to the audience that is always encouraging us to build better motorcycles and the crazy customers that trust us with their projects!

Yamaha SCR950 Street Tracker

Project Details

  • Bike: Yamaha SCR 950
  • Bike name: HH13
  • Design Hours: 20
  • Project Management Hours: 43
  • Execution Hours: 500

Work Team

  • Designed by: Ignacio “Tato” Maggi
  • Managed by: Nicolás Gómez Acuña

Yamaha SCR950 Street Tracker

Follow the Builder

Web: hardheadsmotos.com
Instagram: @hardheadsmotos
Facebook: Hardheads Motos
Wheels & Waves Photos: Puko Moto | @puko.moto

2 Comments

  1. Nice bike.
    I would have kept a little more fenders.
    That’s why many if these type of so called scrambles are BS with those off road tyres throwing wads of sod.
    They got overboard with tge headlight set up . I would have saved that work for sone kind of fenders. Or at least debri deflectors .
    The donor bike is a good one

  2. Great looking bike, 51hp does not seem like enough power

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