“It’d be way cooler if it had a two-stroke engine…”
Some builders focus more on the art and fabrication of a build, some the performance, and some concentrate on what’s arguably the most important part of riding a motorcycle: the fun factor. Our buddy Geri Centura of Bali’s Joyride is firmly in the latter camp, as the name of his brand implies.
It all started when Geri moved to Bali a decade ago and built his first Honda CB125 scrambler, which friends all over the island loved.
“I don’t want a bike that makes me LOOK a certain way, but a bike that can make me FEEL like I’m 7 years old again. Like the first time I built my own Tamiya or rode a BMX bike with awesome graphics and blue tires down to the beach in the middle of the day. Riding bikes is about how you FEEL — you feel energetic, you feel fast, you feel fun, and you feel JOY.”
Truly, Indonesia — and Bali especially — has become a Mecca of modern custom bike culture. A great many scramblers, street trackers, and supermotos rove the lush jungle trails, mountain roads, and remote beaches. At one of the drag race events on the Bali coast, Geri was destined to meet Nadine, who was working as the flag girl for the races.
“That day, I was racing one of my vintage dirt bike-inspired four-strokes. After the race, she walked over, took a good look at the bike, smiled, and said: ‘It’d be way cooler if it had a two-stroke engine.’ That one sentence planted the seed.”
They decided to build a vintage-inspired, street-legal two-stroke Yamaha enduro from a 2002 Yamaha RX-King, the 135cc two-stroke once feared as the chosen getaway machine of “street snatchers” (jambret) — moto-borne thieves who snatch purses, phones, and necklaces before riding away.
As you can see, this RX-King 135 has come a long, long way from its streeter origins. In fact, anyone glancing at the machine would think it dates from the Yamaha DT lineup of the 1970s. However, the base bike was produced more than 30 years after the original DT-1, and it’s been fully modified and upgraded into a modern “street devil.”
Geri says the amber-yellow smoker is the perfect fit for Nadine:
“The more I thought about it, the more I could picture her riding a two-stroke. Somehow, it just fit. They shared the same personality: loud, unpredictable, playful, impossible to ignore, and full of character.
“One is a screaming two-stroke motorcycle. The other is a badass girl. Different species. The exact same attitude. That connection became the inspiration behind this entire build. Every late night in the garage, every custom part, every decision, every setback — it all became part of telling that story.”
They nicknamed the bike “Amber” after the yellowy color of a traffic light:
“For us, it symbolizes one thing: “Caution… a two-stroke attack is coming from behind. That’s the feeling we wanted every rider or driver ahead of Nadine to experience.”
Geri says the bike is an absolute hoot to ride, complete with a razor-sharp powerband and the smell of burnt premix filling your nostrils. While the motocross-based two-stroke engine has plenty of power, especially for such a lightweight machine, the real performance upgrade is harder to quantify:
“In the end, the greatest performance upgrade isn’t measured on a dyno. It’s measured by how much joy it brings every time you ride it.”
We know this street devil will bring Nadine an endless stream of joy, and that’s what it’s all about. Hats off to Geri for building this two-stroke joy machine — we can’t wait to see what rolls out of his garage next.
Yamaha RX-King Scrambler: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop?
My name is Geri Centura (40), and my history with motorcycle is this: 10 years ago when I moved to Bali from Jakarta, I saw a lot of Honda CB125’s in their original style for sale at a cheap price, only 3 million Rupiah or $250. So I bought one that I customized into a scrambler style. It turned out a lot of my friends liked it, especially my friends who live in the Canggu area on Bali.
They said: “You build a bike like Deus.” This was before I knew about Deus, so I started to ride by Deus and check out their bikes, and I was like: This is a really good place. After that I had a vision to make my own custom bike brand, and I wanted to make Street Trackers the main style of my bikes. So I created Joyride.
Why Joyride? Many custom bikes here in Bali are built to make you look more gentlemanly, scarier, stronger, or even sometimes more arrogant — I don’t like that kind a image. I want a bike that doesn’t make me LOOK a certain way, but a bike that can make me FEEL like I’m 7-years-old again. Like the first time I built my own Tamiya or ride a BMX bike with awesome graphics and blue tires to the beach in the middle of the day. Yeah riding bikes is about how you FEEL — you feel energetic, you feel fast, you feel fun, and you feel JOY.
That’s why my bikes always give the feeling of JOYRIDE.
“Workshop” is really a fancy word for a third world country like ours; we only use our home garages to build all our bikes — sometimes we even need to borrow some tools from our friends, but we do it solid as a team.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?
Meet the 2002 Yamaha RX-King (135cc) — Indonesia’s legendary street machine, infamous for its brutal acceleration and once feared as the bike of choice for street snatchers back in the day.
• Why was this bike built?
This bike was built for someone with a one-of-a-kind personality — free-spirited, fearless, and always up for a good time. Her name is Nadine.
I first met her while she was working as a flag girl at a beach drag race somewhere on the coast of Bali. That day, I was racing one of my vintage dirt bike-inspired four-strokes. After the race, she walked over, took a good look at the bike, smiled, and said: “It’d be way cooler if it had a two-stroke engine.” That one sentence planted the seed.
We decided to make it happen — not because we had to, but because it sounded like a ridiculously fun idea. The more I thought about it, the more I could picture her riding a two-stroke. Somehow, it just fit. They shared the same personality: loud, unpredictable, playful, impossible to ignore, and full of character.
One is a screaming two-stroke motorcycle. The other is a badass girl. Different species. The exact same attitude. That connection became the inspiration behind this entire build. Every late night in the garage, every custom part, every decision, every setback — it all became part of telling that story.
This wasn’t just about restoring an old Yamaha RX-King. It was about building a motorcycle that perfectly reflected the person it was meant for. And that’s exactly why I enjoyed every single minute of this project.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
The design was heavily inspired by Yamaha’s iconic two-stroke machines from the 1970s and ’80s, especially the legendary Yamaha DT. But this wasn’t meant to be a museum piece — it had to be fully street legal. So we equipped it with proper headlights, turn signals, and everything needed to ride it on public roads without compromising its vintage soul.
The entire bike is wrapped in a color we call Amber. Not just because it looks beautiful, but because it carries a meaning. Amber is the same yellow you see on a traffic light — the color that tells you to “proceed with caution.” For us, it symbolizes one thing: “Caution… a two-stroke attack is coming from behind.”
That’s the feeling we wanted every rider or driver ahead of Nadine to experience. First comes the unmistakable scream of a high-revving two-stroke echoing in the distance. Then, before they even realize what’s happening, they’re passed by a flash of Yamaha’s iconic anniversary yellow — a color impossible to ignore.
One last detail completes the story. The bike proudly wears the number 7 — not just as a racing number, but as a tribute to Nadine’s birthday. A lucky number. Lucky Seven. Because every great custom motorcycle deserves a story, and every unforgettable story deserves details that people won’t stop talking about.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
- YZ 125 top block engine
- Piston oversize
- Crankshaft
- Racing CDI
- Keihin Sudco PWK 26 Carburetor
- Custom clutch housing
- Custom clutch spring
- Front Shock: KLX 150
- Rear Shock: YSS 360mm
- Rims: Aluminum R(18”x 215) , R (21” x160)
- Front Tyre: Dunlop D605 21/3.00
- Rear Tyre: Dunlop D605 18/4.60
- Yamaha DT Frame Restoration
- Custom Exhaust Pipe & Muffler
- Custom Battery Box
- Custom 2 Stroke Oil tank
- Custom Seat
- Engine vapor blast & powder coating
- Custom gas tank, side cover, front & rear fender
- Custom Paint
• Does the bike have a nickname?
AMBER: The amber light at a traffic signal, which means “Proceed with caution.” Because when you hear the unmistakable scream of a 2-stroke closing in behind you… it’s already too late.
• Can you tell us what it’s like to ride this bike?
The experience begins long before the wheels start rolling. The moment you fire it up with the kickstarter, you already know this is going to be something special. Give the throttle just the slightest twist as you kick it over, and the engine answers with a sharp, unmistakable bark, as if it’s shouting: “LET’S GOOOO!”
Drop it into first gear. Immediately, you feel how eager the engine is. The revs climb so quickly that first gear almost feels too short to exist. Then comes the first punch of power as it travels from the countershaft to the rear wheel. It’s raw. Mechanical. Honest. Second gear is where the bike asks you a simple question: Do you want to cruise… or do you want to misbehave?
Keep the throttle gentle, and it’ll happily roll through town. Twist it harder, and it grabs you by the back of your shirt and launches you forward with the kind of violence only a lightweight two-stroke can deliver.
Then comes third gear. This is where excitement starts turning into respect. Your heart rate climbs. Every vibration, every crackle from the expansion chamber, every surge of acceleration tells your brain that things are happening very, very quickly. Without even realizing it, your fingers begin hovering over the clutch and front brake — not because you’re afraid, but because instinct knows what’s coming next. Yet somehow… You don’t back off. The sound. The smell of burnt premix. The razor-sharp powerband. The vibrations echoing through the frame. A two-stroke doesn’t just accelerate your body. It rewires your instincts.
Fourth gear is what I call: The Silent Top Speed. By now the engine has settled into its sweet spot. The power is still relentless, but the exhaust note becomes smoother, more composed. It no longer screams — it sings. Ironically, this is the fastest the bike has ever felt, because everything is happening with effortless confidence.
And then… Fifth gear. The final gear. The moment you realize you aren’t just riding a motorcycle anymore. You’re riding a street devil. A machine capable of launching from 0 to 80 km/h in just seconds, leaving behind nothing but the unmistakable scent of two-stroke smoke and the memory of a yellow blur disappearing into the distance.
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
The engine work. I’ve always believed that every motorcycle should be faster than it was yesterday — and even more enjoyable to ride. Making an engine more responsive, more powerful, and pairing it with handling that inspires confidence has always been my favorite part of any build. Because for me, performance means nothing if the motorcycle isn’t fun.
That’s the principle behind everything I build. Joyride.
It’s not about chasing the highest horsepower or the fastest top speed. It’s about creating a motorcycle that makes you smile every single time you twist the throttle. A machine that feels alive, that invites you to take the long way home.
Because in the end, the greatest performance upgrade isn’t measured on a dyno. It’s measured by how much joy it brings every time you ride it.
Follow the Builder
Instagram: @geri.centura x @joyridemedia.id
Photographer: @geri.centura
