Any customized workshop that’s been working for an honest size of time is bound to have a large number of leftover elements mendacity round. But how usually are these the proper of elements to construct a thoroughbred race bike with? It’s a uncommon situation—however it’s the story behind this race-bred Yamaha framer.
It’s the work of Jeff Palhegyi, the person behind Palhegyi Design. An completed fabricator and body builder, Jeff’s no stranger to Yamaha flat trackers. That’s as a result of he’s been pivotal in growing the Yamaha MT07-derived race bike that Estenson Racing has been fielding within the US flat monitor TT racing collection; the MT07-DT.
If you’re not accustomed to the flat monitor TT format, it’s similar to common flat monitor racing—besides the monitor has each left and proper turns, and at the very least one leap. Estenson Racing’s Yamaha MT07-DT has dominated the format for the final couple of years, with rider JD Beach behind the bars.
But the story goes additional again than that. The MT07-DT was truly born out of an idea bike that Yamaha USA and Palhegyi Design collaborated on again in 2015, to indicate the potential of the punchy MT07 motor. That idea developed right into a flat monitor race bike, and Jeff’s been churning them out since.
This specific Yamaha’s chassis is now the 18th that Palhegyi Design has produced. But regardless of the graphics, this one’s not destined for the Estenson crew. Jeff constructed this one only for himself, utilizing elements leftover from the 4 prototype race bikes that he’s labored on over the previous three years.
“Always experimenting with lighter and smaller tubing, different swingarms and linkages, and adjustable geometry, can leave a lot of parts floating around the shop,” he explains. “So I put this bike together for my personal collection.”
At the guts of Jeff’s bike lies the 689 cc parallel twin engine from a 2021 Yamaha MT07. It’s good for 74.8 hp and 68 Nm in inventory trim, with Yamaha’s 270-degree ‘crossplane’ including most character. (If you’ve ridden a Yamaha MT07 or XSR700, you’ll understand how a lot of a peach this motor is.)
The engine’s suspended from a chromoly trellis body, with a tubular swingarm out again. The swingarm sits on an eccentric pivot, giving it a full vary of adjustment fore and aft, and up and down.
The Palhegyi Design chassis is complemented by a smorgasbord of top-tier elements. The forks and rear shock are from Öhlins, the brakes are from Brembo, and the 19” flat-track wheels and tires are from Roland Sands Design and Dunlop, respectively.
There’s some trick stuff connected to the Yamaha motor, too. Mounted beneath it’s a Yamaha Racing oil pan, machined out of a strong 18 lbs aluminum billet. It’s designed to supply additional cornering clearance—however it’s additionally stronger than the manufacturing unit half, so it could take a knock.
The ignition cowl is one other Yamaha Racing half, once more engineered for sturdiness. Chunky Okay&N filters exchange the airbox, with a titanium two-into-one exhaust system from Graves Performance on the reverse finish. The cockpit sports activities Duralle racing triples, Vortex handlebars and a AIME sprint.
Every final half on this construct is premium—from the carbon fiber entrance sprocket cowl, proper right down to the foot pegs and fasteners. Even the coolant restoration tank seems swish.
It’s all within the identify of efficiency and weight saving. We don’t know what the bike’s general weight is, however Jeff’s confirmed that the body weighs simply 15 lbs—making it the lightest one he’s fabricated up to now. The Estenson Racing carbon fiber bodywork doesn’t add far more to the dimensions, coming in at beneath 6 lbs, painted and with the Saddlemen seat pad fitted.
Benny Flores was liable for laying down the Estenson Racing livery. And as all the time, Jeff had assist from his right-hand man a Palhegyi Design, Craig Smith, each step of the best way.
Buttoned up and race-ready, Jeff’s MT07-DT seems completely phenomenal. But since he didn’t construct it particularly to race with, we marvel what he has in retailer for it.
“It’s just some lighting away from being a street tracker,” he quips. “That may be the next step.”
Palhegyi Design | Instagram | Images by Jordan Penchion
Source: www.bikeexif.com