Back in the 90s, Yamaha broke from their tradition of building Deltabox-framed sportbikes to create the TRX850. Sporting a trellis frame and the parallel-twin mill from the TDM850, the Yamaha TRX850 was made to entice sportbike riders away from the Ducati 900SS. So its design was an oddball, yet charming, mash-up of East and West—and although it wasn’t a huge seller, it was, by all accounts, a very capable machine.
London-based fabricator Seb Hipperson has been wringing the neck of this 1996-model Yamaha TRX850 for fifteen years, and has finally given it a long overdue makeover. Seb mostly works on furniture, but he’s also a motorcycle enthusiast and racer—so he makes time to wrench on bikes whenever he can.
It was the TRX850’s trellis frame that originally attracted Seb to it—that, and the fact that it was something of an obscure donor bike for a build, compared to the more popular Ducati SuperSport. “During the time I’ve owned the bike, I’ve chopped and modded it a fair bit,” he tells us.
“I was quite happy with it, but it had gotten to the point where it needed some TLC, with a caved-in tank and cracked fairings after a slide into the gravel at Brands Hatch. Rather than restore it, I decided to take it as an opportunity to do a fresh new custom build on it.”
Seb’s first task was to hack off the Yamaha TRX850’s subframe and fabricate a new one with a sharper stance and a more aggressive seat angle. “To do this, I extended the main trellis frame, keeping the flow of tubing visible through to the tail, like an exoskeleton,” he adds. With some subtle tweaks to the rest of the frame, the TRX was begging for new bodywork.
Nestled between the rear frame tubes is a small, boxy tail cowl, handmade out of fiberglass and equipped with a slim LED taillight. An Alcantara seat pad sits just in front of it, upholstered by Bailey Custom Auto Trims.
Further forward, a sculpted fiberglass tank cover hides a bespoke aluminum fuel cell. The front fairing is Seb’s handiwork too, as is the stealthy belly pan. “For the fairing, I did my own take on the 90s style in line with the TRX’s 90s origins,” he says. “Once I modeled this in foam I transferred it into fiberglass and set in an offset rectangular headlight.”
Moving to the running gear, Seb decided to retain the TRX850’s wonderfully retro tri-spoke wheels. A set of Yamaha YZF750 forks went onto the front end, along with the brake calipers from a Yamaha R1.
The YZF also donated its swingarm, but it’s unrecognizable thanks to Seb’s craftsmanship. Aluminum sheets were cut to shape and TIG-welded to each side, adding stiffness and giving it “that superbike look.” Treated to a brushed aluminum finish, the swingarm has a tasty classic racing prototype look about it.
Tucked away under the seat are a Kawasaki ZX-10R shock and a custom-made aluminum box that houses the electronics. The wiring loom was pared back for a neater setup, and the stock foot pegs were switched out for Harris items.
Seb had rebuilt the TRX850’s engine about 2,000 miles prior to the project—honing the cylinders, lapping the valves, and replacing the cam chain and rings in the process. But since it was out of the frame, he took the opportunity to refresh its exterior with a new coat of paint.
Once the motor was remounted, Seb hooked it up to a pair of Keihin FCR41 carbs, mated to a custom air box. Then he fabricated a set of two-into-one-into-two stainless steel exhaust headers, terminating them in a pair of handmade stainless steel mufflers.
Seb’s Yamaha TRX850 roars over the finish line with a striking blue livery, which, like most of the work, he did himself. “It’s never as perfect as a pro job,” he admits, “but I like to do everything I can myself for the satisfaction—and it means I can try a few different ideas before committing to a final scheme.”
“Despite the temptation to contrast the frame with the bodywork color, I opted to paint both in a Ford ‘Area 51’ blue with light blue and red accents. The white powder-coated wheels, engine painted black, and brushed aluminum details finish the look.”
Sitting somewhere between a classic restomod and a tasteful custom, Seb’s Yamaha TRX850 is almost too nice to get dirty on a race track. But we’re pretty sure that’s not going to stop him.
Seb Hipperson Instagram | Images by Sam Napper
