Enrico ‘Ricky’ de Haas founded Wannabe-Choppers at just 15, brimming with imagination and unaffected by the conventions that often accompany adulthood. 20 years later, he’s still breaking the mold.
Based in Hüttenberg, just north of Frankfurt in Germany, Wannabe’s latest build is a 172 cc two-stroke land speed motorcycle with a curb weight of just 53 kilos [117 lbs]. There’s no front brake, the seat barely exists, and the bike is almost certainly not street-legal. But it is wholly awesome.
Nicknamed ‘Zwei’ (German for ‘two’), this cheeky racer is a sequel of sorts to a bike that Wannabe built a few years ago. A diminutive chopper with a deceptive electric motor, that bike tipped the scales at 79.4 kilos [175 lbs]. To celebrate the shop’s 20th anniversary, Ricky set out to build something smaller, lighter, and petrol-powered.
The fabrication work on this pint-sized speeder is pretty out there. Wannabe constructed the frame out of aluminum tubing, and then cast the fuel tank, rear fender, and seat out of aluminum. The auxiliary parts are welded directly to the frame, effectively making them part of the chassis and adding stability.
Next, Wannabe took a set of Manitou Dorado mountain bike forks, polished them, modified their yokes, and fitted them to the front of the bike. A cast aluminum structure was welded to the top yoke to support the custom handlebars and chopper-style headlight (which came from CT Newman in the US).
Custom wheels were put together using 19” motocross rims and Menze spokes. The front hub is a modified motocross item, and the rear hub is a custom part with Vespa drum brake internals. The tires are vintage-style Avon Speedmasters.
Nestled into the lower part of the frame is a one-off two-stroke motor, pieced together with parts from a remarkably wide array of sources. The crankcase was built out of fragments of a Vespa engine that Wannabe cut up, welded back together, and finished off with cast parts. The cylinder and head are heavily modified Malossi parts.
Other highlights include a high-compression crankshaft, an internal rotor ignition, and a YSN carb. Even the rubber intake manifold was made from scratch; a time-consuming process for a part that’s almost invisible. Power is sent to the rear wheel via a custom-made belt drive, with a CVT transmission and centrifugal clutch in play.
Starting the motor involves attaching an electric drill to the crankshaft on the right-hand side of the motor. To turn it off, you can either cut off airflow to the carb or use the pull-style kill switch, which Ricky made using an off-the-shelf pull switch from Walmart. (You’ll have to reach down below the exposed belt drive to access it though.)
The handlebar controls are equally simple. The lever on the right actuates the rear brake, and the one on the left acts as the throttle. Cloth-wrapped grips add a touch of retro cycling style.
Casting parts is one of Wannabe’s specialties—so this handmade machine is littered with cast aluminum and brass adornments. You’ll find their handiwork on everything from the engine covers and rear wheel hub cover, to the myriad brass parts that replace all the plastic bits on the carb.
Wannabe also created cast brass inlays for the tank and seat in lieu of a paint job. They bear the shop’s slogan, ‘Soli Deo Gloria.’ Used by classical composers like Bach and Handel, it’s Latin for ‘glory to God alone.’
Ricky adds that, while he thinks of the bikes he builds as art pieces, Zwei was built to race. The engine’s 30-horsepower output goes a long way given its lightweight build, with initial testing on a short stretch of road yielding a top speed of 110 km/h [68.4 mph]. Ricky is confident that the bike will do the ton, given enough space to run.
“It definitely should be able to go way faster than this,” he adds, “but I guess I wouldn’t wanna take that gamble, considering the tiny drum brake on the rear wheel.”
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