Le Baron Rouge

Feb 23, 2023

People customise their motorcycles for all manner of reasons. Some do it to build a bike to show off their build skills and or, to put it on show, others might build them to be ridden with like minded on fair weather weekends. But there is a group who customise their bikes as extensions of themselves, they are a physical manifestation of the owner. They project their passions, their fashion sense and their dreams and desires, they also use metal steads to fly through life as their daily ride; come rain, hail or shine.

Le Baron Rouge, as we’ve light-heartedly branded this powered pair of Shinkos, falls firmly into the last camp. The French commander of the Deus outpost in Bali has ridden it day in and out for the past ten years while based in his tropical foreign legion.

He didn’t set about to reinvent the wheel but recently he decided the time was ripe to breathe another chapter into the life of this, his well-worn Bali puddle jumper.

For the bike's fifth incarnation, he didn’t want just another cosmetic customisation, as a couple in the past had been. While the world stood still, our head honcho had had more than a moment to ponder the bike he wanted to ride. Something a little more sans ego, more paired back from the past more audacious and promiscuous builds. A truer version of his needs, as the rider.

The Bengkel Boys started by stripping and ripping it back to the primary constituents before applying the boss's pure plan of reform to fill in the holes of its previous personalities.

The twin rear shocks he’d sported since build one, went, back to a single YSS single spring, (The Yamaha SSX 225 -Scorpio came out of the factory with a single Shock). It opens up the rear, cantilevering it out. To add some visual weight and a heap more strength, he transplanted an alloy swing arm off of a YZ250. The entire subframe was redesigned to take advantage of the now open back, a bent single hoop was sculpted to dip in front of a passenger down towards the rider's footpegs. To strengthen it and tie it back towards the tank, horizontal bars were added, and the pocket they provided became a perfect home under the seat for the battery box. The new step in the seat adds a pleasant aesthetic not to mention a large dollop of rider comfort.

The motors in Scorpios are absolute workhorses, however, this one was tired and required nothing short of a ground-up rebuild. It was vapour blasted, bored out, totally polished and finally reassembled with all new bearings, seals and bolts. To pour more fuel into the larger bore a 30mm Uma Racing PWK Carburettor was inserted and a massive angled K&N air filter increased its ability to breathe. The Bengkel boys built a tight new stainless steel header by cutting and welding fillets of pipe and finished it off with a locally sourced aftermarket muffler.

Fenders front and back started afresh from plate ally, bashed and bent to perfectly sculpted scoops held up high to let any rocks or gravel slide by. Beefy 41mm dia Yamaha Bison forks and triple tree have been inserted to give it a nice wide set of shoulders, topped off with a set of Pro Taper Fatboy bars, these have been adorned with new grips, new switches, and control gear. A blazingly brilliant 6” Daymaker LED headlight was mounted into an outwardly vast solid ring of turned billet ally, he intentionally left raw. A modernist example of a figurehead from the prow of a ship. Almost lost in all of it are sensationally small, spectacularly bright, Atto Dark Kellermann indicators. Finishing out the functional eclectic electrics is a rear fender mounted brake light, fashioned from sheet but looking more like it was cast, the boys in the Bengkel outdid themselves.

Everything rides on 18” Shinko SR428’s front and back, they are wrapped around Rossi rims and laced up with stainless spokes. The hubs are original, although a rear disk brake kit was added and the front PSM brakes got an enlarged disk for which new mounts needed to be manufactured.

Because this bike had been white, blue as well as green before. Red was chosen as an answer to attrition rather than a homage to our fearless leaders’ hair colour. Done dark and deep to cover all manners of road muck but with a sprinkle of sparkle as befitting one in his position. Little “Pistons-O-Power” router cut out of 3mm Ally plate were added to say, in a super understated way, this bike had indeed come from the Bengkel at the Deus Temple of Enthusiasm.

This bike might not be for everyone, but that’s okay, it was never meant to be. There is only one person who needs to love it. And he rides it every day of the week.

ENGLISH TEXT BELOW

Setiap tahun, teman-teman kita Tasix Adventure—penyelenggara petualangan ban berlumpur dan adrenalin berbahan bakar terbaik di Bali—mengadakan acara akhir pekan berkemah yang sangat dinanti-nantikan. Mereka menamakannya “ The Wild,” dan jujur saja, tidak ada kata yang lebih pas dari itu.

Ini bukan sekadar acara; ini adalah petualangan wajib bagi siapa saja yang mencintai tanah, tantangan, dan persahabatan yang hanya bisa terjalin saat tertawa melihat teman lain terjatuh.

Hal tentang The Wild adalah misterinya. Kamu tidak tahu ke mana akan pergi, bagaimana sampai di sana, atau apa yang akan kamu temui—seperti hidup, tapi dengan lebih banyak asap knalpot.

Tahun ini, The Wild yang berlangsung pada 7 Desember 2024, mengumpulkan 135 pecinta motor enduro, trail, dan cross di Desa Kopi, Tabanan. Tepat pukul 9 pagi, kami berangkat menuju Desa Gesing, Singaraja. Rute tetap dirahasiakan hingga hari acara, meningkatkan sensasi penasaran dan antusiasme. Dengan dibagi menjadi beberapa kelompok kecil, kami melengkapi diri dengan perlengkapan motocross lengkap untuk menghadapi tantangan musim hujan.

Perjalanan? Murni magis. Jalur berkelok melalui permata tersembunyi Bali, di mana setiap tikungan menawarkan pemandangan yang memukau atau hampir membuat jantung berhenti. Rute tahun ini menghadirkan medan tanah liat merah—dijuluki tanah "keramik" karena teksturnya yang licin dan keras saat basah. Untuk melintasinya, diperlukan teknik khusus yang disebut “paddling the throttle,” sebuah manuver yang mendebarkan dengan motor yang sering bergoyang liar. Dari kejauhan, mungkin terlihat lucu, tetapi saat di atas motor? Ceritanya berbeda.

Setelah menempuh 68 kilometer petualangan liar, kami tiba di perkemahan di puncak bukit yang sudah dipenuhi tenda-tenda peserta lain dan deru knalpot. Destinasi selalu mencuri perhatian, dan yang satu ini tidak terkecuali—tempat tinggi dengan pemandangan 360 derajat yang menakjubkan dari laut, gunung, hingga kota.

Saat hujan turun, tenda-tenda didirikan, dan malam itu diisi dengan berbagi cerita tentang penyelamatan heroik dan kecelakaan yang menggelikan. Dan tentu saja, ada balapan. Bayangkan sekelompok pengendara penuh semangat meluncur di perbukitan dalam kekacauan yang terkontrol. Balapan tahun ini termasuk duel 1 lawan 1 yang seru di sekitar puncak bukit, dengan peserta menyelesaikan dua putaran penuh adrenalin.

Bukan soal menang; ini tentang hadir, tertawa, dan menikmati momen. Para pemenang dan peserta tercepat yang mencapai puncak bukit dirayakan dengan hadiah, tetapi senyuman, persahabatan, dan kebersamaan membuat semua orang merasa seperti juara.

The Wild tahun ini benar-benar sesuai namanya, bahkan lebih. Petualangan, tawa, dan cukup banyak tanah di gigi untuk menyebutnya otentik—kami tidak akan menginginkannya dengan cara lain. Terima kasih yang sebesar-besarnya kepada semua peserta yang menjadikannya pengalaman tak terlupakan. Sampai jumpa di petualangan berikutnya!

Every year, our mates over at Tasix Adventure—Bali’s finest purveyors of muddy tyres and fuel-driven adrenaline—host their much-anticipated camp-out weekend. They’ve named it “Wild,” and honestly, there’s no better word for it.

It’s not just an event; it’s a pilgrimage for anyone who loves dirt, daring, and the kind of camaraderie you can only forge while laughing at someone else’s wipeout.

The thing about Wild is that it’s shrouded in mystery. You don’t know where you’re going, how you’ll get there, or what you’ll find—kind of like life, but with more exhaust fumes.

This year’s Wild, held on Saturday, December 7, 2024, brought together 135 enthusiasts of enduro, trail, and cross motorcycles at Desa Kopi, Tabanan. The route was kept a secret until the event day, heightening the thrill of the unknown. At exactly 9 am, they shared the destination, Desa Gesing, Singaraja, Divided into small groups, we geared up with full motocross kits to tackle the rainy season’s challenges.

The ride? Pure magic. Twisting trails through Bali’s hidden gems, where every turn promised either breathtaking views or breathtaking near-misses. This year’s route featured red clay terrain—nicknamed "ceramic" soil for its slick, hard texture when wet. Navigating it required a special technique called “paddling the throttle,” a nerve-wracking maneuver that had bikes swaying wildly. From a distance, it might have looked hilarious, but on the bike? It was a whole other story.

After 68 kilometres of this wild adventure, we arrived at the hilltop campsite already alive with the buzz of activity and the roar of exhausts. The destination always steals the spotlight, and this one was no exception—a high-altitude perch offering stunning 360-degree views of the sea, mountains, and city.

As the rain came down, tents went up, and the evening was all about swapping stories of heroic saves and laughable crashes. And then there were the races. Picture a pack of overexcited riders tearing up the hillside in what can only be described as controlled chaos. This year’s races included thrilling 1-on-1 duels around the hilltop, with participants pushing through two laps of sheer adrenaline.

It wasn’t just about winning; it was about showing up, laughing, and embracing the moment. The race winners and the fastest hilltop arrivals were celebrated with prizes, but the smiles, the camaraderie, and the shared triumphs made everyone feel like champions.

This year’s Wild lived up to its name and then some. Adventure, laughter, and just enough dirt in your teeth to call it authentic—we wouldn’t have it any other way. A massive thank you to all the participants who made it unforgettable. See you on the next adventure!