I will always be a big fan of oil-cooled Suzuki bikes. I had an Inazuma myself (GSX1200). Loved the bike, the looks and the powerplant. Therefore I’m pleased to show another one of the species – this time it comes from Marseille, France.
Banb Motorcycles gave the neo classic Suzuki a different makeover
In general, the GSX750 Inazuma is one of the most characteristic naked bikes on the market. The recipe was simple – take a bulletproof Suzuki Bandit, and make it more retro. Stock it has one of the most beautiful tanks among the UJM genre. Unfortunately – they tend to lose the battle with time and rust.
Also, most of them are modified in quite similar fashion (You can see my Top 5 Inazuma list here). Fortunately – here You can see another tank and another style.
The most iconic feature here is an oil-cooler that was placed where the headlight should be. It gives the bike a racing pedigree. This is something that I have always wanted to do with my Katana build – swap the engine to a GSX-R1100 and put an oil-cooler where the headlight is (in the original Katana fairing). Maybe someday… Here – You have it placed in front of the steering head.
Practical? Not at all. Street credit – improved!
There is something raw and hardcore with the oil hoses running on plain sight. It has a dystopian and apocalyptic vibe to it. This is also where the name came from. “Zumax” is a homage to the Mad Max movie.
This particular GSX750 is from 1999. It was rebuilt in the spirit of a restomod rather than a cafe racer. The twin shocks, tail shape, straight tank and the front end resemble the ’80s endurance racers. The tank comes from the era – the donor was also a Suzuki, but a GS1000 model. You can almost see this thing next to an Eddie Lawson’s Z1000 or Wes Cooley’s Suzuki.
I really feel connected with the bike and the builder, as we have a similar origin story. Alban Jaunay is started building the bike as a hobbyist. During one Cafe Racer Festival in Paris area, his girlfriend asked:
‘Why don’t you build yourself a custom bike like these? I’d rather see you spending hours wrenching on a bike than browsing Pipeburn.’ And so it began. This is the point in my life where my passion for creation and motorbikes would become a reality. So, I launched my own custom motorbike workshop. I call it Banb Motorcycles.”
The mods
The wiring harness was placed under the tank. Handlebars come from LSL. Side covers come from Kawasaki Z750 (amazing how good they fit). The emblems were left in place, as they match the engine displacement. The exhaust comes from Yoshimura.
I was born in Le Mans and I have always loved going to races like MotoGP or the 24 Hours, so my inspiration naturally goes towards the racing environment. I like the mix of simplicity, elegance and brutality of the racing machines.
It looks excellent. The imperfection here and there – fits the genre. What we also seem to have in common is the love for bare metal as the tank finishing matches my taste. I hope You like it too!
Source: Banb Motorcycles | Instagram | Photos by Alban Jaunay
