The Edge: AMP Motorycles Yamaha WR400
Words: Gary Inman
Photos: Marc Holstein @marc.holstein
Christine Gabler @myeyesbychristine
It’s a perennial classic story, but we’ll let Allen Posenauer from the Netherlands start it, ‘We went to Dirt Track Lelystad for a try out and it was so much fun that we decided to build a flat tracker.’ It’s Sideburn’s version of boy meets girl…
Allen is one half of AMP Motorcycles, the other half is his father, Michael (in the striped shirt in the photo below. Allen is the taller one). ‘We are doing this just for fun after work or on the weekends. Nothing professional,’ says Allen. Once they decided to build a flat tracker they acquired a 1999 Yamaha WR400 enduro from their buddy, Uwe from Hombrese Bikes. Then, ‘We built it how we wanted, without any classic guidelines.’
The most significant modification is obvious: the Yamaha’s plastics have been replaced by AMP’s is one-piece aluminium bodywork. ‘It’s 2mm thick, super light and can be removed after loosening just one screw,’ says Allen. ‘It took us around two weeks to build, just after work.’
The subframe was cut and replaced with one AMP made themselves to reduce the seat height; the front forks were lowered too, to make the stance more suited to flat track. ‘After the bodywork, I’d say lowering the forks was the hardest part of the build,’ explains Allen.
The old WR radiator was replaced with a better looking flat rad. Moose 19in rims were laced to the stock hubs, before a pair of Mitas tyres were convinced onto them. The engine was refreshed and repainted, before AMP fitted their own stainless steel, low pipe.
‘We did everything by ourselves, except the seat, we don't have the capability to sew leather.’ The seat’s jailbird stripes match those on the top of the tank and tail, where polished alloy contrasts with the paint. ‘We painted the bodywork too, it is not the highest-end finish but it’ll probably be scratched by the end of our first track day.'
Allen explains they would convert a customer’s bike to a similar specification for €3000.
‘We're heading back to Lelystad soon and we are really excited to find out how it feels.’ We've got a feeling it'll feel as good as it look.s
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