A Tribute To One Of
The Greatest Racers Of All Time

A quick flash of yellow and a distinctive filmstrip graphic caught my eye. I was suddenly time-warped back to the days of blue smoke and two-stroke engines that went ning-ning-ning-ning-ning. Then the throaty rumble of a big twin snapped me back to reality, as a fine custom Warrior parted the crowd at the Yamaha Star Days rally. Cigar clenched tightly between grinning teeth, the amiable Adam Canni pulled up on the stunning custom you see here. The wake of people converged and moved in for a closer look.

Those of you old enough to recall the epic racetrack battles of the late ’70s and early ’80s will remember the Yamaha Molly Stripe graphics emblazoned on Kenny Roberts’ bike as he led the pack around the racetracks of the world. This Warrior pays homage to the legendary “King” Kenny and to Yamaha’s racing heritage. Accordingly, Adam chose the name “Warrior Legend” to brand his custom design.

An automotive design consultant and industrial designer by trade, Adam worked for General Motors and created some of the high-profile appearance packages (ground effects, lowers, wheels, and logo) you’ve seen on the Extreme S10 and Z71 Tahoe vehicles. He also holds some interior and accessory design patents on the Ford F Series Truck overhead console.

“The Warrior was the power cruiser I’d been waiting for,” says Adam. When he first bought the bike, he toyed with the idea of making a full set of new bodywork, including an enclosed tail section and an under-seat exhaust. But budget concerns and a desire to go with a more factory custom look changed his plans.

So, I asked the obvious question: Why not build an R1 sportbike with this race heritage scheme in mind? Adam’s reply: “I’m more interested in a power cruiser at this stage in my life. I’ve had many motorcycles over the years and enjoyed the sport from many different riding positions. But I currently prefer a sit-back style to the racer crouch of a sport replica.” Adam felt the Warrior would live up to the racing theme without going all the way into sportbike territory.

Every design element on the bike, from the graphics to the many handmade custom parts, is intended to complement and enhance the sharp stock lines of the Warrior. Adam says the biggest challenge was modifying the stock fuel tank. He recruited Bill Bizer of Bizer Associates in Northville, Michigan, to stretch the tank 6". Bill also fabricated filler panels to cover the unsightly gap up front, where the tank straddles the frame. The panels not only look better, but also allow the graphics to run in closer to the steering neck.

The two-piece stock front fender was welded and leaded to give it a seamless one-piece look. Down below, a one-off fiberglass front spoiler from Palhegyi Design adds to the race bike appearance. The rear fender was also cleaned up and modified with a frenched-in tag bracket and mini turn signals from Baron Custom Accessories.

The blacked-out custom exhaust started out as a 2-into-1 aftermarket system with a muffler that Adam felt was just too long. The muffler was hacked off and tossed in the trash bin. Bill Bizer then fabbed up a new system using the front pipes Adam gave him, some tubing of his own, and a set of tips from Baron’s Nasty Boy exhaust. Respiration is provided by a Big Air Kit from Baron’s and dialed in with a Dynojet Power Commander III. This combination produces a respectable 84 horsepower and 104 ft-lbs. of torque.

Adam’s Warrior Legend also carries the “lightning hole” theme popular among race bikes of the ’70s. This is evident in the Arlen Ness grips and pegs and Performance Machine forward controls that dress up the front of the bike, and the custom belt guard and perforated exhaust heat shields that balance out the rear.

There are a number of other fine details, like the black powder-coated triple trees, switch bezels, and hand controls (done by Kool Change Powder Coating in Holly, Michigan); the tachometer cowl with a polished aluminum insert; and the hand-polished cylinder fins, rectifier fins, compression pop-off, and rear disc brake fins. Adam says the bike is also loaded with an extensive collection of Yamaha accessories too numerous to list.

The re-sculpted stock seat pan gets a new leather skin and is detailed with matching Yamaha race stripe stitching by Dave Orr Upholstery. The seat offers an aggressive, one-up riding posture. Says Adam, “I like being low to the ground. To me it feels like I’m going even faster in the turns than when I’m on a sportbike.”

Well, any bike boasting the legendary Yamaha Molly Stripe graphics had better handle well, too. “This is my rider,” says Adam. “I built this bike with the intention of having a sharp custom offering great handling, a good power-to-weight ratio, and a comfortable riding position.”

Since he felt the Yamaha engineers did a great job in those departments, Adam left the suspension, chassis height, and wheels unchanged. (Many decorative aftermarket wheels are heavier than stock, which increases unsprung weight and can sacrifice a bike’s ride quality.) He sent the stock wheels to Kool Change for powder coating in a deep, rich gold to match the other accents.

With all the fabricated, painted, and powder-coated parts taken care of separately, Adam wondered how all the components would work together. This is the point in any custom bike project, before all the parts are assembled, where a builder’s confidence can be a little shaky. Adam says the finest moment of the project came when he connected the battery, latched the seat, and stepped back to see his vision realized.

It’s clear that Adam went to great lengths tying all the small details together in support of the theme. The shape and graphics lure you in, while the custom hardware, brackets, and fasteners keep your interest as you get closer and scrutinize the bike. “To me, the biggest thing to making a statement on a bike is the silhouette and the paint job — what you see from a distance,” says Adam. “The gingerbread, the parts that are there to support the theme you see from 5' away is just additional stuff. A truly successful custom has to scream ‘Look at me!’ from 30' away.”

But the real success of a custom motorcycle is proven at the rallies and on the boulevards, where the bike is in the public eye. Did the Warrior Legend scream to the crowd? Hell, yes. As Adam and I turned to leave to photograph the bike for this feature story, people parted again like the Red Sea, everyone stepping back for a better view. I’d say this is a very successful custom indeed. RB

“King” Kenny

The name Kenny Roberts carries a history steeped in some of the greatest moments of motorcycle racing, both in the US and abroad. From the dirt ovals of America to legendary road courses all over the world, Kenny Roberts strung together more domestic and world championships than most riders even dream about.

Since the early ’70s, Roberts and Yamaha were known for winning championships. In 1978, King Kenny became the first American rider to win a World 500 Grand Prix Championship, and then went on to make it three in a row by 1980. Between 1973 and 1979, he was named AMA Pro Athlete of the Year three times.

At the end of the 1983 season, Roberts retired from racing and took on the role of race team owner. In 1990, Team Marlboro Roberts won the 500 and 250 World Grand Prix titles, and continued its winning ways well into the decade. Since then, Roberts has continued to have a high-profile presence in racing by creating his own Grand Prix machine, the KR3, with Malaysian motorcycle manufacturer Modenas.

Kenny Roberts’ name has become synonymous with competitive spirit and innovation throughout the last 40 years of motorcycle racing.