Suzuki GS 400 by Ugly Motors

The Suzuki GS 400 by Ugly Motors is a custom cafe racer built on one of the most important motorcycles in Suzuki's history: the 1977 GS400, the machine that launched the brand's four-stroke road motorcycle range. Ugly Motors transformed this landmark bike into a lightweight, Gulf Racing-inspired cafe racer without losing a gram of its classic DNA.

The Concept

Ugly Motors approached the GS400 project as an exercise in celebrating lightness. The original 1977 Suzuki was groundbreaking, the first in a full four-stroke lineup that would define the brand for decades, and the team wanted to honour that heritage by making the bike more modern and more appealing without adding weight or complexity. The design direction came directly from the Gulf Racing colour palette: Aston Martin green paired with Gulf Orange, a combination that references motorsport history and suits the GS400's compact proportions perfectly.

What Makes It

The entire bike was repainted in the Gulf-inspired livery. The tail section was rebuilt in fibreglass with a custom battery housing integrated into the design, and a speedometer basket welded by the Ugly Motors team. A custom stitched leather seat sits on top, shaped for the cafe racer riding position. The cockpit features a custom LED dashboard and a gear position indicator screen, giving the rider modern information in a period-correct layout. Rear sets reposition the footpegs for aggressive ergonomics. The handlebars are custom fabricated with grips in premium Italian leather. The exhaust is the visual centrepiece: V-bent by a specialist in chopper welding and polished to a chrome finish, it frames the engine in a way the original straight pipes never could. The registration plate mount is also custom-welded by the team.

The Build

The Suzuki GS400 400cc parallel twin engine was kept mechanically stock, a decision that keeps the build honest and reliable. The platform's natural lightness, one of the reasons the GS400 was so significant in 1977, is what Ugly Motors worked with rather than against. The top speed of 150 km/h from the 400cc four-stroke remains intact. Every detail from the leather grips to the fiberglass tail was assembled in-house by the Ugly Motors team, with only the exhaust welding contracted to an outside specialist. The result is a Gulf-liveried, track-ready daily rider at price-on-request.

Specifications

• Builder: Ugly Motors
• Base motorcycle: 1977 Suzuki GS400
• Engine: 400cc parallel twin, four-stroke
• Top speed: 150 km/h
• Paint: Gulf Racing palette (Aston Martin green and Gulf Orange)
• Seat: Custom stitched leather
• Tail: Custom fibreglass with integrated battery housing
• Dashboard: Custom LED with gear position indicator
• Handlebars: Custom fabricated
• Grips: Premium Italian leather
• Rear sets: Custom
• Exhaust: V-bent, chrome-polished (specialist chopper welder)
• Speedometer basket: Custom welded
• Price: Price on request

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