Enrico ‘Ricky’ de Haas founded Wannabe-Choppers at just 15, brimming with imagination and unaffected by the conventions that often accompany adulthood. 20 years later, he’s still breaking the mold.
Based in Hüttenberg, just north of Frankfurt in Germany, Wannabe’s latest build is a 172 cc two-stroke land speed motorcycle with a curb weight of just 53 kilos [117 lbs]. There’s no front brake, the seat barely exists, and the bike is almost certainly not street-legal. But it is absolutely epic.
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Wannabe constructed the frame out of aluminum tubing, and then cast the fuel tank, rear fender, and seat out of aluminum. The auxiliary parts are welded directly to the frame, effectively making them part of the chassis and adding stability.
The crankcase is built out of fragments of a Vespa engine that Wannabe cut up, welded back together, and finished off with cast parts. The cylinder and head are heavily modified Malossi parts.
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Casting parts is one of Wannabe’s specialties—so this handmade machine is littered with cast aluminum and brass adornments on everything from the engine covers and rear wheel hub cover, to the myriad brass parts that replace all the plastic bits on the carb.
Wannabe created cast brass inlays for the tank and seat in lieu of a paint job. They bear the shop’s slogan, ‘Soli Deo Gloria.’ Used by classical composers like Bach and Handel, it’s Latin for ‘glory to God alone.’
@thewebrecluse that little bit qualifies as a seat? Okay :)