Remember the Suzuki DR Big? Born from Suzuki’s late-80s factory Dakar rally bike, it featured bold styling and the biggest single-cylinder engine on the market. It would go on to become iconic—so iconic, that Suzuki even brought back its styling in recent years, with their V-Strom 1050 XT adventure bike.
Despite how distinct the DR Big’s aesthetic is, there’s not a shred of it left on this custom street tracker from Bolt Motor Co. In fact, the only recognizable parts left on this DR Big are its frame and its stonking 727 cc motor.
Bolt shop boss, Adrián Campos, also happens to be the team principle of the Campos Racing team (Bolt even uses the Campos Racing workshop). So it’s usually a given that their custom builds are imbued with a sense of performance. On this build, that meant turning the DR Big into a squat street tracker with an assortment of upgrades.
Starting with a 1989-model Suzuki DR750 S Big, the crew stripped it down and tossed all of its plastics in the bin. The engine was rebuilt with a lightened flywheel, and two 42 mm Keihin carbs that inhale via a pair of Uni filters. Bolt fabricated a new exhaust header too, running it through the frame and terminating it in a Supertrapp muffler.
Sitting just in front of the engine, off to the left, is a custom-made radiator, plumbed with Goodridge lines. The placement is purposeful—Bolt put it there to create more clearance for the front wheel, because the whole bike’s been lowered.
Up front are the upside-down forks and dual Brembo disc brakes from a Suzuki GSX-R. Bolt CNC-machined custom yokes to install the new front end, and added a tidy little fender. Tucked between the yokes is a 3D-printed number board with an LED headlight poking through it.
Just above that you’ll find a set of tracker-style handlebars, fitted with the original Suzuki switches, new grips and Brembo levers. A tiny digital Motogadget speedo sits neatly between the risers, along with the bike’s LED warning lights.
Not content with just sprucing up the front of the bike, Bolt had ambitious plans for the rear too. They had the idea to fit a matching Suzuki GSX-R swingarm, but it turned out to be the biggest headache of the whole build. The main issue was that the swingarm was narrower at its pivot point than the frame—but Bolt managed to make it work in the end.
Next, a pair of 19F/18R wheels were adapted to fit the Suzuki, and shod with Dunlop rubber. They’re a welcome departure from the stock 21F/17R combo, which would have look comically unbalanced with the bike’s revised suspension.
Bolt was just as discerning when picking out the DR Big’s new bodywork. After bouncing a few ideas around for a new fuel tank, they settled on the reservoir from a Honda CB750 K2. The idea of putting a 70s Honda tank on a late-80s Suzuki sounds nuts, but it works remarkably well.
Paired with the new tank is a flat track-style tail unit, complete with removable side boards and an integrated LED taillight. Bolt designed and produced it in-house, using 3D design and printing tech. The Suzuki’s subframe was modified to suit it.
Thanks to a judicious rewire job, the area under the seat is clear to show off the exhaust and shock. Other custom parts include a license plate bracket [not pictured] and new foot pegs.
Classic motorcycle race fans should recognize the Suzuki’s new livery. Bolt designed the DR Big as a tribute to Kevin Schwantz, and his Lucky Strike-sponsored Suzuki RGV500. They even added the number 43, as a homage to Schwantz’s race number, 34.
Bolt put their own spin on this classic paint job with a recurring lightning bolt theme. It’s even repeated on the seat stitching, courtesy of the automotive upholstery expert, Llop.
We never would have imagined that a Suzuki DR Big would make for a good street tracker with classic GP racing underpinnings. But Bolt did—and they’ve brought it to life with all the panache that we’ve come to expect from them.
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