Taiwan’s blossoming custom motorcycle scene regularly introduces us to domestic-market bikes that would be considered obscure almost anywhere else. The Kymco KTR 150 is a firm favorite among local workshops, as are the humble commuter machines from Hartford. Another nimble runabout has just emerged from under the radar: the Suzuki BS125.
Manufactured in Taiwan during the 1980s and sold exclusively on the local market, the Suzuki BS125 was a single-cylinder, two-stroke motorcycle that quickly gained popularity among delivery riders. This 1985-model BS125 belongs to Chiu—a designer at the Taiwanese parts company Fangster, who also runs a multidisciplinary industrial design studio on the side under the handle ZEROVECTOR.
The story of the ZEROVECTOR Suzuki BS125 goes back a decade, to when Chiu was still at university. “I wanted to design and customize my own bike for my industrial design thesis,” he explains. “As soon as I had the idea, the BS125 was the first model that came to mind. I’ve always loved two-stroke motorcycles, and I saw a lot of creative possibilities with its dual exhaust design.”
In what would ultimately be only the first phase of the project, Chiu designed a sporty trellis frame and mono-shock swingarm to transplant the BS125’s motor into. The fabrication and welding were outsourced to local workshops Hide Work and B.W.S.—but the next job was all Chiu’s.
“After the frame was completed,” he explains, “I used design sketches as a basis to sculpt a 1:1 clay model on the frame without any digital tools. The skill of sculpting clay models is something I learned during my studies in industrial design. Clay models not only help designers see and touch their designs in three-dimensional space but also allow for a more precise control of curves and shapes.”
300 hours later, Chiu was finally satisfied with the design. “The overall design conveys a sense of speed and dynamics, inspired by the manta ray. I integrated the imagery of the manta’s cephalic fins and pectoral fins into the body design.”
The next step was to transform the clay sculpture into actual bodywork. Chiu first created a negative fiberglass mold of the one-piece body, before using it to build the final unit out of mixed composite materials. (The body acts as a cover, with fuel held in a custom-made reservoir underneath it.)
Once that was done, Chiu tasked an undisclosed workshop with executing the remainder of the build. The results were lackluster; the bike passed muster for his end-of-year project, but several details were off. To add insult to injury, the Suzuki wouldn’t start and had no side stand.
“After graduating, I persisted with my vision and embarked on a 10-year modification journey to realize the ideal design I had in mind,” Chiu tells us. With the bike once again stripped down to its frame, he junked all the bits he was unhappy with and redesigned them. He then worked with a tight network of local craftsmen to systematically put the BS125 back together.
“As the original designer and concept initiator, I spent a lot of time discussing and planning each manufacturing step with these Taiwanese professionals, allowing the vision in my mind to gradually take shape. Working with these artisans was very enjoyable; we’ve known each other for a long time and share close relationships. I am very satisfied with the result.”
The plucky two-stroke was treated to the yokes and forks from a Kymco KTR 150, plus a rear shock from DNM Suspension. Mike’s Garage supplied a set of 17” laced wheels, fitted with Dunlop Sportmax Q-Lite tires. The braking setup uses Hartford calipers with discs designed and produced under the ZEROVECTOR brand.
The now-running engine needed a suitably spunky exhaust, so Chiu ordered a custom-built twin-pipe system from Banai. From the angular headers to the perfectly proportioned expansion chambers and slim tail-mounted mufflers, the blacked-out pipes match the bodywork at every turn.
Once the chassis was fine-tuned, Chiu and co. turned their attention to refining the existing bodywork. Hide Work was roped in again to fabricate the Suzuki’s sharp new headlight nacelle and belly pan, along with a handful of other metal parts. Regular Rough Crafts collaborator Simon Fiber Craft jumped in too, adding a fresh carbon fiber veneer to the decade-old bodywork to give it a brand new sheen.
ChiRui Leather Custom wrapped the saddle in luxe Alcantara, while Jeffrey’s Finishing Touch took care of the manta ray-inspired paint job. “The blue color was specially mixed to show different shades under varying lighting, revealing the carbon fiber texture beneath, paired with silver leaf stripes mimicking the manta ray’s patterns,” Chiu explains.
There’s very little off-the-shelf stuff on this Suzuki BS125 street tracker. It features Rizoma bar-end turn signals, Motogadget switches, and RCB levers, but the rest of its finishing kit is custom. The handlebar risers, grips, gas cap, fork guards, foot controls, chain tensioner, engine covers, and license plate bracket are all ZEROVECTOR-branded parts, designed by Chiu and machined by third parties.
With additional help from his friend Oscar, Faber Studio, and Triroad Moto Co., the ZEROVECTOR BS125 was buttoned up just in time for Taiwan’s Speed and Crafts show.
It took fourth place in the Freestyle category at the event, while also earning two individual judges’ picks. But Chiu’s most rewarding moment was when the bike was fired up for the first time in 10 years—announcing its revival with sweet-smelling puffs of white smoke.
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