31 year old Michel Szozda has just started a small custom garage in Amsterdam called Cool Kid Customs, and this the first build to roll out of his workshop, a Suzuki GSX400, AKA Cracker Jack.
Michel’s dad was a mechanic and metalworker and his mum lived a biker lifestyle, having remarried a Hells Angel, so either way he had to get into bikes. It was his dad who taught Michel how to fix them up but he also graduated as a metalworker in his own right and then went on to graduate again as an Art Director seven years later; the perfect combination of talents for a cafe custom builder.
Like most pro builders Michel’s passion for custom building started out as a hobby but as his confidence grew, and the compliments came in, he decided to turn his passion into his business.
This GSX is what started it all, built to be a daily rider. The donor was a 1984 400E and has had the usual tail chop, loop and seat rebuild, which has been wrapped in real leather.
The black handlebars have an M-bend with brown grips to match the seat. The distressed finish on the tank was created by priming it in a reddish-brown, painted over in antique blue, which was then partially sanded back, with a gold gas cap to set it all off. The tank script was painted by Michel too.
The bike has been lowered at the front and Hagon shocks fitted at the rear to give a low profile and that wheel-hugging look at the back.
Michel’s next project is a CSR305 that he plans to transform into a short hardtail bobber. Follow his work onFacebook or online, and we look forward to showcasing his next build.
the bike sheed
