International Dealer News IDN 133 October/November 2016 | Page 12

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Yard Built gets a MotoGP ‘Legends’
build by AMD World Champion
custom bike builder
Over the last three years Yamaha’s
Yard Built programme has gone from
strength to strength, working with
many of the world’s top custom
builders to deliver fresh takes on the
Sport Heritage range of motorcycles.
The latest collaboration is with 2014
AMD World Champion custom bike
builder Fred ‘Krugger’ Bertrand of
Belgium – with a stunning layer of
MotoGP history cleverly woven into
the custom Yamaha SR400.
Having agreed to collaborate together
with Yamaha on a Yard Built project,
Fred chose to take inspiration from
close friend and fellow Belgian
Bernard Ansiau, who just happens to
be a MotoGP mechanic for arguably
the greatest rider of all time, Valentino
Rossi.
Whilst this role alone is enough to
place Bernard as one of the most
enviable mechanics alive, his CV is also
littered with legends, having

previously prepared the racing
machines for Yamaha greats such as
Wayne Rainey, Kenny Roberts, Randy
Mamola and Norick Abe, amongst
others.
Fred and Bernard agreed to take the
humble Yamaha SR400 as the base,
and then bring alive the racing spirit of
the 1970s in a tribute to the Yamaha
TZ machines, and also to mark
Bernard’s career.
The little SR400’s engine gets some
serious work, most noticeably with a
beautiful Aisin 300 supercharger with
custom plenum chamber. A one-off
stainless steel exhaust system is
complemented by an S&S 48mm
carburettor in place of the fuel
injection system. The beautifully
polished front forks have been
lowered and balanced with a set of Fox
shocks at the rear. Keeping the SR400s
rubber side down are a set of Dunlop
K81s, inspired by the first tyre to lap

2014 AMD World Champion
Fred “Krugger” Bertrand,
left, with Bernard Ansiau

the Isle of Man TT course at over
100mph.
There are almost too many custom
details to mention as Fred’s obsession
with perfection spills across the
SR400. Motogadget speedo, switches
and grips sit behind a tiny custom cowl

at the front above a modified top triple
clamp and custom handlebars. The
brakes and clutch have been given an
upgrade and are by Beringer, adding
some power over stock to match the
supercharged 400.
www.krugger.net

INTERMOT dealer initiatives include
IDN International Night
International Dealer News is
pleased to announce that it is
again collaborating with
INTERMOT to present the
“International Night” business
networking reception at 18:00
hrs on the Trade Day, Wednesday
October 5th.
An established and popular
opportunity for exhibitors to
meet with their
importer/distributors and key
dealers, it will be staged, as
usual, at the Dealer Lounge
Business Centre of the
Koelnmesse exhibition centre, in
the Business District off the main

12

boulevard between halls 4 and 5.
The show is open to the media
on Tuesday October 4th, with
Wednesday October 5th being
the International Trade Day, and

INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

will be open to all visitors
Thursday October 6th to Sunday
October 9th.
Promoted by International
Dealer News, and hosted by
INTERMOT and the show’s
sponsors, International Night is
unique in the international
motorcycle industry - the only
‘meet & greet’ business
reception specifically for
international industry
professionals of all kinds.
The ‘Cologne’ Show has always
been regarded as the world’s
primary international motorcycle
industry expo, and with the
backing of International Dealer
News and worldwide exhibitor
and trade visitor footprint that is
expected to reach at least 68
international markets and over

55,000 trade visitors in total (43
percent of them from outside
Germany), this is a unique
opportunity to meet colleagues
from the industry in a relaxed
environment as the show closes
(at 18:00 hours) on the special
Trade Visitor day.
Additional trade initiatives
operated by INTERMOT include
exclusive trade visitor vendor
exhibition space in the business
district; the Dealer Card, which
provides show access privileges;
and the online Matchmaking365
service, which is an expo visit
experience optimiser – it enables
trade visitors to gain an
overview of the suppliers of
selected product groups in the
run-up to the fair, establish
valuable business contacts and
place targeted meeting requests.
www.intermot-cologne.com