Velo City: Bicycle Culture and City Life

Sanki Datsun 510 BRE

Sanki Datsun 510 BRE

Indonesia’s Eric Caprin has already created a number of wildly themed custom bikes under his ‘Kustom Sickless’ banner, and this is his latest: a fixed-gear homage to the BRE Datsun 510 that dominated the sub-2.5 liter Trans-Am series in the early seventies.

There must be something in the name, because Australia also has a Peter Brock who held a vast reputation as a deeply passionate and respected member of the auto racing fraternity. America’s Peter Brock is the creative spirit behind the transformation of the Shelby Cobra roadster into the victorious Cobra Daytona Coupe. He went on to form Brock Racing Enterprises (BRE) and realized the latent potential within the Datsun 510. With driver John Morton behind the wheel, the BRE 510 won the Under 2.5 Liter Class in 1971 and 1972.

The base for Eric’s interpretation is a Sanki frame and fork. A virtually unknown brand outside of Japan, it’s instantly recognizable in its country of origin by hexagonal Tange tubes and lugged construction. Those amazing wheels are branded with California’s WORK logo, but hopefully a reader can confirm whether they were a standard offering. If they weren’t they should be. The cranks and pedals are from Shimano’s entry-level Adamus AX group. Originally intended for the touring set, they seem oddly appropriate for a two-wheeled, pedal-powered iteration of the Datsun touring car.

The Kashimax saddle includes their proprietary ‘Rain Tail’ feature, a fender that neatly folds away when not in use. Eric incorporated some innovative and quirky features that reflect those of the 510, including a cable-actuated speedometer, bar-ends reminiscent of the BRE’s roll cage and a cut-out section of the Oury grips that reveal the engraved Nitto logo — a reminder of the windows that are removed for safety reasons. A set of D1 Spec wheel nuts and Datsun head badge complete the look.

Sanki Datsun 510 BRE
Sanki Datsun 510 BRE
Sanki Datsun 510 BRE
Sanki Datsun 510 BRE
Sanki Datsun 510 BRE
Sanki Datsun 510 BRE
Sanki Datsun 510 BRE
Sanki Datsun 510 BRE
Sanki Datsun 510 BRE
Image: Dirk de Jager — supercars.net