This Yamaha R1-Powered Bond Bug Is Looking for a New Home
What goes through your mind when you look at this custom Bond Bug from 1973? Probably a few things. Since we post about it here, clearly a type of bike engine is beautifully placed inside. You might think of Simone Giertz’s construction, which is totally correct. If you automatically imagine yourself to be a Robin Reliant, you’re not alone either. Although not easy to see from the name, Reliant actually made both cars. Parts of both Robin and Reliant Regal went to the making of the original Bond Bugs, which came after the other two designs. (I may be anthropomorphizing myself again, but who says cars don’t have genes?)
Of course, that was before the person who auctioned this example got his hands on it. In order for this bright orange door wedge to really fly, they locked a Yamaha R1 engine inside-along with the corresponding six-speed gearbox. Out came the original 28-horsepower, 700cc unit-and here came this 1000cc, 150-horsepower producing Beast. Total madness. Someone has a clearly recorded video with a potatocam on YouTube, if you want a terrible impression of what it is like to drive.
A closer look, this 1973 Bond bug is almost a bit of a sleeper, until you look at that engine. Sure, it’s been restored, but it still proudly proclaims that it’s a 700ES if you go through graphics alone. Looking back, you can see that the suspension has been upgraded—definitely a good thing because a) you would like to manage all that power and B) it’s been a long time since 1973. If it were up to me, I would also like to update my brakes, but this is not my construction, so they are not my rules. See how well the R1 board fits into the interior! It also has heat, which—let’s face it-your real R1 probably doesn’t.
If you think this building is crazy, it looks like there’s a whole bike-motorcycle Bug building community out there. Want to see an absolute drag monster of a Bond Bug? If so, clearly look for this Hayabusa motorized beast that makes 11.22 in the quarter mile. However, it is also a completely different construction philosophy from this R1-powered error, as it proudly proclaims its mountaintop bonkersness. This R1 Bug, on the other hand, is almost subtle in comparison. As subtle as any bright, orange, three-wheeled cheese wedge.
