It’s going to be hard to cram all the information about these two custom scooters into a mere three pages, but gosh darnit, I’m gonna try my best. When I first met up with Ming Ly from Standard Functions, a highly renowned scooter shop in El Monte, California, I was immediately in love with these two bikes. (I’m just going to call them “bikes” because using the word “scooters” sounds kind of dorky, and like we’re talking about a Vespa or a Razor or something else lame.) Anyhow, the Metropolitan bike grabbed my attention first, even though its Ruckus brother-in-law is the more flashy of the pair. I was especially intrigued by the old school paint theme—this bike is a great example of a vintage style ride, but it’s not too hipster-ish or expected looking. I live in Venice Beach (and hail from Portland, Oregon originally) so I’m no stranger to the American Spirit smoking, Vespa riding body odor pungent, tragically hip type of person who may or may not be the stereotypical scooter rider. Thankfully, Standard Functions is here to provide alternatives for those of us who shower more than twice a week.
The SF Metro rocks a 66cc swapped motor from a Ruckus, and this particular example has been fully treated top to bottom. These motors may be small, but they don’t have to move very much weight. I have a feeling you could boogie around town pretty easily (and have a lot of fun doing it) with this ride. The custom exhaust looks very classy and retro, as do the polished wheels. The rear has a custom center cap, which hides the unsightly axel nut, and the rear has also been extended just enough so you know this ain’t your girlfriend’s scoot. I honestly would not be ashamed to call this sweet little retro bike my own, and if you feel the same way, Standard Functions can build you pretty much anything your little heart desires. Ming tells me how they are all very passionate about bikes and have been pushing the envelope for modifying these types of vehicles for years.
The more intense of these two examples from SF is clearly the Ruckus, a turbocharged beast of a ride. This thing is literally Hell on wheels, with a (relatively) massive 125cc Yamaha air-cooled engine swap providing plenty of scoot for your boots. This thing is pretty much custom from top to bottom, including such details as a raised center plate to aide in cooling the motor (stock Ruckuses (Rucki?) are watercooled and therefore have radiators, the Yamaha swap is air-cooled like any pre-996 Porsche) so this modification is vital for the functionality of the bike. One of the first things you notice when looking at the bike is its 3-barrel exhaust, a pretty dope piece that is a nice change from the expected. The “Lazy Eye” headlight setup is also pretty cool, and gives the front end a bit of flare to go along with the Army green paint scheme. The wheels on this Ruckus are pretty unique as well; a 13" SSR MK2 has been fit to the rear, with a custom cut 12" wheel occupying the front. The front wheel was cut to mimic the SSR MK2, and we must admit, it looks fantastically close. Hats off to Ming and his guys for going the extra mile to make this bike truly one of a kind.
Although these two bikes are custom one-off “shop bikes,” Standard Functions does offer many of the parts and services featured on the bikes to customers. For more information about services Standard Functions offer, check out the website and shoot them a message. These guys do this every day, and the love they have for the scooter world is second to none!
Occupation putting boost between your fine little legs
Engine Turbocharged and air-cooled Yamaha Zuma125cc EFI engine swap; ported and polished head; TAIDA King camshaft, valves, valve springs; custom Standard Functions retainers, head studs, head gasket, timing chain, motor mount; TTMRC 74mm sleeves & piston; unnamed turbocharger; HKS Super Sequential blow-off valve; custom 3 barrel exhaust, V-mount intercooler, intercooler piping; dual oil cooler fans; custom engine cooling air ducts
Drivetrain Custom CVT transmission
Engine Management Banjing EMS
Footwork & Chassis Custom rear air strut; ATR G1 forks
Brakes Custom big brake kits (f/r); MP ph80 4-piston caliper (x2 f/x1 r); stainless steel lines; Adelin master cylinders (f/r)
Wheels & Tires 13x7" SSR MK2 rear wheel; custom cut 12" front wheel; 140/60R13 Michelin Pure Sport SC tire (r); 100/60R12 Maxxis Race tire (f); Project Kics r40 NEO-Chrome lugnuts
Exterior Custom “Army Green” paint theme by Midnight Garage, El Monte CA; MNNTHBX “Lazy Eye” headlight; custom brass LED taillight unit; cutom fold up seat frame w/custom upholstered memory foam seat
Occupation building badass scooters for badass mo’ frappys
Engine Honda Ruckus GET swap; bored and stroked to 66cc; Standard Functions ported and polished “OverBore” setup (sleeves, piston, rings), ATR engine mount kit; Keihin PE20 carburetor; ported KN intake manifold; Gojin air filter; custom Gojin “Megaphone” style exhaust; NGK spark plugs
Drivetrain Polini high speed variator; Dr. Pulley slider weights; Honda MET tall gear
Engine Management REV Posh x Bowls LA CDI
Footwork & Chassis KN Lowdown forks (f); ATR low stance shock (r)
Brakes ATR p30 2-piston caliper, master cylinder, wheel hub (f); stainless lines (f/r); 190mm Wave brake rotor; KN Kikaku brake caliper adapter
Wheels & Tires 10x2.5" fully polished S-Line Smoothie wheel (f); 12x7" full dish wheel with custom fully polished center cap
Exterior British Racing Green and Crème paint by Jason and Johnson or Monterey Park Auto Body; custom modified rear fenders (allows fitment of rear wheel); Kijima DOT signal lights, Sponge handle bar grips; custom LED taillight; custom leather seat
Thanks You to all the homies who have been down with Standard Functions since day one, our girlfriends and future wives Sherry and Jessica, All That Ruckus, Repute Factor, Proverse, Kiwi2, Autofashion, BOWLSLA, Yu of MC, KillerScooter, Tokyo parts, SmoothLinez, our friends and family, and the friendly AM PM staff that provides me cigarettes every morning on the way to work. Oh, and also the fam over at Super Street for having us, and Nate for the awesome shots.