Malaysian building turbocharged Kawasaki Barako

Malaysian custom builder, Larry Cheng, working on turbocharged 175cc Barako

A few weeks ago, we featured a backyard-built motorcycle equipped with a turbocharger and intercooler from a Mitsubishi Pajero, built by master mechanic, Loddy Orquina. Now, it seems that our Malaysian friends have also something up their sleeves. They have a turbocharged motorcycle of their own.

The Duakati

Larry Cheng, a mechanic from Malacca, Malaysia, has been building his own turbo motorcycle, based on a 1999 Modenas Jaguh cruiser motorcycle. It's a rebadged Malaysian market model, very similar to a Kawasaki Eliminator 175.

From what we understand, the Eliminator 175 is also powered by the same engine as the Kawasaki Barako 175 – a popular pantra (short for pantrabaho; workhorse) motorcycle here in the Philippines.

Dubbed as the “Duakati”, it will get a power boost using a turbo salvaged from a Daihatsu Mira 660cc. As for its intercooler, a reworked Yamaha Sniper 150 radiator will serve that function. It will also be using a Yamaha Sniper 42mm throttle body and a MoTec M 800 ECU – a race-bred ECU that is suitable for almost any application, including modern engines with up to 12 cylinders.

To handle that much power generated by the turbo-intercooler, Larry has also told MotoPinas.com his plans to bore-up the engine – possibly 230cc to 250cc, using CNC-machined bore-up kits. They are also adding a dry clutch, similar to those used by earlier Ducatis for added performance.

^{Dry clutch kit} 

“I have a CNC machine in-house, making the A to Z of everything,” said Larry, who will fabricate all the other necessary parts from scratch using his very own CNC milling machine.

^{Most parts will be custom-made using a CNC milling machine, including piston and bore-up kits, swing arm and wheels.} 

So far, the Duakati is far from a finished motorcycle. But with the amount of custom fabrication it's receiving, it could be quite an interesting build. We'll do another feature on this bike once it rolls out of Larry's garage.

Larry Cheng

For those unfamiliar, Larry Cheng is a seasoned performance parts fabricator. Based in Malacca, Malaysia, Larry was also part of Proton's racing team, which dabbled in various motorsport disciplines, includes drifting. His shop specializes in custom-made, CNC-racing parts that they ship to customers from all over the world, including Japan and the USA.