The crew at Holy Moly Motorcycles in Lisbon, Portugal is best-known for fully-fledged custom projects, but they can also build a spectacular restomod. Francisco Menezes and his teammates did just that with the project we'll be looking at today - a rad Yamaha dirt bike clad in Gauloises-inspired livery. More specifically, it is a WR250F from 2005 at its core, now packed full of snazzy upgrades.
Holy Moly kept the Yamaha's original spirit very much alive, retaining much of its stock bodywork along with many other bits and pieces. The chassis department is where they really went to town, starting with the motorcycle's front and rear suspension. At twelve o'clock, we now find the inverted forks of a YZ450 from 2014, with fresh triple clamps holding them in place.
These new forks are sure to take the WR's handling to the next level, but its rear end has undergone a serious transformation, as well. Francisco and his squad had the stock swingarm deleted, replacing it with that of a 2012-model YZ450. Rear-end suspension duties are now assigned to a premium remote-reservoir shock absorber from industry leader Ohlins, then you've got the bike's updated footwear.
Gone are the factory wheels from Yamaha at both ends, making room for Excel Takasago substitutes shod in beefy off-roading tires. The brakes have also been upgraded for improved stopping power all-round, and the engine benefits from better cooling thanks to a larger aftermarket radiator. In addition, the WR250F's powerplant inhales with ease through a bespoke airbox made from scratch.
Things are even more exciting on the exhaust side of things, with the OEM pipework ditched in favor of a titanium arrangement from Akrapovic. And although the cosmetic mods are fairly minor here, that's not to say they aren't extremely enticing. Starting with the front end, we're greeted by custom fork covers and a plain race-style fairing, along with Acerbis hand guards and a ProTaper handlebar up in the cockpit area.
A new fender with integrated lighting is present at the back, and the stock saddle got swapped with a more comfortable unit. Going back to the powertrain for a minute, Holy Moly's work wasn't just external. The 249cc single-cylinder mill also gained some notable upgrades on the inside, including the camshafts of a Yamaha YZ250F. Its head was ported to achieve ample airflow.
Last but not least, the build was taken across the finish line with that stunning Gauloises-inspired color scheme. It is a blue and yellow combo joined by stylish highlighting and an assortment of neat decals, looking absolutely delicious from front to back. This WR250F restomod is a testament to the incredible feats of customization Holy Moly Motorcycles can pull off, and we honestly love everything about it.