Rotobox Introduces Top-Shelf “Splice” SuperMoto Model

The Slovenian carbon wheel experts turn their attention to Yamaha’s MX range to deliver an up-specced, SuperMoto unlike any turn-key model currently available.

Though Rotobox has only been in operation for a handful of years, the top-shelf Slovenian wheel purveyor has carved out an impressive reputation in its short existence. While the company’s bread and butter is obviously its carbon fiber wheels, Rotobox’s success has lead the firm to expand its product range with the introduction of Rotobox Moto.

The new division’s inaugural offering is the Splice SuperMoto, and it’s every bit as trick as you’d expect from the high-end wheel brand..and then some. Developed around Yamaha’s late-model (2018 and 2019) WR250F and WR450F model(s) — with the assistance of the Yamaha Austria Racing Team (aka “YART”) — Rotobox Moto takes the Tuning Fork Company’s current dirt bike platform and gives it the elite SuperMoto-treatment.

The WR’s stock KYB suspension has been jettisoned in favor of a custom setup comprised of shortened Ohlins units; FG461 forks (slotted in 14mm offset Rotobox SuMO triple clamps) and a TTX Flow monoshock — the latter of which is paired with a Yamaha R6 swingarm that’s been CAD designed and machined to fit the WR’s frame. The supersport’s swing-arm enables the Japanese thumper to accommodate a 5.5” wheel shod in 190mm (wide) Bridgestone racing slicks.

Braking hardware is equally noteworthy with stopping duties bestowed upon a Brembo T-Drive 320mm disc and GP4RR caliper (held in a bespoke bracket) up front with a 220mm disc out back — all married via race-grade steel-braided lines. Other bells and whistles on the Slovenian SuMo include a D.I.D 520 ERV3 X-Ring chain paired with custom Rotobox front and rear sprockets, PRO-BOLT titanium hardware throughout, Lightech chain tensioners, rear track-stand bobbins, and a slipper clutch, just to name a few.

The modified Yamaha’s frame has been ceramic-coated in black, as have the engine covers and the Splice’s custom, direct flow headers and exhaust — which features an anodized muffler. The Splice also gets bespoke bodywork adorned in a special livery — including CAD designed and 3D-printed front and rear fenders — as well as a custom instrument holder, and a custom saddle that seemingly offers plenty of room to slide around while wrestling the bike through the corners. And of course the Splice rolls on a set of Rotobox’s BOOST carbon fiber 5.5” rims — that together weigh less than 15lbs — adorned in a classic SuMo half-wheel livery and shod in Bridgestone race slicks.

It’s crucial to understand that the Splice is far more than the sum of its parts. Unlike your average bolt-on build, the Rotobox Moto Yamaha is made up of a myriad of premium parts that have been painstakingly fine-tuned to squeeze every possible drop of performance from the road-going MXer. Rotobox says the concept behind the Splice was to graft the rear-end of a modern sport bike onto a dirt bike to create a wildly competent canyon carver that boasts the best of both worlds. From the company’s website; “Splice is the result of use of the most advanced modern technology of reverse engineering, CNC machining, and 3D printing, giving a rider an outstanding performance together with a higher level of controllability.”

Considering some of Rotobox’s rims MSRP for around the price of a brand new entry-level supersport, it probably goes without saying that the Splice’s price is objectively on the steeper-end of the spectrum, with the 450-powered Splice carrying a price of $34,000 (excluding VAT). The Splice is however offered in eight different versions; 2018 and 2019 YZ250F; YZ450F; WR250F; and WR450F. Weighing in at just 262lbs fully fueled and ready-to-go, it’s hard to think of a better machine to tackle some twisties. Dobro opravljeni fantje!