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Motorcycling Past and Present Combine in Murray Pfaff’s Squeeze Box
Motorcycling Past and Present Combine in Murray Pfaff’s Squeeze Box
Nov 14, 2016
Squeeze Box is a modern throw-back to the iconic Honda Trail 70
If your love of motorcycles goes back a number of years or even decades, you may be living with an internal dichotomy. The hazy attraction and moto-sentimentality of the bikes of our past can collide with our obsession with new technology, performance, and reliability. Clearly, few of us have the vision or the talent to create a symbiosis of the old and the new. Hot rod designer Murray Pfaff has an ample supply of both.
Pfaff’s creative juices for this build began to flow when he studied Honda’s cool and compact Grom 125. The diminutive play-bike has been praised by virtually everyone who has straddled its low seat. What Pfaff saw when he looked at the Grom was the kindred spirit it shared with its ancestors from the 1970s. “Since I saw my first Grom dual-sport, I knew it was the perfect donor for something really cool,” said Pfaff. “And since I was never allowed my own mini-bike as a kid I wanted to make up for it by building the ultimate Trail 70.”
The build's silouette is mix of generational elements decades apart
The planning for the “Squeeze Box” had begun. One of the most noticeable design features of the iconic 1970s Honda Trail 70 is the pressed steel T-bone frame structure. For Pfaff, that feature lent itself to what would become the focal point of his amazing build. “I love rocker actuated shocks and since the Trail 70 had all that extra space on the backbone, I decided to use it. It gives the bike a signature element, and gave me a name for the project.” The high-tech, modern shock sitting above the historically significant Honda box frame is the perfect mating of the old and new. While admiring the bike, folks of a certain age who lived through the '70s will inevitably hum the double-entandre-laced song by The Who that shares a name with the build!
The top-mounted shock and K&N filter are signature elements of the project
The metamorphosis of the Squeeze Box project is truly amazing, and the commingling of the old and the new through the process is fascinating. The Grom’s forks were shortened and the frame was extensively modified to accommodate the Trail 70’s pressed framework. The custom fabricated tail section is a design element that is neither Grom nor Trail 70. It caps off the design and makes it clear that the bike is a product of both models and, at the same time, transcends them altogether.
While Murray Pfaff is clearly the creative force behind Squeeze Box, he is quick to credit the other craftsmen who worked on the build. Steve Germond assisted in the welding and fabrication and Tom Stark did much of the machining. That striking paint and graphic scheme is the handiwork of John Mijal.
The old (SL70) and the new (Grom) getting to know eachother
Breathing life and clean air into Squeeze Box is a K&N high-flow air filter on a custom intake. The intake and filter are clearly both a performance and engine protection element and a very visible design statement. As for his reasoning for using K&N, Pfaff said, “I always look forward to using K&N filters on all of my builds and designs because of their unparalleled engineering, performance gains, and ease of installation.” K&N is proud to be an integral part of this incredible build.
About Pfaff Designs:
Murray Pfaff is a national award winning custom car designer and builder. He designs projects for enthusiasts and top builders alike. Some of his notable builds are The Imperial Speedster, the Cadillac known as FireMaker, the MINI he named Alter-Ego, and the supercharged Ram pickup that carries the name Draggin’ Wagon.
