Starting from his hobby of collecting old motorcycles, Eri Sudarmono (42), a resident of Kauman hamlet, Gilangharjo sub-district, Kapanewon Pandak, Bantul regency, Yogyakarta province, made a robot replica made from used motorcycle parts.

The robot turned out to sell well in foreign markets. Eri was also able to survive the pandemic after previously being affected.

"Initially, I worked making paintings and decorations. And because of this pandemic, I had no work for 6 months. Then my buyer, who often orders paintings, asked me to make a robot out of metal or iron," she said.

From the buyer's request, Eri then collected used motorcycles that she bought from a junk collector in Bantul.

For the base material, Eri disassembled used motorcycles. Such as Yamaha V75, Honda C70, and Suzuki Family. There are also used parts from Honda Tiger, Honda Megapro, Suzuki Thunder, and others.

"I look for them at junk collectors, but there are also many sellers of old motorcycles. I usually buy them around Yogyakarta and Klaten. The price is around Rp500,000 to Rp800,000 per bike," he said.

In the process, the motorcycle will be disassembled by the mechanic, then cleaned. The next process is to make the main frame and attach the motorcycle parts with welding. The last step is painting.

"I only use materials made of iron or aluminum. For example, I don't use motorcycle seats or plastic," he said.

Over the past 7 months, at least 30 units of the 3-meter robot replica have been sold.

Most of the buyers are from China, but there are also buyers from Germany who bought 4 units of robot replicas.

"From Indonesia, only one person bought it for cafe decoration. But now, after going viral, there are more and more orders from Indonesia," he said.


To make one robot replica, an average of 5 motorcycles is required. When completed, her robot replicas sell for Rp30 million to Rp60 million depending on the detail and level of complexity.

Previously, Eri had also made a replica of an elephant that sold for Rp60 million, the basic ingredients of which were parts from 10 to 12 motorcycles.

Apart from making robot replicas, she also continues to carry out her hobby as an ancient motorcycle collector.


Interview: Eri Sudarmono, Owner of ER Studio Art

Ask: Since when have you been making robots using automotive waste?

Answer: I started making this robot replica about two years ago. I use motorcycle waste that is no longer suitable for use.

I have sent almost 30 replicas to China. I have also sent it to Germany five times.

In Indonesia, it also went viral and many people are interested in this robot replica.

Ask: How long does it take to make a robot replica?

Answer: For the first time, I made one robot replica in about a month. There were four people who made it.

Now that there are many orders, I have added more staff. All the employees live nearby.

Now I can make up to eight robot replicas in one month. And it depends on the customer's order.


Video by : Joseph Howi / Opn Images Indonesia