Ellaspede Custom Kawasaki W800

When thoughts of a modern classic custom build cross your mind, the usual choice is to opt for one of the later model Triumphs. And for good reason; their traditional parallel twin engine configuration, rich brand history and vintage-inspired aesthetic make them hard to go past as a donor bike.

Kurt, who commissioned this build, knew they were a great option, too, but looked past the well-worn path of Brit twin customisation in favour of something a little less popular, but equally as appropriate and impressive. Enter his 2013-model Kawasaki W800.

Turning Japanese

Often lauded as being more “British-looking” in stock form than the late model Triumphs it’s inspired by, Kawasaki’s W800 is an excellent alternative to British twins for a late-model modern classic build.

Kawasaki have some impressive history of their own, though, especially with the ‘W’ model which was first released in 1965, so they’re not short of their own bona fide classic inspiration for a new bike. Just look at that motor! It’s up there with the best looking powerplants of any factory bike.

Kurt’s two-wheel history goes back to his grandfathers, who both rode motorcycles in their younger days. Although the love of bikes skipped a generation, it seems only natural, given the family pedigree, that Kurt would turn to two wheels, too.

Kutting the Kawasaki

Fast forward to the present and although Kurt acknowledged the W800 is a great looking bike as is, his was destined to go under the knife.

The brief was for a tasteful build, with some classic inspiration and a subtle colour scheme to make the most of what the W800 already offers.

To start, the rear frame was shortened and a custom seat made its way on in place of the original. Kurt only intended this build to be a single seater, so the pillion peg frame mounts were removed, along with a number of other frame tabs to clean up the lines. Compare this build to a stock W800 and you’ll see where the surgeon’s knife has been, but it’s nothing too radical.

Complementing this, a custom steel rear guard was shaped up for the shorter back end, with the front guard also cut down and modified to suit the new application.

Keeping the back end tidy is a thin, flexible tail/brake light, which is only about as long as your finger, but being LED, throws out an impressive amount of light to keep The Law happy.

Minor Changes, Major Improvements

Following the main surgery, the usual items were attended to, with the stock Kawasaki lights, bars, indicators and mirrors making way for smaller aftermarket pieces, some of which were supplied to us by Kurt to match his vision.

Notable additions are the LSL handlebar, retro-look toffee grips from Posh and aftermarket compact bar-end mirrors, but the low-slung look achieved with these items is only part of the story.

A lower gauge mount bracket is a new addition to the Ellaspede range of in-house manufactured products and Kurt’s Kawasaki was the first customer bike to receive one.

With some custom builds, keeping the clocks in the regular ‘stand-up’ position can ruin the desired lines. This kit (in conjunction with a lower headlight bracket in this instance) delivers a more aggressive and streamlined look to most bikes: and as you can see from this build, it absolutely works on the W80, too.

Other items applied to this build from our own product range include the blank rear half mudguard, rear indicator brackets and ‘ninja star’ licence plate mounting kit.

Keeping things looking clean and minimal – while also legal – are compact Daytona bullet indicators with black cases and smoked lenses.

Heart and Lungs. . . . and Feet

The W800’s 733cc twin cylinder heart has been mildly worked over to Kurt’s instructions, with the inclusion of K&N pod filters for better inhaling and a full Remus exhaust system from Germany for improved exhaling.

These changes, combined with an O2 bypass and Power Commander, bumps power up to a respectable 56hp (41.7kW) at the rear wheel - not bad when you realise the W800 puts out 35kW in stock trim.

The W800’s factory braking set-up – 300mm disc front, drum rear - was left as is, but the stock rims were powdercoated in slick black before Firestone Deluxe Champion tyres were wrapped on for that classic big tyre look.

Chequered Past

Of the aesthetic changes to this build, the old-school Kawasaki tank badges draw immediate attention. These genuine vintage badges grace a smoothed-out tank, while the crimson treatment for the ‘chequered flag’ part of the badge picks up on the custom oxblood leather seat.

The colour scheme was all-important to round out the theme of Kurt’s bike. With a number of items dressed in black already, bright silver provides the perfect contrast on the guards and tank, while the off-centre racing stripe adds a bit of sporting flair and picks up on the badge and seat treatment.

Blacked-out side covers and polished engine casings are the finishing touches on this build, which took a little under two months, and was completed last November.

Individual Choice

Given the W800 isn’t as popular as late model British twin motorcycles, one could be forgiven for thinking that owning one in stock form would be individual enough. But as with all stock motorcycles, there are trims and tweaks that can make the most of what the factory intended.

We certainly credit Kurt’s vision for this bike, knowing that, with some classic plans and well thought-out modifications, it would turn into an impressively smooth and slimmed-down W800.

This bike didn’t need to reinvent the wheel: like the Kawasaki designers, it just drew on a little history to create what is a true representation of a ‘modern classic’.