French dressing: A chic Kawasaki W650 from Lyon
Kawasaki are making waves in the neo-retro scene with the well-reviewed Z900RS. But truth be told, we still really miss the simple, compact W-series.
Made right up until last year, the W800?and its predecessor, the W650?had a cheerful parallel twin motor with some of the best styling we’ve seen on a modern classic. And there are more than enough W-based customs on these pages to confirm how well they respond to modification.
This latest testament to the W’s charm comes out of Lyon, France. It’s a no-fuss 2002-model W650, and a collaboration between friends Nicolas and Sebastien, who run the custom workshop Egerie Motorcycle and apparel brand Age of Glory respectively.
They first met two years ago, at a flat track race, and quickly realized they had a lot to talk about.
?We shared a love of vintage machines, and a taste for simple and uncluttered aesthetics,? says Sebastien. ?So the W650 project started naturally.?
?I had the motorcycle to work on, and a lot of ideas?but not all the required skills. I realized that Nicolas had those skills?and we shared a common love of good workmanship.?
Before long, the W650 was on Nicolas’ bench, along with a sketch and a mood board that Sebastien had put together.
Sebastien loves racing flat track, but this bike would be his daily runner, so it also had to be street legal. A final direction was quickly decided on: neo-classic street tracker, with vintage touches.
The guys were working to a budget too, w...
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