The Kawasaki W800’s versatility is just one of its many charms. Throw a handful of mods at it, and you’ll end up with a respectable garden variety street scrambler in no time. But how about turning it into a full-on vintage motocrosser, where the original bike is almost unrecognizable"
That takes equal doses of imagination, talent and dedication?and Mário Raphael Soares has plenty of all three. He’s been running MRS Oficina in Paris for the last few years, but has just moved his workshop back to his home town of Chaves, in Portugal.

This Kawasaki W800 was his fourth collaboration with Kawasaki France, and the last project to roll out of his Parisian shop.
The idea was to build a retro scrambler with a motocross vibe, purely for off-road use and with some actual capability. The overall aesthetic recalls an era rather than any one particular bike?but if it wasn’t for the modern suspension and fresh paint, it would easily pass for a vintage stocker.
It took more than just a few nips and tucks to achieve this look though. For starters, Mário had to shorten and narrow the stock tank to get the proportions just right. That left too little room for both the fuel pump and a decent amount of gas to occupy, so he also built an auxiliary tank under the seat to hold the pump.
Mário made some subtle tweaks to the frame, but kept its long, kinked rear loop, simply adding a new tab for the rear fender. Up top is a stubby new seat, and on the sides are...