Written by Martin Hodgson
They say a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step; but for one particular German it only makes sense to begin with a Kawasaki W650. Tommy Thöring has been a mainstay of the European custom motorcycle scene for years and is a regular on the Sultans of Sprint travelling circus. But now he’s packing up his Schlachtwerk operation and heading for the Land Down Under. Sydney to be exact. So to prepare for this next chapter of his journey he’s built a bike to go with him, a killer custom Kawasaki W650, ripe to rip up the Australian roads.

Heading so far from home as a permanent move is no easy decision, but it made the inspiration for the build a breeze. ?The inspiration was my relocation to the other side, I wanted to modify my W for a nice and sunny environment, with nice beaches and sandy roads. Yes I know, the K&N filters are not the first choice in sand, but I think in reality this bike will stay on sealed roads 90%. I wanted the lightest W on the road, with a bit more powerful engine, Supermoto seat position and a classic 60s/70s look,? Tommy smiles.
He’s long since made his mark building countless cool customs from the Kawasaki W retro range, so the choice was an easy one. But this particular bike has been in his collection since 2012 when he sold his Hypermotard 1100 S. Sadly the bike was bought blind and without testing, and what would you know the thing just wouldn’t start. Now with just a few more ...