Written by Tim Huber.
Since its release in the mid-2000s, Kawasaki?s ER-6N or Ninja 650, has been a go-to choice for riders seeking a practical, no-frills, mid-sized commuter bike. Its popularity, however, has a lot more to do with its reliable and economical nature than it does its relatively unremarkable appearance. So, with a stellar twin at its core, a well-designed chassis, and generally capable running gear, France?s Taverne Motorcycle Garage set out to give the ER-6N a visual redesign with as much character as its lively mid-sized twin.

The Kawasaki?s front-end was binned to make room for a fork off a Daytona 955i with refreshed internals, and a single Beringer disc setup complete with a custom rotor. The radiator was also upgraded, and the exhaust now culminates in a stainless steel GP-style silencer from SC-Project. The factory subframe and seat were lopped off and replaced with a new one-off unit made to support the tail section while doubling as the battery and electronics housing underneath. Next, the shop cooked up a handmade tracker tail section before welding number plates to the sides. Furthering the dirt tracker aesthetic is a front number plate and beak combo with the main circular LED lamp, offset, protruding from the board alongside a pair of embedded stacked mini-LED running lights.

One-off bash-guards for the parallel-twin were also produced in house, and a set of mesh inserts is nestled in the gaps of the 650?s tubular frame. A custom license plate...