Words by Tim Huber.
Since 2016, husband and wife team, Max and Erica Droog have been building custom bikes under the banner of Droog Moto. The Washington-based shop is known for its signature take on the post-apocalyptic look, with customs that can be best described as modern, doomsday-ready street fighters with a dash of scrambler flavor. For its latest build ? dubbed ?DM-015 The Urban Fighter? ?? the couple has once again set its sights on Kawasaki?s Ninja 250R ? Team Green?s longtime entry-level staple of a sportbike.

Kawasaki first introduced the Ninja 250 back in 1986 and it would go on to quickly become one of the firm?s all-time best-selling models, remaining in production for over a quarter-century before eventually being replaced by the larger Ninja 300 (and then Ninja 400). With little in the way of competition, legions of riders began their motorcycle careers aboard these nimble and affordable little runners. While the model performed adequately for a 250, it went largely unchanged for several decades and by the mid-2000s, left a lot to be desired in the looks department. However, where others saw a bike with dated-looking bodywork (originally styled after the ?88 Ninja 750) Max and Erica saw a blank canvas.
The shop started by pulling the liquid-cooled parallel-twin from its frame which was then modified. A new subframe was fused onto the main chassis so the two structures are now a single piece. The 250?s stock 37mm telescopic forks were then swapped out for...