Some folks feel the urge to ride a different bike every few months. Others stay true to their trusty steeds for decades. But even if you?re the monogamous type, after a few years you?ll probably get the itch to spice things up a bit.
That?s what happened with this very striking Kawasaki ZZR600 from the Netherlands. It?s owned by a lady called Gina, who bought her Ninja 16 years ago?as her first motorcycle. She felt like a change, but didn?t want to lose too much of the original design or character.

So she took her ZZR to 37-year-old local bike builder Michel Szozda. ?I’m always up for a challenge, so I went for it,? he says.
It helps that Michel has a background in both metalworking and graphic design: ?I managed to mix the two professions together by starting Cool Kid Customs in 2014.? He works with friends in Haarlem, near Amsterdam, and it sounds like he?s got his priorities right: ?We build bikes, paint, design, tattoo and barbecue a lot!?
The ZZR600, also known as the ZX-6 Ninja, is not a typical candidate for a custom job. But it was an absolute cracker of a machine: the DOHC inline-four makes 88 horses at the rear wheel, and can propel the bike to the quarter mile in just over 11 seconds. The top speed is an impressive 153 mph.
?I like the fact that it’s not a popular bike to chop up,? says Michel. ?There’s nothing to find on the web, so I could start this build with a fresh vision. I wanted to lose the whole 90s look of the ZZR600, but keep t...