We’ve nothing but love and respect for the author behind this sensational undertaking.
Chris Scholtka makes a living as a full-time firefighter, but his secondary occupation is building custom motorcycles under the alias of Motocrew. About a month ago, we featured one of Scholtka's most fascinating exploits, a Ducati 848 EVO subjected to a neo-retro cafe racer conversion.
To be honest with you, we can’t seem to get enough of this fellow’s two-wheeled artwork, so the urge to feature yet another one of his ventures was simply irresistible. This time around, the project in question began with a stock 1984 MY GPZ900R Ninja from Kawasaki’s lineup. Its liquid-cooled 908cc inline-four mill boasts four valves per cylinder and a solid compression ratio of 11.0:1.
The engine feeds a whopping 115 hp and 63 pound-feet (85 Nm) of twist to a six-speed gearbox, which routes the oomph to a chain final drive. Upon reaching the rear wheel, this whole shebang translates to a generous top speed of 154 mph (248 kph). Now, let’s cut to the chase and inspect how the solo mastermind over at Motocrew managed to convert this Ninja into something truly unique.
In the powertrain department, a few more ponies were extracted thanks to a Dynojet module and an aftermarket four-into-one exhaust system adorned with an SC Project muffler. After installing a Ducati quick-action throttle kit, Chris turned his attention to GPZ’s bodywork. As such, the standard outfit was deleted in its entirety to make room for a Honda CB750F’s repurposed gas tank, a retro-style front fairing, and a bolt-on subframe.
The latter—which rests on a Ducati Scrambler’s monoshock—is tasked with supporting a cross-stitched Alcantara saddle and one tiny LED taillight. At the front end, the original forks were lowered to make the rider’s posture a little more aggressive, while the cockpit received Hookie Co. grips and a selection of Motogadget goodies, including bar-end blinkers and a digital speedometer. Finally, we spot a pair of three-spoke magnesium wheels, whose rims are embraced firmly by Shinko rubber.
To be honest with you, we can’t seem to get enough of this fellow’s two-wheeled artwork, so the urge to feature yet another one of his ventures was simply irresistible. This time around, the project in question began with a stock 1984 MY GPZ900R Ninja from Kawasaki’s lineup. Its liquid-cooled 908cc inline-four mill boasts four valves per cylinder and a solid compression ratio of 11.0:1.
The engine feeds a whopping 115 hp and 63 pound-feet (85 Nm) of twist to a six-speed gearbox, which routes the oomph to a chain final drive. Upon reaching the rear wheel, this whole shebang translates to a generous top speed of 154 mph (248 kph). Now, let’s cut to the chase and inspect how the solo mastermind over at Motocrew managed to convert this Ninja into something truly unique.
In the powertrain department, a few more ponies were extracted thanks to a Dynojet module and an aftermarket four-into-one exhaust system adorned with an SC Project muffler. After installing a Ducati quick-action throttle kit, Chris turned his attention to GPZ’s bodywork. As such, the standard outfit was deleted in its entirety to make room for a Honda CB750F’s repurposed gas tank, a retro-style front fairing, and a bolt-on subframe.
The latter—which rests on a Ducati Scrambler’s monoshock—is tasked with supporting a cross-stitched Alcantara saddle and one tiny LED taillight. At the front end, the original forks were lowered to make the rider’s posture a little more aggressive, while the cockpit received Hookie Co. grips and a selection of Motogadget goodies, including bar-end blinkers and a digital speedometer. Finally, we spot a pair of three-spoke magnesium wheels, whose rims are embraced firmly by Shinko rubber.