Whenever the words “skin” and “milk” are used in the same sentence, a number of things can come to mind, with one of the most widespread being the image of soft, delicate things. Both are attributes this Kawasaki W650, nicknamed Skin Milk, has nothing in common with.
The factory retro-styled W650 is often the chosen canvas for custom shops across the world, especially the ones over in Europe. This one was selected and transformed by a crew called Bad Winners, formed back in 2011 over in Paris, France.
As per the shop’s statement of intent when it comes to this particular project, the idea was to “create a clean, minimalistic look that focused as much as possible on raw metal textures, clean welding, and simple lines.”
For what it’s worth, that’s exactly what Bad Winners got, a two-wheeler so simple it’s almost frightening to look at, and probably very cold and rugged to the touch. That’s because, aside from lacking unnecessary adornments, it also lacks paint on the frame, fenders, or YSS suspension, leaving us face to face with a hunk of metal that’s anything but soft and delicate.
Some paint was used, a milky white that’s responsible for the build’s name, sprayed on the fuel tank and headlight. Speaking of fuel tank, it comes from a Yamaha DT 250 and required some extensive modifications to be made in order for it to be accommodated on the build.
Mechanically, the motorcycle was gifted with a number of OEM and custom bits, including the Dynojet carburetor, K&N air filter, and Spark MotoGP exhaust.
Even if this type of build is not necessarily as spectacular as say Harley-based two-wheelers, it doesn’t mean they come cheap. Bad Winners says this Kawasaki Skin Milk custom ride costs 20,390 euros (almost $22,400), including the base motorcycle.
As per the shop’s statement of intent when it comes to this particular project, the idea was to “create a clean, minimalistic look that focused as much as possible on raw metal textures, clean welding, and simple lines.”
For what it’s worth, that’s exactly what Bad Winners got, a two-wheeler so simple it’s almost frightening to look at, and probably very cold and rugged to the touch. That’s because, aside from lacking unnecessary adornments, it also lacks paint on the frame, fenders, or YSS suspension, leaving us face to face with a hunk of metal that’s anything but soft and delicate.
Some paint was used, a milky white that’s responsible for the build’s name, sprayed on the fuel tank and headlight. Speaking of fuel tank, it comes from a Yamaha DT 250 and required some extensive modifications to be made in order for it to be accommodated on the build.
Mechanically, the motorcycle was gifted with a number of OEM and custom bits, including the Dynojet carburetor, K&N air filter, and Spark MotoGP exhaust.
Even if this type of build is not necessarily as spectacular as say Harley-based two-wheelers, it doesn’t mean they come cheap. Bad Winners says this Kawasaki Skin Milk custom ride costs 20,390 euros (almost $22,400), including the base motorcycle.