Photo: AJ Moller Photography via Ellaspede
You may want to go ahead and take a seat, because this custom head-turner will make you weak at the knees.
Many would regard the Triumph Bonneville as the undisputed king (or queen, rather) of retro-style modern bikes, but Kawasaki’s W800 can certainly give it a good run for its money. Thus, it’s not at all uncommon for people to pick the latter as a slightly cheaper, yet equally good-looking alternative to Triumph’s offering.
Now, Kurt was pondering the idea of getting himself a snazzy one-off infused with classic styling, but he didn’t want to go down the obvious route by commissioning a Bonnie. He scored a well-kept W800 from the model year 2013 instead and did some research on the web to find a workshop that could turn his vision into reality. Soon enough, he was in touch with Ellaspede of Brisbane, Queensland.
Although what Kurt was asking for was relatively simple, the project saw the same level of consideration as Ellaspede’s more complex endeavors. It’s muted and monochromatic for the most part, but it certainly doesn’t need any more color in order to stand out! Let’s go ahead and dissect the mods present on this stunning Kawi.
Starting at the rear, Ellaspede made the W800’s proportions tighter by shortening its subframe and installing a handmade steel fender. New turn signals, an LED lighting strip, and a slender license plate bracket were also on the menu, but what really captures our attention is that ravishing solo seat upholstered in burgundy leather.
As the passenger foot pegs were now redundant, they’ve been chopped off and ditched together with a few other frame tabs. Turning their attention to the other end, the Aussies trimmed the motorcycle’s front fender, lowered its headlamp and dials by way of custom brackets, and replaced the stock blinkers with fresh items like those found out back.
The cockpit area is a real charm too, featuring an LSL handlebar equipped with round bar-end mirrors and burgundy grips that match the seat upholstery. Equal consideration was given to the bike’s 773cc parallel-twin motor, which is now home to premium K&N air filters, a Power Commander control unit from Dynojet, and a complete Remus exhaust system.
In stock form, the W800 benefited from 48 crank-measured ponies, but Ellaspede’s upgrades took that figure up to a much beefier 56 hp at the wheel. Oh, and speaking of footwear: the Kawi’s OEM hoops were powder-coated black and subsequently wrapped in vintage-looking Deluxe Champion tires from Firestone.
Last but not least, the fuel tank and fenders received a glossy layer of silver paint, which is accompanied by groovy stripes and stylish tank badges. Although black is the predominant color elsewhere, the engine was left unpainted in order to make it stand out. The reworked W800 got handed back to Kurt during the summer of 2018, but we don’t know how much he was charged by the Brisbane-based outfit.
Now, Kurt was pondering the idea of getting himself a snazzy one-off infused with classic styling, but he didn’t want to go down the obvious route by commissioning a Bonnie. He scored a well-kept W800 from the model year 2013 instead and did some research on the web to find a workshop that could turn his vision into reality. Soon enough, he was in touch with Ellaspede of Brisbane, Queensland.
Although what Kurt was asking for was relatively simple, the project saw the same level of consideration as Ellaspede’s more complex endeavors. It’s muted and monochromatic for the most part, but it certainly doesn’t need any more color in order to stand out! Let’s go ahead and dissect the mods present on this stunning Kawi.
Starting at the rear, Ellaspede made the W800’s proportions tighter by shortening its subframe and installing a handmade steel fender. New turn signals, an LED lighting strip, and a slender license plate bracket were also on the menu, but what really captures our attention is that ravishing solo seat upholstered in burgundy leather.
As the passenger foot pegs were now redundant, they’ve been chopped off and ditched together with a few other frame tabs. Turning their attention to the other end, the Aussies trimmed the motorcycle’s front fender, lowered its headlamp and dials by way of custom brackets, and replaced the stock blinkers with fresh items like those found out back.
The cockpit area is a real charm too, featuring an LSL handlebar equipped with round bar-end mirrors and burgundy grips that match the seat upholstery. Equal consideration was given to the bike’s 773cc parallel-twin motor, which is now home to premium K&N air filters, a Power Commander control unit from Dynojet, and a complete Remus exhaust system.
In stock form, the W800 benefited from 48 crank-measured ponies, but Ellaspede’s upgrades took that figure up to a much beefier 56 hp at the wheel. Oh, and speaking of footwear: the Kawi’s OEM hoops were powder-coated black and subsequently wrapped in vintage-looking Deluxe Champion tires from Firestone.
Last but not least, the fuel tank and fenders received a glossy layer of silver paint, which is accompanied by groovy stripes and stylish tank badges. Although black is the predominant color elsewhere, the engine was left unpainted in order to make it stand out. The reworked W800 got handed back to Kurt during the summer of 2018, but we don’t know how much he was charged by the Brisbane-based outfit.
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