Photo: Cowboy's Chopper
With a name like Cowboy’s Chopper, Alex Gao’s bike-modding firm over in Taiwan is the last workshop you’d expect to build a sporty cafe racer. The custom motorcycle realm is full of surprises, though, and this Taipei-based workshop has in fact tackled an array of cafe projects over the years. For the one we’re about to look at, their starting point was a Kawasaki Z1000 from the model-year 2003.
The Japanese titan comes with a very healthy 127 hp and 71 pound-feet (96 Nm) of torque on tap, courtesy of its fuel-injected 953cc four-banger. Although the Z1000’s power output figures are nothing to sneeze at, its aesthetics are rather outdated by today’s standards. Cowboy’s Chopper sought to fix that, so they promptly did away with all the factory bodywork alongside many other bits and pieces.
With the 2003-model Kawasaki taken apart, Alex and his team proceeded to revise its main framework ever so slightly before adding a new rear subframe. The looped structure was fabricated in-house, and it supports a neat cafe-style tail unit along with a bespoke leather seat. A full suite of aftermarket LEDs are also attached to the tubing, but the license plate will henceforth live down low on a swingarm-mounted bracket.
A stunning, handmade fuel tank is also part of the Kawi’s new attire, and so is a tiny front fender made from scratch. The ergonomic side of things is finished off with fresh rearsets and clip-on handlebars, with the latter sporting bar-end turn signals and mirrors. Further ahead, we see a small, yet bright LED headlamp where the Z1000’s angular fairing had once been.
Moving on to the performance mods, the Taiwanese artisans had the motorcycle’s upside-down forks refurbished inside out. The rear shock absorber was deleted altogether, making way for a higher-spec Ohlins TTX substitute. Further improving the bike’s handling are the upgraded brakes, now featuring drilled aftermarket discs and sturdy Brembo calipers.
Additionally, the wheels were cloaked in Dunlop tires for ample grip. Cowboy’s Chopper performed an invigorating engine rebuild, too, and the original exhaust pipework was swiftly taken out of the equation. In its stead, we now find an off-the-shelf titanium setup that runs a neat four-two-four configuration. The last piece of the puzzle was, of course, the creature’s color scheme, and things were kept relatively simple here.
A tasty silver finish made its way onto the fuel tank and tail, but black is the predominant color everywhere else you look. The plain, monochromatic livery is a perfect match for this caffeinated Z1000, because the machine doesn’t need any sort of vibrant colors to stand out. On the contrary, the new bodywork and many other improvements do all the talking here, which is exactly how we like it!
With the 2003-model Kawasaki taken apart, Alex and his team proceeded to revise its main framework ever so slightly before adding a new rear subframe. The looped structure was fabricated in-house, and it supports a neat cafe-style tail unit along with a bespoke leather seat. A full suite of aftermarket LEDs are also attached to the tubing, but the license plate will henceforth live down low on a swingarm-mounted bracket.
A stunning, handmade fuel tank is also part of the Kawi’s new attire, and so is a tiny front fender made from scratch. The ergonomic side of things is finished off with fresh rearsets and clip-on handlebars, with the latter sporting bar-end turn signals and mirrors. Further ahead, we see a small, yet bright LED headlamp where the Z1000’s angular fairing had once been.
Moving on to the performance mods, the Taiwanese artisans had the motorcycle’s upside-down forks refurbished inside out. The rear shock absorber was deleted altogether, making way for a higher-spec Ohlins TTX substitute. Further improving the bike’s handling are the upgraded brakes, now featuring drilled aftermarket discs and sturdy Brembo calipers.
Additionally, the wheels were cloaked in Dunlop tires for ample grip. Cowboy’s Chopper performed an invigorating engine rebuild, too, and the original exhaust pipework was swiftly taken out of the equation. In its stead, we now find an off-the-shelf titanium setup that runs a neat four-two-four configuration. The last piece of the puzzle was, of course, the creature’s color scheme, and things were kept relatively simple here.
A tasty silver finish made its way onto the fuel tank and tail, but black is the predominant color everywhere else you look. The plain, monochromatic livery is a perfect match for this caffeinated Z1000, because the machine doesn’t need any sort of vibrant colors to stand out. On the contrary, the new bodywork and many other improvements do all the talking here, which is exactly how we like it!
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