With the vast majority of today’s retro-inspired so-called “Scramblers” not being particularly competent off-road machines, one builder in the U.K. opted to instead buy a modern-retro standard and turn it into a bulletproof bonafide off-roader. The results are an awesome machine reminiscent of when Scramblers were actually made to scramble complete with a high-mounted exhaust and many of the other knickknacks you’d expect on a legitimate dirt-goer.
Even though this is a “desert sled” build, this example is in remarkably pristine condition, leading me to believe none of the 100 miles put on the bike since its rebuild were of the off-road variety. Starting with a stock ’01 W650, this bike was completely stripped down before undergoing a top-end rebuild and getting new RAM air-filters. The custom stainless steel exhaust created in-house features Biltwell silencers and leaves little question as to what category of motorcycle this machine falls into. The new one-off exhaust – unlike the W650’s stock exhaust system – is protected behind the bike’s frame which is something of a must on an off-road scoot. The battery was seemingly relocated which not only adds to the custom flavor of this bike, but also cleans up the overall appearance on this machine.
An aftermarket Bates-style circular headlight was mounted on the front of this Kawasaki, along with an EasyRiders LED Tail Light and Micro-LED Indicators. A Motogadget Tiny Speedometer keeps the display nice and clean while a new custom leather/alcantara seat furthers this build’s Scrambler aesthetic. A pair of Biltwell Thruster grips have been thrown onto this Scrambler’s Tomaselli bars, along with an alloy hand-lever set which includes an alloy master cylinder that’s married to the calipers via HEL steel-braided lines. Completing the bike’s custom cosmetic work is black paint job with gold pinstriping conservatively used to compliment the Kawa’s rims, all of which visually pairs wonderfully with the rubber knee-pads on the W650’s stock tank.
This example sports a gold-anodized set of 18″ Morad rims that have been balanced, all wrapped in a set of Continental TKC-80 “Twinduro” tires. Adding to this machine’s off-road readiness is a short rear mudguard and a SuperBrace fork brace to ensure this Kawa can take a proper beating. Many other minor components such as new spark plugs and K&N Filters are small potatoes but nonetheless save the future buyer a little bit of time, money and effort. The seller is also including spare genuine Kawasaki throttle cables in the sale of this bike.
Is this the most impressive Scrambler build I’ve ever seen? No, but it’s still a damn fine example of a bike from the genre of two-wheeler. You can find this awesome one-off 2001 Kawasaki W650 middle-weight desert-sled/scrambler for sale here on TheBikeShed in Edinburgh, Scotland with a price of $7,925 (or £5,995). The ad also mentions free delivery within a “reasonable distance” from Edinburgh, however a “reasonable distance” can be pretty subjective.