As modern retros go, Kawasaki hit the nail on the head with their re-imagining of the W series bikes from the ’60s. In fact, the ‘new’ W’s bevel driven twin cylinder engine is even more of a classic than the original. But as an overall package they’ve always needed a little more panache…

The launch of Kawasaki‘s new Z900RS has seen the return of some good ol‘ manly retro moto madness. Custom-made for 2018, Japan’s Blue Thunders shop in conjunction with Icon Motosports has taken a brand new Z, made it into a racer and decided to run it up Pikes Peak at 110% just for shits and giggles…

In an industrial area near the wharves, on a white weather beaten wall, is an old Castrol sign that looks like it marks the spot of an old English workshop. Welcome to Hiroshima and the now world famous workshop of custom builder extraordinaire Kengo Kimura…

Insanity comes in many forms. But the best kind of crazy is Tom Thörig from Schlachtwerk, who corralled some of Germany’s finest craftsmen into helping him produce this – an amazing Kawasaki W650 dubbed ‘Wasabi’ that’s built to tackle our favourite race series, the Sultans of Sprint…

The reviews are in and the motorcycle industry has spoken. The new Kawasaki Z900RS is the best handling, best looking, most incredible retro bike ever designed. According to the throngs of fawning middle-aged journalists it can do anything. Such is the power of the new Z900RS. But is it really all that?

Chicago’s Chris Zahner might be a bartender, but I think he’s a magician. Look at his latest bike – a 1987 Kawasaki Ninja 250 – the motorcycle a generation of boy racers learnt to ride on. They were dropped in car parks, dumped in corners and were so abused they should have been taken into government care…

Most of you can jump onto Craigslist or eBay, rock up to a darkened car park, meet a stranger and take home a project bike of your choosing. It can be old, it can be Italian, it can be American, it can be British. Living in the West rocks. But we’re not all that lucky….

It’s been a big week for Kawasaki retro remake fans with the release of the Z900rs in Tokyo to pay homage to the legendary Z1 of the ‘70s. But it seems that what one hand giveth the other taketh away, as Team Green hammered home the final nail in the W series retro rides coffin. One of the first modern bikes to be built with a classic look, the twenty-year production run is finally over. But so long as useable items can be found in salvageable condition, then Germany’s Schlachtwerk proprietor Tommy Thöring will make customs of them all. His latest is a 2012 W800 Special Edition that’s blacker than the ace of spades for an owner who is just as lucky.

Think of your perfect desert island bike. For the purposes of the exercise let’s say that this island is blessed with amazing roads; roads that you have to ride indefinitely. Suddenly all those dream rides like the Brough, Moto Guzzi V8 and the Britton look a little painful, yes? They’d be like having to share paradise with a megalomaniac millionaire or a narcissistic supermodel. You’d be better off with something that does a whole bunch of things really well, is super comfy and that will last the distance without breaking down on the first day. A bike a lot like the latest Kawasaki W650 from Germany’s Schlachtwerk.

Lately we’ve been featuring some custom rides that still manage to be clean, practical motorcycles. Bikes you can pillion on, motorcycles you could take shopping – bikes you could take to meet your mum. But just in case you thought us here at Pipeburn HQ were getting sensible here’s a chopper designed by FNA Custom Cycles run by a 1972 Kawasaki 750 H2 two-stroke, a digger so mental we’re going to get it sectioned.