Kawasaki’s ER6N first hit the streets in 2008 but the middleweight naked sports bike isn’t a motorcycle that often pops up on our radar. Despite having a reputation for being great value, it isn’t a motorcycle that many custom workshops are drawn to. That is unless you’re in Indonesia where the ER6N rules the streets and still makes up part of Kawasaki’s current model offering.
In Indonesia the Kawasaki ER6N is considered a “big bike”, outclassing the plethora of small-capacity motorcycles and scooters that fill the country’s streets. But it’s not just the ER6N’s capacity that makes it so appealing though. The Kawaka received top marks from the crew at MCN who awarded it a 5/5 rating and had this to say about it…
“Tests have shown that nine out of 10 road testers prefer the Kawasaki ER-6 to virtually any other middleweight machine. Rivals including the Suzuki GSF600 Bandit, Yamaha FZS600 Fazer, Ducati Monster 600, and Suzuki SV650 have been trounced by the ER-6. A cunningly disguised riot of fun, the Kawasaki ER-6 is cute, it’s capable and it’s competent just about anywhere. You’d have to be off your rocker not to enjoy the ride.” – MCN
We can only assume the thing putting other custom workshops off the ER6N is its naked sports styling. But when you’ve got world-class coachbuilders at your disposal, like Nuel the owner and founder of Bali’s Treasure Garage, such trivial matters are of no concern. This neo-retro-styled 2013 Kawasaki ER6N is Nuel’s personal ride. After tiring of the Kawasaki’s staid styling he decided to throw it up on a hoist and make it their latest in-house project.
In recent years, Treasure Garage has developed a reputation for building futuristic-looking rides and Nuel’s concept for the Kawasaki was no different. His inspiration came from the game Cyberpunk 2077, a neo-noir-styled first-person RPG that famously featured a cameo by Keanu Reeves. To create his vision, the ER6N was stripped down to the frame, engine, and wheels and over 6 months transformed into the wild ride you see here.
Starting with the chassis Trasure Garage has chopped away the subframe. This helped to tighten the bike’s proportions and convert it to a single-seater. To accommodate Nuel’s vision for the new exhaust, the side-mounted monoshock has been relocated to the center of the frame. This necessitated modifications to the swing arm and subframe to allow the shock to function properly. The exhaust itself is a 2-into-2 setup. The pie-cut pipes snake their way from the front of the engine to the rear of the bike where the mufflers have been tucked in beneath the tail unit.
The bike’s new bodywork is a radical departure from the ER6N standard affair. All the components from the fenders to the fuel tank have been painstakingly hand-shaped from aluminum by the Treasure Garage team. At the pointy end of the bike sits a new headlight cowl that incorporates a projector-style headlamp with a red DRL halo reminiscent of 2001 Space Odyssey’s Hal 9000. The fork legs have been encased in covers and the fender also forms a cover for the whole front brake assembly.
At the bike’s center sits a new fuel tank also fashioned from alloy. Featuring scalloped knee dents on each side and a raised panel for the filler it looks right at home on the ER6N chassis. Below the tank is a specially made set of side covers. Along with beefing things up the panels incorporate a set of discreet LED turn signals and form a surround for the behemoth radiator. Then, for a touch of racing style, there’s an angular belly pan that protects the engine from road debris.
The rear end features the stand-out piece of the all-new bodywork, the trick tail unit. Looking like something you’d find on a jet rather than a motorcycle, it features a vertical stabilizer between two curved fins. To accentuate the design a curved LED tail light has been built into the back end. Sitting over the rear wheel is a hugger-style fender, once again made from alloy, and the wheel has been encased behind a set of discs that give it a solid appearance.
If you’re familiar with the Cyberpunk 2077 game you’ll know there’s nothing subtle about the style of anything in it from the player’s outfits to the paintwork emblazoned on their vehicles. Nuel used this as the inspiration for his bike’s new paintwork, which is bold and outlandish as you’d expect from a Cyberpunk machine. To wrap things up he also picked out some visually striking rubber for the wheels in the form of Pirelli Diablo Rain Racing tires. In most cases, they would be redundant, but we’re sure they’ll come in handy during one of Bali’s many tropical downpours.
Nuel and the Treasure Garage team have been making waves in the Indonesian custom scene. At the recent Kustomfest show in Jogjakarta, they bagged 5 trophies, and with builds like this, it’s easy to see why.
