Home Brewed Kawasaki Project

I AM an electrician and a bike enthusiast. I have always admired the customised Harley-Davidson Sportsters, choppers and bobbers that featured on the biker build-off shows and various motorcycle magazines. The thought of building one of those often crossed my mind but with two kids in school and a regular 9-to-5 I realised that this was not going to happen — well not just yet. When this Kawasaki EN454 popped up on Gumtree, I looked at it and thought I could do something with that. So how did I take this and convert it into a custom machine? 

I knew at this stage that there will be some drastic modifications to the bike. Knowing it was going to be a long-term project with lots of learning on the journey, I was ready to get started. 

My first step was deciding the basis for my customisation, and with a bit of research, I was able to narrow down the custom style I liked. I was already thinking of the end before I could start. 

The project bike was suffering the effects of age and neglect, with caked-on dirt, oil leaks, corrosion, scratches and chipped paint. Aiming for a show-class result, I knew it was essential to prepare all the surfaces meticulously for the final finish. It was finally time pick up the wrench and create my dream bike.

I started off by mounting a Sportster tank to create the look that I was chasing. Mounting the tank closer to the handlebars created the first challenge as the original top triple-clamp could not be used as it did not clear the tank. Tapping into my woodworking skills, I created a template from 19 mm ply to use as a mock-up. Once we had tweaked the template, I had a local engineering shop machine it for me. 

There was a lot of debating between the three of us regarding the type of bars that we should use. The boys were leaning towards ape-hangers and I the drag bars. Once the decision was finalised, we mounted pull-back risers and shimmed them to clamp the 22 mm drag bars. The use of the 22 mm bars allowed us to reuse the original controls. 

We then mounted the headlight and turn signals on brackets that were made in my workshop. The original speedo unit could not be salvaged so I replaced it with a bobber style unit. LEDs were installed to create a functional dash. Moving the ignition switch to just below the seat cleared some clutter up front and added a cool look.

Due to budget constraints, we decided to build some of the parts in my workshop. The seat-pan was a bit of a challenge as I had not done this before. Watching all the episodes of American Chopper gave me the confidence to give it a try. I formed the seat-pan from sheet metal; a layer of foam was glued on and then covered in tan leather. 

We built the battery box and created a panel under the seat to mount the electrics. 

Rebuilding the engine was a rewarding task. The carbs, front forks and calipers were also rebuilt. The boys spent many hours polishing all the engine covers, wheels and fork legs. 

Getting the engine to run smoothly on the pod filters was no easy task but with a lot of patience and persistence she now runs sweet.  

The rear guard was purchased as a blank from AMC Parts and Workshop in Perth and modified to fit. The rear fender struts were formed from reo bars and chromed. 

Bending a sheet of steel over a pipe to form the tail-light housing was the most rewarding part of the build. My good mate Brad assisted with all the cutting, welding and grinding.

I knew a professional painter with a spray booth would achieve the desired result so I handed the frame and tins to Chris from Auswest Fibreglass who prepped and painted them.   

Once I assembled the project, I realised that I had built a custom bike to my specifications. It took seven enjoyable months, but more importantly, I have the ultimate satisfaction knowing that it was a project completed with my sons. I like to call it our home brewed modification. 

As they say, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” I can say that the most liberating thing about this beauty is realising that I am the beholder. Yes, money, time, and effort (labour of love I like to call it) added up, but noting is compared to having a bike that is unique to my taste.

Seelan Govender, Perth, WA.