To most people, the mid-sized Kawasaki ER-6n is the quintessential no-frills commuter—it scores high on usability, but its looks don’t exactly set hearts ablaze. But to the crew at Studio Motor, it’s the perfect donor for a lively street tracker.
ER-6n customs are rare, but the Indonesia shop has built several of them already, and even has a couple in their custom motorcycle rental fleet. As far as they’re concerned, the Kawasaki’s 649 cc parallel twin motor and surprisingly good chassis are deserving of better aesthetics.
This 2015-model ER-6n belongs to a customer from Bandung in West Java—about 150 km from the Studio Motor workshop in Jakarta. He tasked the team with building a tracker-style bike with a monocoque body. But the work ended up being more than just cosmetic, with multiple upgrades thrown into the mix too.
Studio Motor have swapped out the Kawasaki’s front end for a set of upside-down Öhlins forks from a Ducati, re-valved to suit this build.
The transplant include a pair of Brembo calipers, matched up to new discs from Sunstar. And there’s now a Brembo caliper running at the back wheel, too.
The crew also installed a new Öhlins shock at the rear, then ditched the ER-6n’s 17F/17R alloy wheels. It now rolls on a set of 18F/17R spoked items from TK Racing in Japan, shod with Shinko E805 dual sport tires to handle a wide variety of terrain.
The customer didn’t need any extra power from the Kawasaki’s twin mill. So Studio Motor simply built a new two-into-one stainless steel exhaust system, then tuned the fueling to run optimally.
But it’s the visual changes that scream the loudest here. Studio Motor tossed all of the Kawasaki’s bodywork—right down to parts like its bottom spoiler, and a few smaller frame dress-up bits.
Then their metal-shaping team fabricated a new monocoque tank and tail combo out of aluminum.
It’s capped off with a slim tuck-and-roll seat pad, and there’s an LED tail light neatly integrated into the back end. Everything’s mounted on a custom-built subframe, and the battery and vital electronic bits have been re-arranged underneath it.
There’s another custom piece up front: a fork-mounted number board-style headlight nacelle, equipped with dual LEDs.
The ER-6n’s narrow commuter-style handlebars didn’t fit the bill any longer, so those were swapped out for a set of wide tracker units. But the stock speedo and switches worked well enough, so those stayed. Other changes include new grips, bar-end turn signals, and a Nissin brake control.
A few smaller details round out the package, including a custom-made front fender, and a new radiator guard. And the bike even features a few practical considerations—like axle sliders at both ends.
For paint, Studio Motor decided to keep things simple. They asked Komet Studio to lay down a matte dark grey finish, with a few black accent stripes to echo its new silhouette.
It’s always fun to see an unconventional donor go under the knife, and Studio Motor haven’t disappointed. They’ve pulled off a true ugly duckling transformation here—leveling out the ER-6n’s lines without fighting against its distinctive frame.
And with those suspension upgrades and revised ergonomics, it’s now ready to tackle Bandung’s wild city streets.
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