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Rick’s Kawasaki W650 Desert Sled

Rick Hannah of Dirty Dick’s Motos has always had a curious attraction toward the Kawasaki W650. He wondered, “Why would anyone build such an old-looking bike with a bevel engine?” so in 2016 he bought his first Kawasaki W650 off of Ebay, and not long after he bought two more well-worn W650s, which he rebuilt and named “Crusty” and “Minty”. This is “Minty,” a form-and-function desert sled, “done to exacting standards, ” with a 60’s look and modern performance. Hannah says, “There isn’t a huge aftermarket for the W650—nowhere near Bonneville levels—so most of this build was custom and a labour of love.”

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john parsons
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john parsons

Wow – what a lovely machine, I did not think these WS’s could be turned into something like this. Great pipes and super colour! Something to scoot across a desert in the USA if it could be taken over. Well done Rick! lots of effort.

Rick
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Hi John

Thanks for the kind words, I do like pushing the boundaries a little 😁 there is a lot more detail on my Instagram if you’re interested.

Cheers
Rick

Chris Gibbs
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Chris Gibbs

I rode a W650 across the Sahara – ok, it limped to the finish line, barely able to get over 40mph for the last 400 miles – but I think this one would fare better. It looks awesome.

Rick
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Thanks, was that with the Fuel guys on the Scram Africa? I saw that W650 Sled and decided to build a prettier one 😀