What drives a man to build his own unique motorcycle? Riding motorcycles for over forty years has given me a unique perspective on what features and capabilities I appreciate in my steed. After cutting my teeth on a Honda CL350  I continuously traded motorcycles for many years, finally purchasing a brand new Honda CX500, my first touring bike.

As I parked at a scenic overlook between Winnebago’s and looked out into the distance I saw the dust trails of several off road bikes working their way through the trails. There I was with the grandmothers looking at the scenic area and in the distance were real bikers, enjoying what I could only observe from the pavement. I was hooked. I had to be one of those guys.

So I bought a KLR 650 and all I needed to do was learn how to ride it off-road. My skills progressed slowly at first until enrolling in numerous off road riding schools. By the time I’d gained the confidence to ride out into the wild I had ditched the KLR in favor of a BMW R1200GS. Then an entirely new problem emerged. As my urge to explore increased, fuel range became a problem with the BMW.

I was driving a diesel VW at the time which could do 45MPG. Why was this not available in a motorcycle? After endlessly searching for a diesel motorcycle to fit my needs, I stumbled upon Kelly Flynn of SW Motorad in Kelowna, BC. Kelly and his team built the Kawabota 1.0, a 902cc Kubota diesel producing a staggering 25 hp and red lining at 3600 rpm; then shoehorned it into a used KLR 650 frame.

After following the build I knew this would be the motorcycle for me. I contacted Kelly and we worked out a deal to build Kawabota 2.0. Lessons learned from the 1.0 were applied. Stronger engine mounts were developed and we added a turbocharger, tubeless tires, with an AWD front end developed by Steve Christini.

The transmission selected was an Ultima 6 speed, left side drive. The torque produced by the diesel is easily handled by the transmission. Modifications to the primary drive were needed when it was decided to incorporate the AWD system from Steve Christini. Although nearly a gallon of fuel capacity was lost, the mileage of the diesel provides more than enough range.

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Once the bike is in its 2500 rpm power band, the ride is actually quite smooth. Torque is prodigious and the bike really lunges forward when the hitting the throttle. There's some inertia noted going into a turn, but the bike handles well on the pavement through a series a switchbacks. In the dirt, sand and mud, it's a monster, able to pull a stuck Hummer out of a canyon.

Fuel consumption has been in the 90-100 mpg so far. With a 1.5 gallon Rotopax, the bike has a 750 mile range. It’s been nine months in the making and now I’m tearing up all terrains I can ride. Decent acceleration, faster than a tractor, smoother than an excavator and quieter than a stone crusher it’s an AWD Kawabota!

Stay tuned for more details and a complete write-up in an upcoming issue of ADVMoto Magazine!

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