It's a timeless phrase: "Once a rider, always a rider." After you've been bitten by the motorcycling bug the mark never quite goes away. Such was the case for Mike Beckman and his hard rockin' 2006 Kawasaki ZX-10R.
A former WERA racer who spent every waking moment of his youth on a bike, Beckman suddenly found his two-wheeled days were finished due to family commitments: "Over the course of a year I became a father, and then a single one at that. I had to sell it all and hang up the helmet."
That was, until his daughter began racing pocket bikes and eventually came calling for her license. After a 15-year hiatus Beckman decided he could finally saddle up once again. "I've always been a Kawi guy so I got my daughter a 636 and bought myself a ZX-10."
Hawg Riders take note: "An...
Hawg Riders take note: "An iron maiden" sure sounds a lot meaner than "a steel horse."
He wasted little time in modding the Kawi. A K&N air filter and a Boz Bros full system were ordered before he even had possession of the bike. Once he had it in his garage Beckman polished the stock wheels for some shine and added a Power Commander III.
It didn't take long after these baseline mods to realize some custom paint was in need. "I approached Wak Kreations about painting my bike with a theme, but I wanted something other than a movie or superhero as the inspiration. I've always been a diehard Iron Maiden fan so we decided to blend that with my racing background. We also kept it Kawi green since you hardly see that color anymore."
Custom paint and all, Beckman amassed over 12,000 miles that year hitting local shows, bike nights and canyons. "I wanted the bike to be unique but also usable. After all, I bought the bike to ride!"
At the end of the season with several runner-up trophies under his belt, he decided it was time to step things up.
"I kept winning second places. I had the paint and the bike, all I needed was a stretch."
A Trac Dynamics 240 Super Kit landed its way onto the tail end of the ZX-10. The six-over swingarm stretched things out and the Performance Machine wheels kept it all rollin'. To ensure performance was preserved a 'Busa rear caliper pinched the Galfer Wave rotor and a DID chain and Vortex sprocket combo put the power to the pavement.
Finishing touches included Attack rearsets, Pazzo levers, a Motocom rear camera and undertail graphics from FX Graphics.
Finally, as one of the wildest mods we've ever seen, Beckman added a custom locking gun case to house his Glock in the event prying hands needed a reminder to stay away.
When the new season opened Beckman came out swinging with a slew of local wins to confirm his upgrades were worth it. "It was a changed bike and people really liked the stretch and the wheels."
With a show stopping custom in the garage and his daughter as a riding buddy, Beckman is right back where he left off and in full swing.
When asked if the bike was finished he laughingly admitted he's got some big plans for it, but only after he finishes his custom '09 model!
2006 Kawasaki ZX-10R
Front end: Performance Machine "Torque" wheel, Pirelli Diablo tire, Galfer brake lines, Racetech fork internals
Rear end: Performance Machine "Torque" wheel, Pirelli Diablo 240 tire, Galfer Wave rotor and brake line, Hayabusa caliper, Trac Dynamics ST six-over swingarm, Vortex sprockets, DID chain, Racetech spring and re-valved shock
Motor: K&N air filter, Boz Bros exhaust, Power Commander III
Paint/Bodywork: Wak Creations, undertail vinyl by FX Graphics
Accessories: Attack rearsets, Pazzo levers, custom gun mount, Sato and Pro Impact frame sliders, Throttlemeister bar ends, Corbin seat, LED lights, HID headlights, Motocom camera, screen and MP3 player, Roaring Toyz billet parts, Eye Candy spike kit, PMR handlebar switches
Owner: Mike "Rhino" Beckman