Heiwa Motorcycle is the famed Hiroshima workshop started by Kengo Kimura. Since his early twenties, Kimura has been passionate about motocross, and originally funded his passion by working as a mechanic at a motorcycle dealer—while making his own custom parts and bikes on the side. Then in 2005 he opened Heiwa (‘Peace’) Motorcycle, and focused on customizing and servicing British and Japanese-made bikes.
Kimura is also devoted to the American lifestyle and products from the 1950s and 1960s, the kind stocked by the Poppo general store adjacent to his Heiwa workshop. Once a year, Kimura goes to the USA to buy used bikes and parts, and meet with custom builders in the States.
This Valentine’s Day, we’re kicking things off with something red: a burly Honda Grom kit from K-Speed. Plus we look at Indian’s new Chief, a Japanese custom show that happened in a mall, a reissued favorite from the gear company Icon 1000, and a pint-sized electric motorcycle from Volcon.
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We’re always curious to see what bikes the world’s top custom builders choose to ride themselves. Because more often than not, they’re very different from the machines that make headlines and win awards. Kengo Kimura and his shop, Heiwa Motorcycle, need little introduction. Kimura-san’s builds regularly leave our jaws on the floor, and he has…
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Kengo Kimura is one of the world’s most versatile bike builders. He can create high-end customs that win ‘Best In Show’ prizes at Mooneyes. He can also build wild concepts for the likes of BMW. And then he can take a humble commuter bike and make it look like a million dollars.
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The best thing about the Japanese custom scene is that it defies all conventions. Stroll around the annual Mooneyes show for example, and sure, you’ll see plenty of choppers—but you’ll also see another realm of genre-bending machinery. So while the rest of us argue about the differences between café racers and street trackers, Japan’s top…
Read more »Yesterday it felt like the entire custom world was in Yokohama, Japan, for the famous Mooneyes show. Officially called the ‘Hot Rod…
Read more »If you want a snapshot of Japan’s incredible custom culture, you’ll find it at the annual Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show. This…
Read more »BMW has an illustrious history of working with Japanese customizers. Witness the extraordinary R nineT Custom Project of three years ago, with…
Read more »While most of us are trying to shake off the festive season’s indulgence, I’d wager that Kengo Kimura is already back in…
Read more »This week we’ve got a Gold Wing from Sweden, a Cagiva from Portugal, a KTM from the USA, a Triumph from Japan,…
Read more »It’s hard to describe the Japanese style of custom building. But it’s easy to spot: the bikes usually have a timeless and…
Read more »The Japanese custom scene is known for playing by its own rules. Builds from the land of the rising sun have an…
Read more »The country with the most influence on the modern custom scene is Japan. The machines we loosely call ‘café racers’ actually have…
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