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.
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…
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Yesterday it felt like the entire custom world was in Yokohama, Japan, for the famous Mooneyes show. Officially called the ‘Hot Rod Custom Show,’ it’s a one-day, nine-hour spectacle that draws the best customizers from all corners of the Land of the Rising Sun—and many from other continents, too. Most of the top builders reveal…
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If you want a snapshot of Japan’s incredible custom culture, you’ll find it at the annual Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show. This year’s Mooneyes show (as it’s known) happened less than a week ago, attracting fans from the world over. A win at Mooneyes is one of the most prestigious accolades on the circuit. But…
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BMW has an illustrious history of working with Japanese customizers. Witness the extraordinary R nineT Custom Project of three years ago, with Shiro Nakajima, Brat Style, Hidemo and Cherry’s Company. And then the wild K 1600 GTLs built by Ken’s Factory and Hot Dock. In September 2016, BMW decided it was time to give Heiwa…
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…
Read more »The Mooneyes show is a Mecca for the custom scene in Japan. Held every year in Yokohama, it attracts fans and builders…
Read more »In the Western world, we don’t get access to many of the more interesting bikes produced by the Japanese “Big Four”. A…
Read more »There are literally hundreds of custom motorcycle builders in Japan. They flourish in a climate created by the stringent taxation of new…
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