There is a well-worn path for the custom bike builder: start with small bolt-on style builds and hope to work your way up to full one-off show winners. If you can be one of the few that reaches such a lofty summit, then surely it’s just big dollar builds and champagne from then on, right? Well, not so for Kengo Kimura of Japan’s legendary Heiwa Motorcycles. There is no doubting his credentials; he’s simply one of the best in the world. But he still loves building cheaper, simpler bikes for his day-to-day customers who want something a little special for the daily commute or fun on a Sunday. So, he builds a range of affordable machines, based on cheap Japanese singles, and few are as popular as the GrassTracker line-up. This little thumper is No.024 in the series, and it’s at least ten times cooler than the original Suzuki TU250 it started life as.
Based on the port in the city of Hiroshima, Heiwa Motorcycles is a global institution. There are not many workshops you can visit that have won as many trophies, including multiple best-in-show victories at the prestigious Mooneyes event. But for all his success, Kengo Kimura remains a humble and highly approachable figure, and rather than dismissing small bikes and cheaper builds, it’s something that he embraces wholeheartedly. In fact, the whole GrassTracker series and the other custom daily rider bikes he builds all came about because he wanted such a machine for himself.
His budget builds based on small singles from Yamaha and Honda tend to focus on cool commuter bikes that provide cheap transport for his customers who like to get to work in style. But the GrassTracker was a project that originated out of two goals: one, to see if he could build a capable off-roader from a budget road bike, and two, to create the sort of machine he’d loved to have owned as a teenager; a bike you can thrash on any surface. And here, the choice of the Suzuki TU250 is inspired. They’re dirt cheap, have a very simple layout that is easy to customise, and make for a bulletproof foundation.
One thing the little Suzuki is not blessed with from the factory is good looks; the tank proportions are all off, and the seat is way too big. So, the transformation starts with Kimura-san firing up the angle grinder and cutting off the subframe. From here, he can build a far neater and sleeker item, which features a nice upkick to the hooped tail, and the shock mounts are further reinforced. Over the top, the all-new black leather seat slots between the narrowed rails and makes for a bike that the rider can really climb all over, perfect for dirt and loose gravel. And just because he’s such a hands-on guy, all the leather work is done in-house by the man himself.
The change of fuel tank is the big visual transformation, and ditching the little steel unit for an all-alloy item is a nice weight saver too. The lines are heavily inspired by late ’70s motocross tanks, and with a machined filler and vent, that look would easily fool the average punter into thinking this is indeed some classic VMX machine. The only real paint work on the bike is beautifully laid down on that tank by NINBEN, and the mustard over alloy, with a single pinstripe, is another tip of the cap to that classic era of dirt bikes.
And given that these machines are designed to go off-road, the fenders are generous items front and rear. Both are handmade in the shop, with the tail end having that classic British scrambler look, and the front item, also in a chrome finish, is high mounted on rubber supports so that it can take a good whack and keep on trucking. The final piece of the appearance puzzle is actually one of the most functional parts of the bike. That beautifully crafted alloy faux oil tank is a reserve fuel cell that holds a little over a litre of fuel to get you home in an emergency.
Which is probably a good thing, as Kimura-san has given this little engine a fair bit more pep in its step than the average TU250. The stock baby carburettor is gone, and in its place is the mighty Yoshimura TMR, which can support a hell of a lot more horsepower and helps to deliver a much sharper throttle response. The inlet simply hides a stainless pod filter under the seat, but it’s the exhaust side where Heiwa finds more gains. The stainless headers both snake around to the left side of the bike, with the mid-pipes sporting a pair of heat shields to protect the rider’s leg, and then the 250cc booms out of a pair of handmade reverse cone mufflers.
The stock suspension all gets a beef-up, and then the wheels are replaced with new rims and stainless spokes, the front end going up an inch over factory to 19 inches, and they’re all wrapped up with Dunlop D603 tyres. A set of off-road bars with Renthal grips takes care of steering duties, and vintage switchgear, a single mirror, and a mini-meter are just the right mix of form and function.
To keep things road legal, a full set of indicators bolt to custom mounts, a Bates headlight takes care of the front end, and at the tail, you get one of the iconic Heiwa brake light units. This is definitely a case of great things coming in small packages, and when you can own a bike built by Kimura-san, without breaking the budget and be able to thrash it every day, it’s no wonder his customers are all smiles.
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