Walk into the design area of any modern motorcycle manufacturer and you’ll see banks of high-powered computers, allowing the staff to utilise the latest in CAD, Finite Element Analysis, Computational Fluid Dynamics, and a host of other high-tech engineering techniques to develop their latest model. These methods combine with old-school sketches, clay modelling, and the latest in 3D printing and prototyping to create some truly impressive results and amazing designs. So, when we chatted with Kengo Kimura of Heiwa Motorcycles and asked him which design technique he had used over the years, his answer never changed: none of them. The Hiroshima-based hero of the Japanese custom motorcycle scene simply lets the ideas come to life in his mind, and the latest materialization from the master is this super neat and narrow Triumph Bonneville T100.
Kimura-san grew up with a love of motocross, and despite graduating from the Hiroshima University of Economics, he never saw himself wearing a suit to work and crunching numbers behind a desk. So, it was straight to a bike shop for his first full-time job, learning the craft of building bikes and everything that goes into making them fast on the track. In 2005, he decided it was time to go out on his own, and the result has been hundreds of incredible customs, a trophy cabinet overflowing with gold, and a global reputation as one of the best motorcycle builders to have ever walked the earth.
So, is there pressure to make every build a show-winning sensation? No! Kimura-san is quick to point out that no matter how mild or wild the bike he builds is, every single one of them is crafted to be ridden daily. Yes, the Japanese do it a little differently; their philosophy is simple: why wait for the weekend if you can ride your killer custom through the traffic before starting the daily grind? And that’s exactly what this Bonneville is all about, a bike so beautiful you could hang it on the wall, but instead, it’s for hooning and hollering every day, vintage tyres and all.
Those hoops of rubber are from Adlert’s Duro Classic range, a popular option in Japan for those who want a true ’40s vibe. To get the look he was after, Kimura-san ditched the stock rims and opted for lightweight items which are laced to the polished factory hubs with stainless steel spokes. The new measurements result in a beefier front end at 19 x 4.0, with the rear up an inch over stock, coming in at 17 x 4.5. Many Heiwa customers want their bikes dumped to the ground for the long and low style, but to maintain a little more practicality, a compromise was found. “So the front is only lowered by 40 mm, and the rear is only 20 mm shorter.”
That lowered front end utilizes the stock forks, which have been completely rebuilt with lowered springs and a full suite of gaskets, rubbers, and oil to deliver a plush ride. At the rear, a set of Daytona shocks has been fitted, providing that 20 mm drop from stock, while the progressive rate springs offer a little more feedback to the rider. Now the frame could be turned into a roller and come off the stand. At ground level, it allows Kimura-san to visualize his design. He immediately saw a way to do something a little different from his last Bonnie, “This time, instead of a seat cowl, a fender is installed to give it a vintage feel.”
To achieve the look, he first had to cut the subframe off and bend some pipe to create a new rear hoop, which sports a serious up-sweep. Welded into that hoop is a neat little mount that serves as the upper attachment for the new fender. The lower is built into the underside of the frame, and then it’s over to the English Wheel, where the fender itself is neatly rolled over and over again. Throughout the process, it’s offered up before returning to the wheel until the metal matches the arc of the tyre to perfection. The next piece of fabrication was to create an all-new seat pan, over which a two-layered foam saddle is shaped before being upholstered in-house in black leather.
Underneath, you get more of the master’s metalwork, with the battery and electrics stored in a faux oil tank. If you look closely, you’ll see this is also where the tiny starter button sits and the front light is activated, leaving the bars as clean as possible. The new loom keeps things as minimal as possible, with just a classic indicator switch perched on the Heiwa original ’50SBAR’, that sport a set of Jackhammer grips and a single mirror for dodging and weaving through traffic. A small speedo helps the rider ensure they stay somewhere around the legal limit, while lighting is a mix of a Bates-style headlight and an original Heiwa tailpiece.
Having achieved the fundamentals, it’s the one-off fuel tank which steals the show and truly transforms the Triumph. Kimura-san never builds two exactly the same, as each is completely hand-formed in the style he feels is most befitting of the build. Again, the long and low lines dominate, with beautiful curves sweeping rearward. The tins are then sent out for paint, with the two-tone gunmetal and super-light grey laid down by the team at N2 Auto. Spare time allows the master to build a full exhaust system, including crafting his own mufflers for a killer sound. No sketches mean the owner had no idea what was coming their way, but presented with a classic Heiwa Bonneville, known as 006, who wouldn’t be over the moon.
