The Japanese are building some incredible custom bikes and this one might just be the nicest Triumph TR6 in the world right now.
Custom Bike of the Day
Every time I see Kengo Kimura’s work, I wonder just how one man can have not only such incredible artistic vision but also the skills with which to turn a vision into reality. His output might rival the pace of a glacier but, when it’s as good as it is, who are we to complain? (First seen on www.bikeexif.com)
Back in 2017, Kimura and his Heiwa MC shop won the prestigious top honour at the Mooneyes show in Japan with one of the most beautiful Triumph builds ever.
Starting life as a 1971 Triumph TR6, Kimura has created something deceptively simple. However, the more you look the more you notice the many details that are so skilfully integrated that they don’t detract from the cleanness of the design.
When we say a ’71 TR6, we actually mean a scrappy old chopper that once was a ’71 TR6. The only thing that remains is the engine and part of the frame. Everything else was built from scratch.
The frame retains the oil-bearing backbone and twin loop cradle of the original but the seat-carrying subframe now runs all the way from the head stock, underneath the tank on both sides to the tail and then drops down to meet the ends of the twin loops of the main frame.
Suspension at the front is Paioli, from a Scorpa Easy trials bike and at the rear is a monoshock acting on a custom swing arm. 19” wheels front and back were Avon Mk.2 tyres and the front brake is a Brembo caliper acting on a solid disc.
The handlebar arrangement is a thing of beauty. Traditional clip-ons wouldn’t have given the right position so he fabricated a one-piece ‘bar that clamps a brace mounted on the top triple-clamp. As with everything else, it’s been perfectly realised and finished.
The gas tank, seat and oil tank are all hand-made by Kengo and painted in grey with silver pinstriping.
The engine was treated to a full rebuild and an awful lot of polishing and the exhaust is - just possibly - the sexiest exhaust I’ve ever seen on a bike.
Kengo calls the bike the Dirty Pigeon and I have to say that it doesn’t describe the bike at all. It’s one of the cleanest custom builds out there.
Images courtesy of Heiwa MC
