The name of Kengo Kimura’s workshop, Heiwa, means ‘peace’ in Japanese, and his logo depicts a flying pigeon. Those sound like random facts, until you look at the custom motorcycles that Kimura-san builds and see these themes repeated in every single one.
This custom BMW R100 is a prime example. Like everything else from Heiwa MC, its minimalistic lines show a sense of harmony. And the flying pigeon adorning its fuel tank may as well be the template for its elegant, tapered bodywork.
Kengo customized the 1981 BMW R100RS to show it off at the New Order Chopper Show in Kobe, Japan—about 250 km [155 miles] from his workshop in Hiroshima, as the crow flies.
Taking a classic BMW street tracker to a chopper show is a gutsy move, but Kengo has the clout to pull it off. He’s one of the guiding lights of the Japanese custom scene and a regular award winner at the prestigious Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show.
The most obvious evidence of Kengo’s handiwork is the BMW R100’s new bodywork. The handmade tank echoes the shapes of vintage small-capacity Japanese scrambler tanks, making it a lot smaller than the stock BMW unit. It sits low on the frame too—exposing some of the steering neck to add just a smidgen of chopper style.
Perched behind the tank is a custom seat unit with an integrated electronics tray. Equal parts organic and geometric, the waspish tail hosts a small LED taillight, while upholstery by Ya Seat Custom adds a touch of style.
Look closer, and you’ll notice that Kengo’s rework of the BMW’s frame is much more than a garden variety cut-and-shut job. Instead of simply bolting off the stock subframe and fabricating a new one, Kengo went a step further and eliminated the main frame’s original rear down-tubes. He then engineered a whole new rear section that creates space underneath the tank and seat junction.
New shock mounts connect the frame to the swingarm via a pair of KYB shocks, outfitted with Progressive springs. The front suspension is stock, but it’s been lowered by a couple of inches.
Kengo exercised major restraint when it came to the BMW R100’s legendary motor. The casings were stripped of almost all of their black paint and cleaned up, and the cylinder heads now wear classic peanut-style valve covers. The original airbox and Bing carbs are still in play too.
The chromed exhausts add a little shine to the build, terminating in a pair of supremely tasteful stretched conical mufflers.
There’s nothing over-the-top about the R100’s finishing kit either. Kengo opted for a set of narrow custom-made handlebars, fitted with chopper-style grips and trimmed of all visible switches (and no, we don’t know where he’s hidden them).
A 4.5” Bates light sits out front, hung from a custom-made bracket that bolts to the top yoke, while an off-the-shelf speedo is mounted off to the side of the bar clamps. The bike’s turn signals are attached to new tabs that Kengo welded to the frame, while the license plate lives on a swingarm-mounted holder out back.
Nicknamed ‘Salty Green’ (for obvious reasons), Heiwa’s BMW R100 wears a lush candy green livery with silver leaf pin-striping, courtesy of Hirokazu Kuboi. Muted bronze finishes for the stock snowflake wheels and rear shock springs add subtle contrast.
But the biggest trick here, is how this boxer’s demure vibe belies all of the clever fabrication behind its mindful proportions. No doubt; Kengo is a master of his craft.
Heiwa MC | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Kazuo Matsumoto
