This old BMW R100RS, a machine of forgotten grandeur, has found new life in the hands of Kenji Heianzan at Minami Motorcycle, a quiet corner of Tokyo where custom bikes of a special quality are born.
Kenji, a craftsman with a unique vision, isn’t as interested in gleaming new parts or factory perfection. No, his canvas is the discarded, the forgotten, the parts that whisper tales of roads long traveled. He breathes life into what others cast aside, fashioning cafe racers that hum with an outcast spirit all their own.
Custom BMW R100RS Cafe Racer Like No Other
His secret? A treasure trove of repaired, recycled, and repurposed bits, plucked from the bones of various automobiles. This 1987 R100RS, for instance, sports a front wheel that once graced a vintage Jaguar, a touch of stately English eccentricity.
The rubber beneath, a Dunlop, bears the marks of a prior existence, a testament to its hard-won longevity. Up front, a French Cibie rally light, with its purposeful glare, hints at adventures past and future.
Kenji finds his raw materials, these donor bikes, at Japanese auctions, snagging them at prices that allow his imagination to soar without constraint. He aims for bikes that welcome you, that feel as comfortable and familiar as “slipping on a good pair of sneakers.”
There’s no pretense here, just the honest clatter of a well-used engine and the quiet satisfaction of a machine brought back to life, ready to roll down the asphalt, a testament to resourcefulness and a deep respect for the road.
Source: Pipeburn, Minami Motorcycle
Photography: Yuhei Kodaka
