BMW has an illustrious history of working with Japanese customizers. Witness the extraordinary R nineT Custom Project of three years ago, with Shiro Nakajima, Brat Style, Hidemo and Cherry?s Company. And then the wild K 1600 GTLs built by Ken?s Factory and Hot Dock.
In September 2016, BMW decided it was time to give Heiwa a crack of the whip. It?s the shop owned by Kengo Kimura, in Hiroshima on the island of Honsh?, a five-hour ride west of Tokyo.

?I had never customized a BMW, or even owned one,? Kimura-san confesses. ?So I rode the R nineT Scrambler to learn what kind of bike it is. I rode it to work, through town, and did some touring.?
?It?s much easier to handle than it appears. The engine has a flat torque curve, and it?s surprisingly light. It is simply easy to ride: I had no problem keeping up with friends who ride four cylinder Japanese bikes.?
Heiwa are used to working on singles and parallel twins, so the wide BMW boxer engine caused some head scratching. ?At first something felt ?off? about the strong presence of the engine,? says Kimura. ?But after riding the R nineT many times, I realized it was one of the best points.?
For BMW, the Heiwa creation will be a show bike. It?s just been revealed at Motorrad Days, and in March it?ll be displayed at the Tokyo Motorcycle Show. Kimura is no stranger to show bikes?he took home the Best In Show award at last year?s Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show?but for this R nineT, he wanted a bike capable of normal, everyday ridi...