We’re always curious to see what bikes the world’s top custom builders choose to ride themselves. Because more often than not, they’re very different from the machines that make headlines and win awards.
Kengo Kimura and his shop, Heiwa Motorcycle, need little introduction. Kimura-san’s builds regularly leave our jaws on the floor, and he has multiple awards from the famed Mooneyes custom show to his name. But his latest personal project is this decidedly unpretentious Suzuki scrambler.

It’s based on a 2004-model Suzuki TU250 Grasstracker Big Boy, which is close to the ST250 that Kengo used for his last scrambler build.
The ST and TU were sold in different guises for different markets over the years (the TU250 Grasstracker Big Boy was available in Japan), but the bones are the same. It’s effectively a cute and practical 250 cc single-cylinder UJM, offering mild performance in a lightweight package.
For Heiwa (which means ‘peace’ in Japanese), it’s the perfect platform for a style that Kengo’s really into right now: small scramblers that can run equally well in the city and the woods. He’s built a handful of these already, and says that there are more to come.
?I’ve been into motocross since I was a teenager, and love to ride,? he tells us. ?The scramblers in the series I made this time are not based on MX bikes, but on commercial vehicles.”

“Normally I use thicker seats, number boar...