DIRTY PIGEON
BY HEIWA MOTORCYCLE
From Hiroshima, Japan
COLLECTION OF KENGO KIMURA, HEIWA MOTORCYCLE
PHOTOS BY KAZUO MATSUMOTO
If you aren’t currently following the amazing output of Japanese custom builders, you might have missed Hiroshima’s premier Alt.Custom shop, Heiwa Motorcycle. Founded by Kengo Kimura in 2005, Heiwa produces quintessentially “Japanese style” customs, which is a fuzzy label, but the characteristics include compact masses, tight lines, and exquisite craftsmanship. Kengo Kimura is considered among the top motorcycle customizers in the world today in any genre, and his machines garner universal respect and, increasingly, international attention. It’s been a long time coming – this elevation from a strictly domestic phenomenon to big-time superstar artist/builder – and the praise is well-earned. Looking over his output of the past 13 years – there are 108 completed builds on his website – the consistency of his workmanship and style is nothing short of astounding.
The Custom Revolution exhibit is lucky to include his latest build, the “Dirty Pigeon.” Based on a1971 Triumph TR6 engine, with a bare-bones, elegantly reductive chassis, the “Dirty Pigeon” took top honors at the annual Mooneyes Custom show in Yokohama in December 2017. It’s the premier bike from the premier custom motorcycle show in Japan, and its success instantly ramped up Heiwa’s visibility outside his home country. The reasons for the win and the attention go far deeper than the perfected style of the “Dirty Pigeon.” Its construction is as tightly conceived as its lines.
The “Dirty Pigeon” has been featured in PipeBurn and BikeEXIF.