Harley-Davidson dominates the heavyweight custom scene in Japan: many of the top builders work on no other marque. But BMW has just disrupted that paradigm with its ‘Ignite Straight 6’ project: it’s given its luxury K 1600 GTL tourer to two of Japan’s most esteemed motorcycle craftsmen.
Keiji Kawakita (Hot Dock Custom Cycles) and Kenji Nagai (Ken’s Factory) were previously Harley men to the core. So how did they handle the difficult job of customizing a machine famous for its high technology?
With the help of Japanese journalist Tadashi Kono, we decided to find out.
Keiji Kawakita opened Hot Dock Custom Cycles in 1984. He also races bikes—on the drag strip and in road races for singles and twins. He uses the experience to develop high performance parts that can also be used at the circuit, and designed the original V-twin 4-valve engine.
Did you find it hard to customize the bike? Yes, it far exceeded my expectations. The K 1600 GTL comes with an array of electronics—as well as the fuel injection and ABS, there is electronic suspension, ‘Adaptive Headlight,’ and grip and seat heaters. When I was told these parts were all interlinked, and so the engine would not turn on if any one of the parts were removed, I wondered, “what do I do?” My freedom to customize was restricted.
What is your usual technique? My goal when customizing is to arrange the mounted parts and the silhouette of the machine to give the bike a clean look. I seek beauty and the joy of riding—by making maximum use of minimum equipment. My opinion was that the K 1600 GTL was the opposite of this!
Where did the breakthrough come from? When I actually rode the K 1600 GTL, it was astonishingly silky. I opened the cylinder head cover with curiosity to get a look at the camshaft. Then it made sense. I could tell that the design of the engine was carefully calculated, with a focus on comfort.
So I began by tentatively removing the parts until just the engine, frame, and front fork were left. That’s when I started to struggle. I couldn’t really afford to stand around doing nothing, so I kept going. It was when the front started to take shape that the image suddenly popped into my head.
When planning a customization, do you normally design by sketching? Yes, but not this time. In a sense, bit-by-bit I cut and pasted parts to the K 1600 GTL, which had been left with only the frame, engine, and the suspension system. This was the first time I had taken such an approach.
Where did you find inspiration for the styling? About a year ago, I found a photo of a convertible car interior that was old but neo-futuristic. It inspired me to create a bike with the same sense of openness. I also had in mind a ‘future vehicle’ that might have been conceived in the early 19th century. A vehicle you might see in the film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
I was thrilled to discover that a part similar to the oleo strut used on aircraft landing gears had been utilized in the Duolever area of the K 1600 GTL. Just what you would expect from a BMW. But with the standard K 1600 GTL, its large front cowl blocks the part from sight. As an aircraft fan, I was determined to make it visible.
