To call Shinya Kimura a customizer or builder is almost to denigrate his art. Because that’s what he really is, an artist. Just one working in metal and engines and speed instead of oil on canvas. Last week we visited his tiny Azusa, California garage where he works now under the name Chabott Engineering to create this latest in our series of Shop photo features. Click below for the feature:
While Grant was shooting Shinya Kimura’s shop for an upcoming feature, I attempted to interview the Japanese motorcycle artist. Doing so was somewhat difficult. There’s the language barrier, of course, but cultural differences also play a role. Shinya doesn’t ramble on in American fashion, creating good fodder for interviews. Instead he prefers to quickly, politely and succinctly answer questions. Typically with a maniacal laugh. But, listening to the recording of our afternoon-long conversation I realized that while we didn’t have a great interview, we did have a good selection of wise sayings which, as a whole, paint a telling picture of Shinya’s approach.
Photo: Grant Ray
We’re excited to be exclusively unveiling Shinya Kimura’s latest artwork, this custom MV Agusta 750 S America. Before taking us for a canyon ride yesterday, Shinya took the time to wheel the MV outside so we could shoot it. It was the first time the bike had ever left his workbench.
Photos: Grant Ray :continue:
It wasn’t a surprise when, halfway through a ride in Azusa Canyon, Shinya Kimura asked for the keys to the Aprilia RSV4. When we pulled up at his shop late this morning he’d pored over the bike with fascination and was surprised to learn it was a V4 instead of a twin. Then, after Grant shot his shop, his new MV and I interviewed him, all three of us decided to go for a ride. What’d Shinya think of the Aprilia? He tells us in this video. :continue:
Riding across the country on a 1915 Indian as part of the Motorcycle Cannonball, a modern satellite navigation system wouldn’t just be out of place, it’d be against the rules. So Shinya Kimura, a motorcycle builder that re-imagines the past’s future to create his own custom bike reality, cooked up this simple navigation device and mounted it on his handlebars. :continue:
Photos: Zap Teshima for Devon WorksTwo months after its creation, the Shinya Kimura Edge has finally gotten the photos it deserves. Created from a Ducati 999R, Shinya has corrupted the superbike’s proportions with hand-formed bodywork that lengthens and reduces the height of the bike while adding a level of organic whimsy to the ruthless function of the mechanical parts. The overall effect transforms a motorcycle that was ahead of its time into one that exists outside of time. Enjoy the pictures and make sure you check out the short Shinya Kimura documentary.
Here’s a brief glimpse into the world of custom bike maker Shinya Kimura. The video lets the artist tell a little of his own history even as we see him wrenching and riding some of his whimsical, austere creations. Did you know he doesn’t draw plans for his bikes before he starts cutting metal? > :continue:
Beginning with a Ducati 999R, Shinya Kimura stripped off the stock plastic and replaced it with hand-beaten and riveted metal bodywork to create the Edge. The effect is a bike that looks like a beaten up old space ship, something emphasized by how well the organic metal complements the fussy plumbing of the water-cooled 150bhp v-twin. Having said that, this is a beaten up old space ship that’s not any faster than a 2005 Earth bike, yet is expected to fetch a galactically exuberant $200,000.> :continue:
While we’ve always admired the work of Shinya Kimura, his bikes have never been the kind we’d want to ride, just to look at. This Triumph café racer changes all that. By mixing vintage racing components with Kimura’s unique custom style, the result is like a bizarre but alluring dream — the mechanical realization of the fantasy found in a Guillermo del Toro film; just one with enough mechanical merit to give it appeal away from the show floor. Click through for more pictures. > :continue:
