Custom Bike? Or Functional Art?

Custom motorcycle builders are anything but rare. Just hang a shingle and order up a MIG welder and a frame kit- suddenly you are one.

That's why it's so refreshing when a unique perspective on builder bikes comes along.

Shinya Kimura builds back-to-basics custom motorcycles that stretch the boundaries of form, function and style. His handmade creations are hammered and beaten from metal, not unpacked from any kit. Even the source material is unique- projects begin life as a Yamaha YZ465, or a Honda C100, even a 1947 Harley. But the final product defies convention.

Kimura calls his shop Chabott Engineering. The name derives from the Japanese word chabo, which means bantam rooster. Or "back to basics" in his translation. The double T's are added for a splash of Euro chic.

There's no arguing his designs strive for a basic look, prizing buffed aluminum over hand-rubbed lacquer. The end result is a steam punk glimpse of what motorcycles used to be. What a motorcycle might be.

Meet Shinya Kimura

Video profile by Henrik Hansen.

Photos courtesy of chabottengineering.com

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