BMW Motorrad presents the next SoulFuel Bike!

Unique, different and yet completely BMW R 18 - that is “The Wal”, the latest creation by the Japanese customizer Shinya Kimura. After Roland Sands and Dirk Oehlerking, Kimura is the third customizer to transform the R 18 into an extraordinary one-off for the “SoulFuel” range. “SoulFuel” is a collaboration between BMW Motorrad and selected customizers. Until recently, Shinya Kimura mainly worked on older motorcycles, but the Japanese customizer is also devoting more and more to projects with modern machines.

BMW Motorrad Soul Fuel Bike!

“The Wal” is one of them. The basis is the R 18, powered by the newest and largest engine I've ever worked on. It all started with a visit by the BMW Motorrad R 18 development team to Germany. This is where I got to know the immeasurable passion and innovative strength that reigns at BMW Motorrad.

Finally, in February 2021, I drove a few hundred kilometers in the standard R 18 in California to get to know the character of the motorcycle. Together with many conversations, this ultimately led to my personal interpretation of the R 18, in which I used the entire spectrum of my work as a customizer, ”says Shinya Kimura from the initial phase of the“ The Wal ”project. Kimura started work in mid-February and by the end of June “The Wal” was on the wheels. “But there were still some mechanical problems that kept me busy for around two weeks,” continues Kimura.

Kimura's motorcycles are made exclusively “hands-on”

Shinya Kimura's handwriting can be aptly described with the term “hands-on”, because there are no sketches, drawings, blueprints or mockups during the construction process. However, there is a precise idea of ​​what the customer, or in this case the customizer himself, would like.

“I built the R 18 just for myself. When I drove the standard R 18, I thought that it might suit my stature and my driving preferences better if I designed it to be a little more front-oriented with a fairing. I decided to take the frame, wheels and tires, as well as suspension and brakes, because after driving I didn't feel the need to change them. I also wanted to be able to drive long distances with my R 18 while feeling and enjoying the legendary boxer engine. It was very important to me to preserve the two characters of the R 18 as I experienced them while driving. Thanks to its powerful engine, it is on the one hand wild and of almost inexhaustible power, but on the other hand it is completely good-natured. Like a whale, hence the German animal name for this R 18, which for me is something of a “Sports Endurancer”, ”explains Kimura.

The “Sports Endurancer” appears unmistakably in the form of Kimura's R 18 “The Wal”. This is ensured by a larger tank with a completely different design compared to the original, an elongated, harmoniously rounded seat hump and a half-shell cladding.

“I also moved the footpegs back about two inches for more flexibility in the position of the legs. At the same time, I lowered the position of the handlebars and changed the seat to my liking. The seat pad was also designed by me and then handcrafted by BACKDROP Leathers in Japan. It all came together to create the very natural posture that I like, ”continues Kimura.

The half-shell cladding houses two asymmetrically arranged headlights that look almost like eyes and, with a little imagination, Kimura's R 18, together with a “set of teeth” underneath, actually gives the impression of a whale. The color scheme and the coarsely structured lacquer surface have also been chosen to match the theme of “The Whale”. In short: "The Wal" - an animal R 18. Powerful, mighty, but always good-natured.

“What I like best about my version of the R 18 is that I was able to change the style and seating position to suit my needs without destroying the excellent functionality of the R 18. But drastically changing the seating position as well as adding my own style and taste was a huge challenge in my interpretation of the BMW Heritage. "In addition, all these computerized systems and cabling were pretty new to me and I learned a lot," said Kimura, delighted with the result of his work.

Hard facts about the R 18 customizing project "The Wal":

• Handlebars: 8 inches narrower, 6 inches lower.
• Fuel tank: Made longer to shift the seating position backwards and gain additional fuel capacity of approx. 1 gallon for longer journeys.
• Seat cushion designed by Kimura himself, handmade by BACKDROP Leathers in Japan in bucket style for more buttocks support.
• Bench in a design that creates a natural flow from the seat cushion and leads to the round rear light.
• Half-shell cladding for comfortable handling at high speed.
• Design of the side covers so that they do not destroy the look of the original frame.
• Special paint in the form of a bronze powder coating, after the components have previously been hammered to give the surface a texture.
• After Kimura had completed all the bodywork, he decided to keep the classic symbolic shape of the standard exhaust system, but paint it in black.

The King of Customizing: Shinya Kimura.

Born and raised in a family that ran a small rivet factory in downtown Tokyo, Shinya Kimura was always surrounded by the smell of steel and oil, as well as the sound of machines and metals. Perhaps that is why, after studying entomology, Kimura decided to devote himself to what felt most natural to him: doing handicrafts in his workshop and building things out of different metals.

Kimura, the father of the so-called "Zero Style" motorcycle, began his career as a customizer in Japan with Zero Engineering, a company he founded in 1992. He rose to international fame as early as the 1990s when his custom Harley-Davidson "Samurai Chopper" was created. She followed his characteristic Wabi-Sabi-influenced style.

In search of new inspiration, Kimura later moved to Azusa, California, where he founded his own independent company Chabott Engineering in 2006. Today, the sought-after customizer only produces a handful of motorcycles per year - exclusively for customers with whom he feels a mutual understanding and no time pressure. His great passion that drives him: "Passion for all the motorcycles that were born into this world", as he himself says. While working on the “The Wal” project, he discovered new things every day that stimulated and motivated him. Looking back, he says: “I appreciate BMW Motorrad and all the people who supported me in this project. It was such a valuable and impressive experience for me. "

Disclaimer.

The vehicles shown can be modified and equipped with accessories from third-party suppliers and / or in-house components that are neither manufactured, sold or tested by BMW. BMW assumes no liability for the modifications (including the attachment, the properties and the use of the accessories shown). ATTENTION: Modifying series vehicles (including the attachment and use of third-party and in-house components) can impair the driving characteristics! Driving our vehicles in a modified condition is at your own risk.

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BMW Motorrad presents the next SoulFuel Bike!
Photo credit: BMW

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