BMW motorrad japan ignite straight six customizes K1600 GTL motorcycle

BMW motorrad japan ignite straight six customizes K1600 GTL motorcycle
images courtesy of BMW motorrad

radically modifying BMW ‘K 1600 GTL’ motorcycles which have a six-cylinder engine with a 1649 cc displacement, BMW motorrad japan’s ‘ignite straight six’ project comprise of two reinterpretations. the first, named ken’s factory special’, by kenji nagai of ken’s factory, has hand-made aluminum girder-type front forks, made from chopper style using a modified headstock. its original  full fairing has been replaced by a small aluminum front cowl that houses the headlight, and the rear subframe and seat are removed for a low positioned aluminum seat. enhancing its dramatically low seat height, the narrow motorcycle uses a 23-inch front wheel and a 20-inch rear one.

the two radically customized motorbikes together

kenji nagai said: ‘at first I had a bagger style in mind that grew out of the tourer image. but simply transforming a tourer into a bagger was a bit too obvious a choice. so I thought of a different approach. I settled on the digger style. the long, thin digger style would make the in-line six-cylinder engine look even more prominent.’

it has a dramatically low seat position

side view of ken’s factory special

kenji nagai sitting on the customized K 1600 GTL

the masculine juggernaut is completely different to ken’s factory special

in contrast, the ‘juggernaut’ by keiji kawakita of hot-dock custom-cycles, has a dark and masculine stature, with no sign of minimalism. like a synthesis of mad max metal and jules verne’s imaginations, the motorbike features a aluminum tubing skeleton that broadens its chassis and instruments. this gives it a military appearance that, along with its dual fog lights and front trail-like beak, is reminiscent of the BMW motorrad ‘GS’ range.

keiji kawakita said: ‘I found an old photograph of the cockpit of a convertible that looked like something from the near future, and I got the idea of making a bike that had that kind of atmospheric feel. looking at the front forks and duolever suspension, I thought I could do this with the K 1600 GTL. but the actual work was long and hard, a tough job to handle. even when I finished, I still wasn’t really sure whether the work was complete. but that’s the thing about customizing, isn’t it?’

side view of military looking bike

keiji kawakita along side his interpretation of a BMW K 1600 GTL