„Ignite Straight 6″ is a custom project of the manufacturer involving the K 1600 GTL, BMW’s flagship model equipped with a straight-six engine and some of Japan’s best custom motorcycle builders. BMW Japan has just revealed two custom bikes of the project, one from Keiji Kawakita of HOT-DOCK CUSTOM-CYCLES and Kenji Nagai of Ken’s Factor – both of them are pioneering figures on Japan’s custom bike scene.
Hot-Dock Custom Cycles’ Juggernaut
These two builders not only customize bikes: they compete and have been awarded prizes in various contests, develop their own original parts and take part in races. They have even customized the way they live through their passion for motorcycles and love of life. So how will they transform the K 1600 GTL, BMW’s top-of-the-line luxury tourer equipped with inline 6-cylinder engine? Their customizing spirit was ignited by this project.
Batman’s K 1600 GTL
The two builders interprete the K 1600 GTL’s six-cylinder engine a completely different way. The only retained relations to the original bike are engine and frame, and, in the case of Keiji Kawakita’s creation „Juggernaut”, the Duolever front suspension. Kenji Nagai’s creation named „Ken’s Factory Special” relies on hand-made aluminum girder-type front forks raked out in chopper style using a modified headstock. The K 1600 GTL’s original full fairing was replaced by a small aluminum front cowl housing the headlight and the stock rear subframe and seat were replaced by a low positioned aluminum seat.
Kenji Nagai has built Ken’s Factory Special
Kenji Nagai: „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.”
See this genuine storage compartment for the K 1600 GTL: BMW Genuine K1600GT K1600GTL Motorcycle STORAGE COMPARTMENT FOR TOP BOX
The illusion of a dramatically low seat height and narrow motorcycle is enhanced by the use of a 23-inch front wheel and a 20-inch rear wheel. More nicely manufactured details made from aluminum like covers for fuel tank and radiator or handlebars are completing Kenji Nagai’s artificial craftsmanship.
Both custom K 1600 GTL’s are radical
Keiji Kawakita’s Juggernaut is a complete contrast by way of its dark, masculine stature. There’s no sign of minimalism here and the loud and proud appearance makes Juggernaut rather looking like a synthesis of Mad Max metal and Jules Verne’s imaginations.
A skeleton of aluminum tubing broadens the naked K 1600 GTL’s chassis and instruments at each side of the fuel tank fit neatly with the military look. Reminiscences to the BMW Motorrad GS range are the dual fog lights and the front trail-like beak.
Are you looking for K 1600 oil filters? See this: 2014 BMW K1600GTL 1600 Oil Filter – (3 pieces)
It’s a monumental feat and the desired custom finish was, according to Keiji Kawakita, inspired by history: „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?”
BMW Japan’s custom K 1600 GTL’s
In a spectacular way, project Ignite Straight Six’ continues the engagement and the ideas of the customizing scene in the land of the rising sun. BMW Motorrad can’t wait to see the impetuses both the new creations are giving and what kind of new projects the future is going to bring.
More information on the project ‘Ignite Straight Six’ is available here.
