BMW

A BMW-DUCATI

The Japanese custom scene continues to amaze. Even with the internet shrinking the world, there are still gems in the Orient waiting to be discovered - often not because they are made public, but because of their existence pass by word of mouth.
That's what happens with this BMW from the Stance Riding Switch, which is a small customization shop in Amakusa - a series of little-known little islands off the coast of Kyushu, the most southwestern island of Japan. This part of Japan is well out of the conventional script, but photographer Marc Holstein made a recent visit and was the only Westerner for miles. Marc's detective skills took him to builder Toshiyuki Kozaka, a specialist in European engines - specifically the Ducati-driven conical gears. Toshiyuki regularly rides his motorbikes to France for the annual Wheels and Waves festival in Biarritz, which this year takes place between 12 and 16 June.
At length, Kozaka-san decided to take a break from his usual work with this project, opting to work with a 1988 BMW R80. "I wanted to show what it could be like if a Ducati builder got his hands on a BMW," he says. The aim was to give BMW a resemblance to classic endurance racing, with a good deal of 1970s styling to the mix. But Toshiyuki also wanted to combine the elegance of the Italian parts with the underlying German engineering on the R80.
It's an eclectic mix of ideas, but he did the trick. At the front, Toshiyuki grafted the 40 mm forks and had an ultra-rare Ducati 750 F1 Montjuich. The rear has been updated with an Öhlins adjustable damper, complete with remote reservoir. It is attached to a more recent Paralever swingarm and final transmission - taken from a newer BMW. The wheels are impressive Speedline 17 "units, a size smaller than the original R80, and equipped with Pirelli Diablo Rosso II tires. The single disc front brakes were exchanged for a BMW K1100 Brembos double disc set, with the tweezers mounted on hand-held brackets.
For the bodywork, Toshiyuki set up a Moto Guzzi aluminum race tank with an NCR racing fairing originally designed for the Ducati Pantah. And although they come from two different sources, both pieces fit together like they are made for each other.
The deposit took a while to adapt to the BMW chassis, but the fairing was easier. To top it off, there is a 7 "Koito headlamp built in front to complete the" look ".
The tail unit is fully custom-built, to the seat with its combination of alcantara and vinyl upholstery. Toshiyuki redesigned the sub-frame and installed a CEV rear light and a tailor made holder for the number plate. The cockpit was also not overlooked. The advances are also from the Ducati Montjuich, the fists are from the Yamaha TZ 250, and the speedometer is from the Motogadget, mounted on a customized stand.
A pair of modern sports-bike mirrors also carry the front turn signals, and a set of white-flagged footwell completes the controls. Toshi left the engine itself unchanged, even keeping the air box intact. But a slight increase in performance comes from a pair of Keihin FCR39 guillotine carburetors, replacing the original Bing, and a two-in-one exhaust system with an incredibly noisy racing muffler.
The electrical system was upgraded with Dyna coils, Nology candle cables and a lighter lithium-ion battery. There are small, perfect touches - such as the carbon front fender and sturdy and perforated exhaust backing strip. For the painting, Toshiyuki painted the motorcycle in white pearl and the painting in bright blue. His friend Orvis One, in nearby Kumamato, finished the decoration of the R80 with a painting inspired by blue and red fillets - all done by hand.
It's a very unlikely concept, blending BMW and Ducati components, but the graphics, specification of the parts used and the classic resistance vibration of the whole end up creating a rare beauty set.
We are curious to see what Switch Stance will produce next - and wondering what other hidden gems might be waiting to be discovered on Japanese highways. Pedro Araújo, direto de Portugal