legendary boxer engine . It was very important to me to preserve the two characters of the R 18 as I experienced them when riding . Thanks to its mighty engine , the bike is wild and has almost inexhaustible power on the one hand , yet it is completely good-natured on the other . Just like a whale , hence the German animal name for this R 18 , which for me is something like a " Sports Endurancer "," Kimura explains .
The " Sports Endurancer " is unmistakably evident in Kimura ' s R 18 " The Wal ". This is ensured by a larger and , completely differently designed fuel tank compared to the original , an elongated , harmoniously rounded seat hump and a half-shell fairing .
" I also moved the foot rests back about two inches to have more flexibility for positioning the legs . At the same time , I lowered the handlebars and changed the seat to my liking . The seat cushion was also designed by me and then handmade by BACKDROP Leathers in Japan . It all added up to the very natural posture that I like ," Kimura continues .
The semi-shell fairing houses two asymmetrically arranged headlights that almost look like eyes and , with a little imagination , actually give Kimura ' s R 18 the appearance of a whale together with a " set of teeth " incorporated underneath . The colour scheme and the coarsely textured paintwork also match the theme of " The Wal ". In short : " The Wal " R 18 is an “ animal ” of a bike . 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 my liking without destroying the excellent original functionality of the R 18 . But drastically changing the seating position and adding my own style and taste was a big challenge in my interpretation of the BMW Heritage . Besides , all these computerised systems and wiring were quite new to me and I learned a lot ," says Kimura , pleased with the result of his work .
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 and the sound of
TRAVERSE 61