Kimura rescues old Harleys from their postmortem fates as saloon decorations, museum attractions, and—worse—from having their dissected parts dispersed throughout a backwater of garages to become paperweights, ashtrays, and doorstops. His company, Zero Engineering, based in Okazaki City, Japan, is comprised of a small group of adherents who are loyal to both Kimura-san and his vision. True to the chopper way, Zero’s motorcycles also embrace contradictory philosophies of design, in this case a blend of Western and Eastern paradigms. Kimura chose not to follow the parade of shiny, chrome-plated, technologically freighted, and extravagantly painted bikes. He prefers antediluvian engines stuffed into chopped, rigid, gooseneck frames with an itsy-bitsy peanut gas tanks, leather bicycle seats, big fat balloon tires, wire wheels, and kick-starters. He exposes the mechanical guts of his bikes and virtually shines a spotlight on their prehistoric parts, including drum brake and Linkert carburetors.
Built In: U.S.A. Bike Style: Drag Racers
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Spike Bike Specifications – Shinya Kimura of Zero Engineering – Chabot
| FEATURE | SPECS |
|---|---|
| Class Styling | Drag Racers |
| Handlebars / Risers | Clip Ons / Separates |
| Intake Cover | Custom One Off |
| Motor Brand | Harley Davidson |
| Motor Config | Knucklehead |
| Paint Color(s) | Bare Metal |
| Seat | Leather / Handtooled |
| Suspension Front | Springer |
| Suspension Rear | Rigid / Hardtail |
| Wheels | Standard 40-80 spokes |