Minami’s Recycled BMW R100RS Café Racer

Kenji Heianzan transforms a 1987 BMW R100RS into a one-of-a-kind café racer using entirely recycled parts, including a Jaguar car wheel.

Subscribe to our Telegram channel for instant updates!

In a country famed for precise engineering and mass production, one Tokyo workshop is rewriting the rules by throwing them out entirely. Minami Motorcycle, tucked into a quiet corner of Meguro, isn’t just building café racers; it’s redefining them with soul, sustainability, and pure imagination.

At the heart of their latest build, Kenji Heianzan—who founded Minami in 2015—chose a 1987 BMW R100RS, turning it into a mechanical Frankenstein and a rolling piece of art. He follows one unwavering rule: use no new parts. He recycles, repurposes, or rescues every component from machines of the past. The result? One of the most original brat-styled café racers you’ll ever come across—complete with a Jaguar car wheel at the rear.

Building Beauty with Old Bones

Kenji set up his workshop in upscale Meguro—a district better known for museums and mansions than motor oil—but he turned it into a haven for two-wheeled alchemy. He began his obsession with Yamaha SRs and Honda CBs, but lately, he’s developed a strong passion for Bavarian Boxers. With Japan’s legendary motorcycle auctions offering an abundance of affordable donor bikes, he has no shortage of material to work with.

The R100RS used for this project wasn’t commissioned. It was Kenji’s own blank canvas, a chance to let loose without client constraints. And it arrived in rough shape “like a pair of sneakers with worn-out soles,” he laughs. But once the motor proved solid, Kenji was off to the races.

Old-School Meets Oddball

Kenji simplified the front end by removing one rotor, rebuilding the remaining Brembo caliper, and wrapping the original wheel in vintage Dunlop rubber. He dropped, braced, and internally lowered the forks to give the bike its signature low-slung stance.

But it’s the rear wheel that grabs headlines: a steel, white-walled wheel pulled from a vintage Jaguar. Kenji engineered a custom adapter to mount it onto the BMW’s shaft drive, a feat of mechanical creativity that blends car and bike in one seamless silhouette. To tame the added weight, a Bitubo rear shock offers premium damping without betraying its recycled ethos.

Café Racer, Redefined

Kenji stripped the R100RS of its bulky touring DNA and fitted it with a minimalist subframe and a solo black leather seat, hand-stitched specifically for the build. He retained the factory tank, letting its aged patina shine, and capped the front with a retro Cibie rally headlamp, complete with a grill for added attitude.

The controls are bare-bones, clip-ons with only what’s necessary, and heel guards crafted from chopped-up passenger peg mounts. Even the rearsets are second-hand, repositioned for a more aggressive riding stance.

Power with Personality

BMW’s air-cooled boxers have a reputation for longevity, so Kenji didn’t bother fixing what wasn’t broken. Instead, he swapped out the stock carbs for Keihin CR units, tuned them with open mesh velocity stacks, and let the boxer breathe freely.

Finishing off the build is a stunning high-mounted stainless exhaust, hand-welded and slash-cut for a raw, unapologetic bark. It’s the kind of sound that slices through Meguro’s still mornings like a rebel yell.

Minami’s BMW R100RS: A Recycled Rebel

Minami Motorcycle’s BMW R100RS isn’t just a bike. It’s a manifesto. It’s proof that beauty doesn’t come from brand-new billet or carbon fibre. It comes from imagination, resourcefulness, and a little bit of madness.

And in a world chasing perfection, Kenji Heianzan dares to build motorcycles that wear their scars with pride. Because for him, café racing isn’t about blending in. It’s about standing out, even on the quietest Tokyo streets.