Photo: BMW On Sunday, December 2nd, the Japanese motorcycle forge Custom Works ZON presented a Custom Bike , which BMW had commissioned. The core of the machine is the prototype of a completely new boxer engine.

Custom Works ZON was founded in 2003 by Yuichi Yoshizawa and Yoshikazu Ueda in Shiga Prefecture and is known for their extraordinary creations. You will be regularly invited to the prestigious shows of the Customizer scene, such as the "Mama Tried Show" in Milwaukee, the "The Hand Built Motorshow" in Austin or the "Brooklyn Invitational". Lots of prizes and awards are on the shelves of the small workshop.

There has already been much speculation on the ground about the large-volume prototype engine. Both the outer geometry and the visible elements, such as the push rods running above the cylinders in chrome-plated protective tubes, are reminiscent of the boxer engines that were built at BMW Motorrad until the end of the 1960s – only with significantly larger displacement and modern air-oil cooling. Further details about the engine and its possible future use will be announced at a later date.

ZON's signature is clearly recognizable by the custom bike: classic design, modern production techniques and lots of craftsmanship in the detailed solutions – all in the highest Japanese quality. The very low silhouette of the bike is reminiscent of Ernst Henne's record machines of the late 1920s and 1930s. The large wheels with 21 inches front and 26 inches at the back are milled from aluminium and equipped with relatively narrow tyres, as well as the trapezoidal front fork is milled from the full. The steel tube rear wheel swingarm was attached to the lattice tube frame with a hidden suspension. The large-volume engine hangs in this elaborately manufactured frame construction and the tank fitted in it, the seat unit and the front panel are made of sheet metal by hand.


The Mooneyes show, as it is called in the Customizer scene, took place for the 27th time in Yokohama, Japan, and attracts more than 15,000 spectators a year on just one day of events. Car and motorcycle custom builders from all over the world present their creations. In total, almost 300 cars and 650 motorcycles, as well as lots of dealer stalls, were on display.