During the summer of 2013, I had the pleasure of taking part in professional experience that would aid in another project’s completion; restoring a vintage Japanese motorcycle. 

The project began with acquiring a nearly complete 1994 Kawasaki KE100 enduro motorcycle. The bike was in running condition with an eligible title for street use. Deconstruction initiated specific fields of mechanics: metal restoration, fabrication, sanding, painting, retrofitting, wheel trueing, part replacement, and repair. 

I was greatly inspired by the ‘76 KE100 and predecessor ‘74 G4TR, prompting my desire to convert an enduro motorcycle into a road bike. I sourced parts from across the country to design a motorcycle that followed Kawasaki’s use of curves and simple form.  

Mechanical experience gained at Superior Paint and Body, coupled with understandings for composition in art, guided my learning process with this project. Working with motorcycles as a 3-dimensional art form required strong demands for creative solutions, those that I find valuable in operating small businesses.

During part of the summer I began a restoration project that involves the best representation for the physics of Earth: a motorcycle.

A project that has never been attempted in my field of hands on fabrication. A '76 KE100 enduro cafe racer. Yes! I was fortunate to find the deal and am always excited to be a technician in a growing number of formats. Motorcycles have shown to be an interesting field of mechanics, and I love working with them.

My friend Brandon has completed his Honda CL360, a rare bike in the heart of Decatur. Equipped with a custom scrambler exhaust and personalized paint coat, his bike led the inspiration I have to restore vintage Japanese motorcycles. What a beaut.