Japanese builder Ken Nagai spends most of his time globe trotting between Asia, Europe and the US, showing the couple of custom bikes he finds the time to create each year for his clients and of course promoting his Ken’s Factory extensive line of custom parts.
The counterpart of being a successful builder is that by lack of available time you rarely have the opportunity to create something for yourself, a project truly reflecting what you like to build without any interference from a client. Ken’s fantasy? A digger style bike with blower, but not some bolt-on one, a custom one from Sprintex.
Clean designs full of very refined details are very characteristic of the Japanese culture, traits that you can identify at first glance on most custom bikes born from Japanese builders, either working in their country or abroad. So, as much as you can on small pictures, look at finesse of details from the radical Girder front end to the brake caliper bracket, from the engine rocker boxes to the exhaust ends. Ken hammered and massaged a beautiful aluminum gas tank, the rear fender and prototyped many other custom parts that you will see soon in his catalog at his 2 websites, Ken’s Factory Website in Japan and Cycle Kraft Motorcycle Products in the USA. 2 weeks ago, Blow N’ Digger won Best Of Show at the Germany CUSTOMBIKE Show and will be exhibited in January on Ken’s Factory display at the Verona, Italy MotorBike Expo.
Ken wants to thank Masa at the “Center Roots Custom Paint” for his paint job and Ace at “Back Drop Custom Seat Factory” for his seat leather work. Photography courtesy Makoto Watanabe at “Chopper Journal Magazine”
now that’s a ride i wouldn’t mind being uncomfortable on !!!!!!!! super nice.
This hits me as being a bit too much of a Shinya Kimura pastiche ala his Zero Chopper Spirit days , albeit with way too much chrome .
Not bad mind you . Just not original either 😉
Put that one on the ” Biker Build Off” and see how the fabulous four would do.
That’s a sexy bitch!
Love it!
Great job ken always top notch.
SERIOUS WORK!
Impressive build, but I wish that when builders go to the trouble of building something with the promise of power…like a blown motor…including a dyno graph in the review would be cool.
This looks like a zero engineering bike????? dude go back and look at one, that dosen’t make sense at all.
I knew this was a one of kens bikes before i even read the article. his attention to detail is second to none. beautiful bike once again Ken.
Love the Wheels !!!
Awesome ride
Beautiful bike.
Hell yes! peace
Nice stance……reminds me of Zero Engineering.
Too much stuff….. Enough for 2 bikes!
Still cool though.
Love the lines and the girder front end.Kudo’s to Mr. Nagai.
Another masterpiece – great job! It did best of show at the International CUSTOMBIKE Championship Show Germany.
Building bikes for Ken’s crew is a guilty pleasure, they are F1 R&D and parts guys. Thats the most excellent part and true essence of custom / chopperdom, when a guy/team has a day job in motorsports and lets out his passions on motorcycle creations like this.
Nothing but respect and admiration for these guys, and reminding us all what’s possible.
Sweet….
thank you ! a great looking bike that isn’t following the new “TREND” ………………………
Waaay cooler than any thing on the “Build off”
Great effort by kens-factory, like it, But i think do not like the seat too much.
Great effort by kens-factory, like it, But i do not like the seat too much.