We open this week’s proceedings with a modern Kawasaki Z900RS with miles of retro style, before pivoting to a Ducati Frankenbike with a gleaming paint job. We also examine the new Ducati Multistrada V4, and take a peek inside Shinya Kimura’s workshop, courtesy of the fine folks at Prism Supply.
Kawasaki Z900RS by American Dream Takashi Matsuda is the man behind the brilliant American Dream workshop in Kashihara City, Japan. Specializing in classic Kawasaki Z-series bikes, they’ve been building customs and selling their parts since the 90s. This Kawasaki Z900RS, developed to be the perfect daily rider, perfectly encapsulates the shop’s signature style.
Matsuda-san is a racer at heart, so the suspension was upgraded with fully adjustable Showa parts at both ends. The front end also got an American Dream Pride steering stem kit, which changed the fork offset by a few degrees for sharper steering. The rear geometry was tweaked with an extended swingarm from the American Dream Black Line series of parts.
The carbon rear wheel hugger is adjustable in height, and was made for riders who like to slip on a set of tire warmers now and then. The front fender is also carbon fiber and looks fantastic slung low over the new Gale Speed Type-R wheels. There are new Brembo calipers with Sunstar discs all around and the rear brake is mounted upside down with a Pride underslung conversion kit.
The bikini fairing is another American Dream item and features a tinted screen and an extended lower section that gives the bike a more classic café racer vibe than the factory fairing. Speaking of classic vibes, the rear of the bike is fitted with an American Dream ‘Long Tail Cowl Type-1’ kit that looks more like an original Z bike with its 30 mm of extra length.
The custom cream livery with black pinstripes and white details is both classic and classy. As far as daily riders go, Takashi and his team have built an absolute stunner. [Source]
Ducati 996 by Moto Meccanica 2M Marcin Marzur of Moto Meccanica 2M has loved motorcycles since his youth. He’s been running the motorcycle repair shop in Poland for eight years, and has been itching to build a one-off Ducati for even longer than that. Now he’s finally scratched that itch, with this gleaming Ducati 996-powered creation.
Made of parts taken from various Ducati models, Marcin has rather aptly named the bike ‘Ducati Bastardo.’ Starting with the trellis frame and front end from a 2001 Ducati ST4S, he got it rolling with a Hypermotard swingarm and 996 wheels.
A Ducati 999 donated its fuel tank, while the striking seat and tail unit are from an MH900e. The front fairing is a modified 996 race unit, for which Marcin made a custom fiberglass and resin headlight opening.
The engine received the same Frankenstein treatment. Marcin had a 996 engine lying around (as one does), so the internals were swapped into a set of cases from a Monster S4RS and shoehorned into the ST4 frame. The heads are from the ST4 and the transparent timing belt covers were custom-made by Marcin himself.
The engine uses a 999 wiring harness to pass electrons through a modern ECU for a nice performance boost. The exhaust was made from over 200 pieces and was welded together by Marcin’s son, Mateusz, in the Moto Meccanica workshop. Terminating in a pair of Zard mufflers, we’re sure it sounds incredible.
The plumbing—usually hidden behind a fairing—is on full display, with Marcin using blue high-performance silicone to match the wheels and hand-painted designs on the fairing, tank, and seat. Resplendent in chrome paint, it’s easy to see why this Ducati stops people in the street. [Source]
2025 Ducati Multistrada V4 Ducati has yet again taken the Multistrada V4 range and upped the ante. Showcasing the brand’s dedication to performance, style, and comfort, the big red adventure touring bikes have been updated in myriad ways for 2025. And just to add a little extra spice, Ducati has also made improvements to the Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak—a bike that’s as comfortable carving up mountain roads as it is putting in 500-mile days.
Following Harley-Davidson and BMW, new for 2025 on the Multistrada is an automatic suspension lowering system—a clever bit of tech that drops the bike’s height by up to 30 mm when stationary. This makes it more manageable in stop-start traffic and on low-grip, gravel roads where stable footing is a considerable advantage.
Ingeniously, the new Multi also features self-leveling suspension that automatically adjusts depending on how the bike is loaded. As people who like to pack our bags and hit the road, that kind of thing cranks our hogs.
The Euro 5+ V4 ‘Granturismo’ engine makes 170 hp and now features a more generous rear cylinder deactivation system, which reduces fuel consumption by six percent. But that’s not just about the cost-saving—it’s also about the stricter emissions targets of the Euro5+ engine. No fuel to rear cylinders means less fuel and less emissions; everybody wins.
The semi-active Skyhook DSS EVO suspension gets even smarter this year with new predictive functionality. Monitoring road conditions and adapting in real-time, it looks like a pretty cool system. Along with forward collision warning, blind spot detection, and updates to the adaptive cruise control system, there are too many tech upgrades to list.
Then there’s the V4 Pikes Peak, which Ducati has gone to town on to make it the sportiest Multistrada yet. It keeps the 17” front wheel and single-sided swingarm, but now benefits from Ducati’s MotoGP-derived tech—like Öhlins Smart EC2.0 suspension. That, coupled with its lightweight forged wheels and race-bred electronics package, makes the V4 Pikes Peak a serious machine for riders who are too old to fold themselves in half to fit on the latest V4 Panigale.
In true Ducati fashion, the aesthetics of the new Multistrada V4s are just as impressive as their performance, and have us thinking that maybe you actually can build a beautiful adventure bike. The front end takes cues from the aforementioned Panigale, while the new silencer and sharper lines emphasize the bike’s aggressive stance.
For the Pikes Peak edition, the new livery and carbon fiber touches will stand out on the road—and, more importantly, at the local bike meet. [Ducati]
My Garage: Shinya Kimura, by Prism Supply Shinya Kimura barely needs an introduction around here. The highly-respected Japanese custom motorcycle builder is known for his unique, hand-crafted designs that blend art, engineering, and raw functionality.
Kimura-san founded Zero Engineering in 1992, before leaving Zero in the early 2000s to start Chabott Engineering in Azusa, California. Honing his craft over decades into the form of art it is today, his creations are revered the world over.
We consider him a pioneer of the custom motorcycle scene and see his unconventional approach to mechanical styling inspiring builders from all over the world. And while ‘retro-futuristic’ partly summarizes his style, it almost seems a disservice to try and lump him into any one category. His bikes are, simply, Shinya Kimura bikes.
If you’d like to delve deeper into his past, and see his incredible workshop and what makes him tick, pour yourself a tasty beverage and hit ‘play’ below. [More]
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