Custom motorcycles come in all shapes and sizes. But the more style variations a custom store adds to their portfolio, the more they risk downsizing their work. This is not the case for Kaichiroh Kurosu, better known as cherry company.
Kurosu-san does not only do it all but also does it at the highest level. From sports cars to choppers, we’ve seen him create impressive pieces year after year. And he can even combine multiple styles into a single bike; no wonder he’s one of the leading lights of the Japanese custom scene.
His latest project, ‘Midnight Dancer’, started as the least common sponsor: a 2008 BMW HP2 Sport. If you didn’t already know, the HP2 Sport is a tunnel sports car. pits with an all-carbon body, 130 hp and 397 lbs dry weight. At the time, it was the lightest and fastest boxer BMW had ever produced.
Priced at around $26,000 when new and now highly collectible, the HP2 Sport is not the bike people usually line up for a hack. But this one was in an accident—the body was crushed, but the chassis and transmission were intact. The choice was clear and the bike was taken to Cherry’s Company for refurbishment.
Since the original sponsor’s bike was wrapped in carbon fiber, Kaichiroh felt compelled to do his custom piece in carbon fiber. He used lightweight materials on his custom-built BMW R nineT ‘Highway Fighter’, but those kits were handcrafted. In search of a better method, Kaichiroh discovered Vacuum Transfer Technology.
We won’t go into technical details, but the end result is parts that are higher quality and more durable than hand-set parts. And this process allows the creation of forms and shapes that would otherwise be impossible, unleashing new possibilities in design.
“When I exhibited the Midnight Dancer at Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Program, many journalists have asked me why using a carbon exterior,” Kaichiroh told us. “It seems they feel that the hot scene and the carbon parts, or the plastic parts for that matter, don’t fit together.”
“However, the hot rod scene has been customized with plastic parts since the 1960s, exemplified by Tracy Nelson’s Fiberglas Works custom bikes with a one-piece fiberglass body. And now, more than 50 years on, even the aging of Tracy’s custom bikes, with chipped threads and faded paint, is part of the custom process, I guess.
Once the manufacturing method has been established, the design can begin. The original idea was to build an ’80s style Grand Prix bike with a large shield and slightly exaggerated proportions — at least compared to today’s GP bikes.
Kaichiroh intentionally created a design with overlapping sections. That allowed him to build his new fuel tank and bibs on top of the original BMW internal fuel tank, while using existing mounting points. He even fitted an aluminum air intake just behind the windshield, to direct air into the original airbox.
Carbon fiber is also used to create the new fenders and spacious side skirts. But when it comes to the tail, Kaichiroh has changed tack. “I was also going to finish the rear panel in carbon,” he explains, “but during production I started to think that I wanted a style that combines metal and carbon.”
“Even today, MotoGP or WSBK racing bikes sometimes just use virgin aluminum for the fuel tank. In the off-season, when no sponsor or paint color has been decided, the teams will test ride bikes with aluminum fuel tanks, which are raw and carbon-captured. And it’s great.
Bare metal creates a stark contrast to the mostly black HP2 Sport. The single coat of paint comes in a roll of gold leaf around the bodywork, fenders and fuel tank panels, adding a bit of fanfare and finishing touches. Looking closely, you’ll also spot the new nickel plating on the bezel.
Smaller details include a custom license plate holder at the rear, aluminum trim for the headlights, and an aluminum bib splint that connects to the fuel tank cap.
The HP2 Sport ships with forged aluminum wheels, top Brembo brakes and Öhlins shocks mounted to telelever front suspension and paralever rear suspension. Kaichiroh wisely left it all, along with the original digital parts, adding only a set of new Michelin Power Cup 2 tires.
One final touch comes through the custom exhaust silencer. The HP2 Sport’s stock unit is usually mounted just below the rear cover; Here, it’s hidden within it.
The combination of BMW engineering and reimagined HP2 components, with Kaichiroh’s sculptural vision and contrasting finishes, is a complete transformation. The end product is a machine that, 25 years later, still performs at a very high level—but now looks like something only Cherry’s Company could manufacture.
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