Antoine: Can you tell us a bit about the bike and the different elements you’ve used?
Kikishop: The original bike is a 1983 750 GSXE but I only kept the motor, the motor mount and the fuel tank. The fork, the wheels, the shocks and the swing-arm are from a 1000 GSXR k6. I wanted a Suzuki 750 because I like them! There was a good deal on leboncoin.fr and I bought it. I like the GS, the GSX and the GSX-R from Suzuki but above all I love the 750 cylinder. It’s a legendary bike from my generation.
A: Did you already know what you were going to do with the bike before you began?
K: I found a GSX-R drive train by chance and followed my instincts and personal tastes. I found it interesting to mount an ultra-modern chassis on a first generation GS. My creative process begins by stripping the bike to its essential parts; the engine, the chassis; the primary elements of the bike. From there it is my own creativity which decides what to incorporate and how to integrate it.
A: Do you think everything is possible or are there things you just won’t take on?
K: Nothing is impossible. The only limits are those imposed by the owner. When there is no feeling, the project becomes more complex. Until now, I never did any sketches. I had the idea to build a bike inspired by the GP motorbikes of the 1970s and this is where I headed with this build.
A: What was the hardest part of this build for you?
K: The frame, the gearbox, the rear seat, attaching the fairing, adapting the instrumentation, cutting the fairing, polishing, painting….. everything really. If I get stuck I always have a way to get going again. I’ve learned to get myself out of trouble when I’m stuck, and I work in an old fashioned way. I don’t think people realize how much time you can spend in a garage, building a motorbike from scratch, especially when you want to achieve a high level of detail.
A: You attach great significance to colour choice. Why this choice of colours?
K: The bike was made to be shown at Verona and therefore to represent France. It makes reference to the period when a lot of bikes used these colours and had this style.
A: Was there anyone else that helped you to finish this build?
K: I have to say a big thanks to Cedric (polishing), thanks to Lou ( Sellerie Custom Shop), thanks to Beringer and thanks to Antoine from Krash Hop Tik.
