Spirit of Sprint.
When the international custom scene meets, it is mostly about inspiring motorcycles – and about acceleration from naught to sixty. Winning is second to the spirit of sprint, the sheer fun on the 1/8 mile.
Kengo Kimura
Heiwa Motorcycle
You can barely hear yourself think at the home straight of the historic Solitude race track at Glemseck 101. The louder the rumbling of the motorcycles the brighter the eyes of the racers and spectators. Solitude? Not today. Pure racing atmosphere arises at a place, where hill climbs up to the Swabian castle “Solitude” had taken place since 1903. Some later point in time, the track became known as a circuit even for Formula One races – until the Solitude was wiped out of the racing calendar in 1965.
For twelve years now, motorsports have been a constant again in the German city of Leonberg. With one difference: Today it is all about drag racing. Hobby wrench against celebrated customizer, Sunday rider against racing legend. Kengo Kimura from Heiwa Motorcycle flew in his latest gem based on the R nineT Scrambler all the way from Japan. He races the dragstrip the same way as the world champions Freddie Spencer and Kevin Schwantz or current racers like Nate Kern. Adrenaline constantly running through the veins. Spirit of sprint.
The easy rider zeitgeist of the sixties is omnipresent at Glemseck 101. Leather jacket instead of Gore-Tex. Open face helmet instead of full visor. No room for conformity. Tradition and trend are combined to an upright heritage mixture without compromises. Who wants to be reasonable if she or he can be wild? Hence, Hayden Roberts’ Scrambler custom looks like a sports car from the seventies; and Mister Krautmotors Rolf Reick celebrates his “E-LisaBad”. The electric dragster surprises, confuses, amazes – and makes people laugh with its silent burnout. Good vibes first. That’s the spirit of sprint.
Soulfuel at the dragstrip.
Soulfuel at the dragstrip.
It’s all about the boxer: Customizer such as Kengo Kimura, Hayden Roberts or Jens vom Brauck have interpreted the modern four-valve engines in a creative way and have sent them into the race. Soulfuel refueled at the furlong.
On the catwalk.
On the catwalk.
Handmade thinned aluminium, carbon elements, Art déco: A get together of the créme de la créme of the custombike scene at Essenza Sprint. Thus the icon figures presented could not be more different. Pure white elegance or black power – in the end the essence of a motorbike is key.
The travelling circus.
The travelling circus.
When the Sultans of Sprint ride out onto the dragstrip, things get wild. Initiator Seb "The Lucky Cat" Lorentz has rounded up Europe's motorcycle freaks in order to unleash a fireworks of fun and speed. Attention! Low-flying dragsters.
