Cherry's Company leads the way

A visit to Tokyo for a bike nut wouldn't be worth its salt without taking in one or two motorcycle custom shops along the journey, and that's exactly what Harley-Davidson treated a posse of Australia and New Zealand journalists to during the recent Dark Custom launch in Japan.

The destination was Cherry's Company in Sekimachi, about a 45-minute drive from the heart of Tokyo. It's a custom shop in a tiny two-storey building run by the woolly haired Kaichiroh Koruso, who was once a mechanic in a Harley-Davidson dealership. He is also a design school graduate in furniture, but that was set aside in favour of motorcycles as he moved into his current premises in 2005.

Over the last decade he's become quite a cause celebre in the custom scene, and the last three years he's won the "Best of Show' motorcycle award at the legendary Mooneyes Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show in Yokohama. His victories at Mooneyes have meant his talents have now transcended Japanese borders onto the world stage.
Koruso-san has worked with Harley-Davidsons for the past 20 years, and more recently on bikes like the BMW Motorrad R nine T. He draws inspiration from not only his philosophy that "every part of the motorcycle must have a functional capability", but a bevy of outside influences.

"I go to a lot of custom bike shows, not only to showcase my own products but to check out what's happening across the whole scene," says Koruso. "I also draw a lot of inspiration from old racing bikes, so my creations have a lot of influences."

Kuroso bemoans the fact that the custom scene in Japan is for "older people".

"We need the younger generation to get excited, as that is the only way the custom scene is going to grow in Japan."

Cherry's Company — the name associated with Japanese references such as "boys without experience" but with "bright ideas" — takes on average about 2-3 months to complete a project, but that obviously depends on the magnitude of the project. Cherry's takes on all-comers, though: from complete custom builds to minor aesthetic-adding projects.

During our chat with Kuroso, via an interpreter, he was standing in front of a beautifully fabricated chrome frame, which will eventually house a Harley-Davidson Panhead engine.

"We purchase wheels and rims, but 80 percent of the products are manufactured here," he said. "All the while, we have to be mindful of custom compliance issues, as well as emission and noise laws."

Cherry's Company had one of its projects on display at a massive Dark Custom party in Tokyo, alongside creations from fellow Japanese customisers Custom Works Zon, Duas Caras Cycles, Luck Motorcycles and Asterisk.

For more information on Cherry's Company visit cherryscompany.com.