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Posted 5 March 2014 at 05:21PM by Sim.
“I’ve always loved vintage bikes from young. During my schooling days, I would always see
people in my kampung astride their Nortons and Triumphs. So I promised myself that one day,
I must own one too,” – Ku Zen
Ku Zen Tuan Ismail is not a mechanic. The 46year old Kelantan native sees himself as more of an artist –
one that builds roadworthy sculptures with the skill and finesse that’s unrivalled in Malaysia.
Ku Zen is a builder of vintage motorbikes; he explains how classic twowheelers have always been his
thing since his teenage year. “I’ve always loved vintage bikes from young. During my schooling days, I
The Time Traveller’s Shop
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thing since his teenage year. “I’ve always loved vintage bikes from young. During my schooling days, I
would always see people in my kampung astride their Nortons and Triumphs. So I promised myself that
one day, I must own one too,” he recalls with a faint smile forming on his face.
The rest, as they say, is history as this interior designer by training started his foray into the world of
vintage motorbikes with a BSA B31 bike. “It’s a military motorbike but converted with a civilian trim,” he
recalls. “In the beginning, I really didn’t know how to maintain or repair my bikes. So I just bought and
used this bike daily till it broke down. Then I would send the broken down bike to a workshop, and there
goes a month’s wages!”
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“I bit the bullet and bravely took apart my motorbike’s engine, as well as other parts and
started tinkering with them at that point.” – Ku Zen
This obviously took a toll on Ku Zen’s expenses so he finally decided to learn how to fix his own
motorbike. “I bit the bullet and bravely took apart my motorbike’s engine, as well as other parts and
started tinkering with them at that point. If there’s something that stumped me, I’d call my friends with
similar bikes. Unlike now, there was no Internet back then so we only had magazines for further
reference. A lot of my money went into purchasing magazines, that’s for sure! After a while, you won’t be
satisfied with just one motorbike either. So, I started collecting and buying different motorbikes and you
start to learn about which models are rare, which ones are special and such, and you also develop a
personal preference.”
With all that said, Ku Zen reveals that he prefers continental makes as opposed to ones from the Japanese
brands. “The Japanese have a few good models, like the Yamaha XS650s or the Yamaha SR500, but
Japanese bikes have no soul. They are made for commercial use and the mass market, to transport you
from point A to point B. As for the Americans and British bike builders, however, now they place a very
keen aesthetic value on every one of their machines from their workmanship. You can actually imagine
these bikes as horses rather than just mere twowheeled vehicles!”
Make no mistake, restoring bikes that are probably older that anyone reading this is no walk in the park!
But Ku Zen goes on to say that for him at least, all the toil is all for a very interesting hobby, rather than
just a way to make money. “When you talk about stuff like this, which is known as the ‘kustom kulture’, it
places more emphasis on the artistic side of what the people involved in the culture do. That’s why while
some builders seek out clients and build according to their wants and needs, I build a bike according to my
own style and if someone is interested in purchasing the said bike, I will sell it to them.”
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“From my travels to Yogyakarta and Japan, I see that the culture there is different than ours.
Over there, the pockets of enthusiasts are thick and they are really willing to spend on a
particular project.” – Ku Zen
Having built more than 10 bikes already, each taking more than a year to complete, the wizened bike
builder explained that when you build a bike, you’re going in without a blueprint so you need to visualise
what you want in your head and then apply it to the bike you’re building. He said that although the
custom culture scene seems relatively new in Malaysia, it has always been around, just not heavily
promoted.
“From my travels to Yogyakarta and Japan, I see that the culture there is different than ours. Over there,
the pockets of enthusiasts are thick and they are really willing to spend on a particular project. Over here,
there are a lot of people interested in vintage bikes, but not many that are willing to fork out,” reveals Ku
Zen.
“However, the efforts of a few people are beginning to change the scene. “The organisers for Art of
Speed (an annual vintage vehicle festival that brings together collectors, builders and enthusiast where Ku
Zen’s Harley Davidson won the ‘Best Show’ in 2013) for instance have a great showcase to bring people
together and share their knowledge. The public are also able to see what goes on in this world and
promote it.”
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“A lot of them ride vintage choppers and bobbers, but most of them are perhaps just poseurs.”
– Ku Zen
Ku Zen also revealed that locally, most of those involved in the vintage bike business are mainly purists
who try hard to keep every rebuilt bike’s originality. “They want original tanks and parts – I think I may
be the only one who’s not a complete purist.”
He goes on to say that nowadays, many young people are jumping onto the vintage wagon as well: “A lot
of them ride vintage choppers and bobbers, but most of them are perhaps just poseurs. They can ride and
everything but once it breaks down, they just send it in for repair. They don’t know their bikes intimately,
have absolutely no character and just want to look cool or ‘rugged’. Some even sport fake or offtherack
patches on their jackets without knowing what they stand for!”
Ku Zen goes on to say that the younger generation who are into vintage bikes, and custom culture in
general, perhaps have too little passion to learn about bike repair and building, and that patience and
perseverance is the name of the game. “Perfection takes time, these kids will eventually learn about that!
Because they really don’t have no choice since to get into this game properly, you have to learn and repair
their own bikes.”
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“Not all vintage bikes and engines are expensive as it all depends on a particular range or
model.” – Ku Zen
Bottom line, Ku Zen feels that those interested in getting into vintage bikes should first identify what bike
suits them. “Choose a model you like and start learning about the engine, how the ignition works and all
the basics. Most of the parts are out of production though, so it will become a neverending quest. For
instance, I’d search for a blown engine selling for cheap on the ‘Net, I’d order it and attempt to fix it. And
of course, not all vintage bikes and engines are expensive as it all depends on a particular range or model.”
You can find more info and also contact Ku Zen at kuzensan@yahoo.com.my or look him up on facebook
at www.facebook.com/ChopperMinistry or even follow on Instagram at @chopperministry
TEXT SIM WIE BOON
IMAGE ASYRAF LEE/ WWW.ASYRAFLEE.COM
ART DIRECTION CELESTE GOH
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