Brat Style Chout

Stopped by Brat Style's year-old shop in Long Beach, LA, on our American whistle-stop trip. It was great to finally meet Go and Masumi in person.
He was cooly busy with finishing this Indian "Chout" for this weekend's Born-Free 7 show in Silverado, CA. We did a feature on his Tokyo shop in Sideburn #18. BP

Go's daily-ride R60/6 BM'

Brat Style BMW RnineT

We're a little slow on the up-take I know, so this is already all over the internet and we consequently won't do a magazine feature on it. But it's a pretty thing made out of a brute of a bike by Japanese master swordsman Go Takamine. See the full set of official photos here, plus all the other BMs from the other selected respected Japanese builders.

Read our feature on Brat Style in Sideburn 18. BP

The Original: Brat Style

People have become very confused. Some try to tell us 'Our show includes Brat Style bikes.' Others claim 'We make Brat Style bikes.' They don't. Only one company makes Brat Style bikes: Brat Style of Japan. The rest, those influenced and riding on the coat tails, make Brat Style-style bikes.

For Sideburn 18 (out now!) Japanese journalist, photographer, clothing designer and rocker, Hiro Maeda visited Brat Style's three-storey Tokyo HQ for Sideburn. He interviewed the top man, Mr. Go Takamine, and got the lowdown on the history of the company; why Go has moved to the USA; what the followers will be riding in four years time (basically what Go is building right now). And there isn't a panini seat in sight.

On another note - Ben pointed out there is a website in Italy called Brat Style and they've trademarked the name. Trademarking the name of a true trailblazer and a gent - how low can you go? GI