ACHILLES
The Beauty Called Necessity
This bike was built sometime between 2002 and 2003. It was one of the very first full-custom projects undertaken by BAD LAND shortly after the company was founded, and its most distinctive feature is the silhouette of the long fork, which traces elegant curves.
The frame and swingarm were crafted by renowned German custom builder Thomas Habermann. The early 2000s marked a golden age for Euro-style customs and European-made parts. BAD LAND introduced this trend—which originated primarily in Germany—to the Japanese custom scene as it was unfolding. This motorcycle is a true symbol of that era.
When I started BAD LAND, there was one thing I vowed to myself from the very beginning: that the very existence of each vehicle would be brimming with “necessity.”People will naturally have their own preferences when it comes to a vehicle’s silhouette. However, if that vehicle possesses a genuine sense of inevitability, it transcends personal tastes and appears beautiful to everyone. Surely no one would question that beauty. And even as time passes—10, 20, or 30 years—the beauty it possessed from the moment of its creation will never be diminished. That was my creed.
It has been more than twenty years since this vehicle was first built. It remains in active service to this day, and even after all these years, its beauty has not changed in the slightest.
When it comes to customizing motorcycles, “necessity” means being “authentic” in its very essence. That’s what I’ve always believed. And even now, every time I see this bike, I quietly realize that my feelings and convictions were indeed correct.
ACHILLES
Authentic Euro-Style Custom
