The Meguro S3 Custom: Designed to Be a “Classic Car You Can Drive Without Stress”

A Meguro that blends naturally into the streets of Kamakura while exuding a unique presence.
Born from the owner’s sensibilities and a series of discussions with a motorcycle shop, this custom bike embodies the ideal of “effortlessly enjoying a classic bike in everyday life.”

1958 MEGURO S3

What is Meguro?

Meguro is one of the prestigious brands that helped shape the early days of motorcycling in Japan.
With its substantial styling and distinctive engine pulse, it has captivated countless riders.

While Meguro bikes are highly popular as vintage motorcycles today, the difficulty of maintaining them in their original condition—along with the high barriers to obtaining parts and servicing them—often leads people to view them as “classic bikes that are aspirational but hard to own casually.”

That is precisely why this customization project prioritizes making the bike enjoyable to ride in modern life without strain, while still preserving the “Meguro essence.”
The goal was to create a new vision of Meguro that naturally fits into the owner’s daily life.

“MEGURO,” one of the prestigious brands that helped shape the early days of motorcycling in Japan (Image from the Kawasaki website)

Customized to preserve the “Meguro essence” while prioritizing ease of use in modern daily life

Personally, I’m drawn to the rear view when looking from the left rear

“I was looking for a classic car I could drive without feeling self-conscious”

Owner Takehiro Nomura runs a souvenir shop and coffee stand in Sasuke, Kamakura.

What Mr. Nomura was looking for was a slightly compact motorcycle that would be easy to ride around town all year round.
Furthermore, a natural, comfortable riding position was one of his requirements.

So he turned to RE&Works, a motorcycle shop in Kamakura, for advice.

“We were looking at various models together, and that’s when they recommended the Meguro, saying, ‘I think this one would be just right for you.’”

It has the distinctive presence of a classic bike, yet is compact enough to easily fit into daily life.
That exquisite balance perfectly matched the image Mr. Nomura had in mind.

Instagram “Good Souvenir and coffee”
https://www.instagram.com/goodsouvenirandcoffee

Instagram “Takahiro Nomura”
https://www.instagram.com/takehiro_nomura

Owner Mr. Nomura straddling his beloved MEGURO S3

The souvenir shop and coffee stand in Kamakura run by Mr. Nomura

Shaping the Ideal Design Over a Cup of Coffee

What’s most impressive about this customization is the process leading up to its completion.

Mr. Nomura says he met with Mr. Sakuma, the representative of RE&Works, numerous times, and they decided on the direction while engaging in casual conversation.
The time spent talking over coffee became the joy of building the bike itself.

“It was such a fun time, making decisions over coffee time and time again.”

One element that was decided early on during these discussions was the distinctive mid-up muffler.

This muffler was custom-made with hand-bent tubing.
It lends a unique sense of lightness to the bike’s overall silhouette without compromising the classic Meguro aesthetic.

Another highlight is the hand-drawn emblem on the fuel tank.
In fact, Mr. Nomura drew it himself.

The fact that the owner’s own sensibilities are naturally incorporated into the bike is a major part of its appeal.

Hand-bent exhaust pipes tracing beautiful curves

The deliberate choice of white serves as an accent color that really stands out

The hand-painted emblem, a signature feature of this vehicle

A meticulously crafted emblem hand-drawn by the owner, Mr. Nomura, himself

The overall balance tailored to the owner’s preferences

The customizations are wide-ranging.

Starting with a one-off hand-bent exhaust, the bike features wider tires, a custom fuel tank, a modified off-the-shelf rear fender, a custom seat, custom seat stays, modified lighting, a custom handlebar, and even a carburetor upgrade from Mikuni Amal to Dellorto.

However, this bike isn’t just a customization project designed to impress with the sheer number of parts.

What Mr. Nomura particularly likes is “the overall balance tailored to my body size.”

It’s not just about the looks—it’s about “how it feels just right when I ride it.”
That, perhaps, is the most important theme embodied in this Meguro.

The front end exudes a scrambler vibe

The clean lines from the seat to the rear enhance the bike’s overall presence

A handlebar area stripped of all unnecessary elements and a compact peanut-shaped fuel tank

With classic bikes, having a “trusted shop” is essential

When it comes to owning a classic bike, dealing with maintenance and mechanical issues is unavoidable.

“The downside with classic bikes is that it’s often hard to find a shop willing to repair them when they break down. But I feel at ease knowing that RE&Works really understands Meguro bikes.”

They don’t just build the bike and call it a day—they’re there to support you through its ongoing maintenance as well.
For classic bike owners, that might be the most reassuring thing of all.

Instagram “RE&Works”
https://www.instagram.com/reworks39

RE&Works, a Kamakura motorcycle shop that specializes in customizing and repairing MEGURO bikes in addition to British bikes

Inside the shop, MEGURO bikes stand alongside Triumphs, BSAs, and Nortons!

It’s reassuring to see that Mr. Sakuma, the owner of RE&Works, rides a MEGURO S3 himself

It was the connections between people that made this Meguro possible

Finally, Mr. Nomura expressed his gratitude to everyone involved in the project.

“I’d like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Sakuma of RE&Works for building such a wonderful bike, Mr. Sawamura and Ryoma from Nasu-Karasuyama CROWS for their cooperation, and everyone else who contributed to the creation of this bike.”

The owner, the shop, and friends.
Born from connections with so many people, this Meguro was deeply imbued with the “joy of creating something together with friends.”

Instagram: “Everyone’s Single-Cylinder”
https://www.instagram.com/minnano_tankito

Meguro, brought to life through connections with so many people! The “joy of creating together with friends” was deeply ingrained in it.