Mention Japanese customs based on Kawasakis and the name Sanctuary will pop up. Like Bull Dock, Sanctuary modifies the Z1 and other models like the older Ninjas but they also apply their magic to the Suzuki Katana and the Honda CB1100F. High end components throughout, brakes, suspension and new swing arms plus lots of frame strengthening and engine work results in their RCM line, the Real Complete Machine. Vintage machines with all modern components, these bikes look great but they’re not just show, Sanctuary races what they build.
Like shops here in the U.S. customizing and rebuilding old Harleys, over in Japan, you have a strong support community for reworking the old Japanese standards and superbikes. The look is refined and they seem to have all of the weak spots worked out. Obviously, going this route isn’t cheap, high quality work never is, but if your taste runs along the lines of the old Z1, Sanctuary might have what you’re looking for.
Link: Sanctuary — Translated
Phoebe says
I like these a lot. Really nicely mods.
dan says
That black KZ is the baddest bike I have ever seen! Damn I need to get my money right soon!! That bike says P51 Mustang on steroids!
Tinman says
Those are some fine looking scooters, much better than the plastic bikes coming out of Japan now. These bikes are respected for good reason, they are not imitations of any thing else(Harley cruisers), they are what they are. Japanese standards, and proud of it.
B50 Jim says
KInda makes you think the Japanese didn’t lose WWII; they just found a better way to fight. Japanese standards never were my cup of meat (I believe no bike needs more than two cylinders), but I respect that they were totally honest bikes — made to run hard and fast, not leak or break, and go across the country as easily as they went across town. These upgrades are what the factories would have done if they had the stuff back then. Top-drawer work!
todd says
This does show that there is still a desire for a “standard” motorcycle. No need to have the most HP, latest styling, or trickest geometry, just a good strong motor and simple layout. New bikes now are just too much of whatever for some people and an honest motorcycle like this is what those people want. I imagine I’m the same but I don’t require all that motor or brakes nor the expense of the shiny, custom paint job.
The Z1 on this page sure looks more *real* than the Bull Dock ones.
-todd
kneeslider says
I think the appeal of the Z1, besides the obvious healthy performance, is the design, it’s one I would almost call timeless. If you were to think of a really good looking Japanese standard, the Z1 has to be pretty close to the top of the shortlist. These examples from Sanctuary and the previous ones from Bull Dock, just accentuate what a fine job the original designers did. New technology makes a vintage bike new again with all of the performance most anyone really needs. Park one of these in your garage and as long as there’s gasoline available, you’ll have a very sweet ride, sure to attract a crowd now and 20 years from now. Not a bad investment.
Will13 says
Fantastic stuff! Really like seeing these bikes on the kneeslider. I love the CB1100F. Nice to hear that Sanctuary is strengthening the frames as well as putting all the good bits in the motor, brakes, and suspension. The old Jap standards are great, but can occaissionaly be grouped into the “flexi-flyer” category.
Overall these are impressive machines. Hopefully the manufacturers of today can look to these bikes and find inspiration for a new line of retro performance models.
tim says
You’d HAVE to strengthen the frames: Even back in the day some of them had very average suspension, and tyres weren’t great and were smaller than they are now. Now these bikes are updated with wider, WAY stickier rubber, uber brakes and more power, putting a lot more load into the chassis. Unmodified, the things would tie themselves up in knots!. I would love to see photos of where they braced them, but I presume it would be like what used to happen with the Superbikes.
They are well cool, these are the “big bikes” from when I started riding (the Rolladoor and the Kat, and the GPz anyway).
john says
this is one way of getting a “new” air-cooled four cylinder bike. here in the US, we can’t get the Yamaha XJR1300 or Honda CB1100F, but these bikes are old enough so maybe they could be legally imported and registered without too much trouble. On the other hand, they’re probably so expensive that restoring one that is already in the US might be cheaper.
Tinman says
I recently refreshed a CB1100F for a friend, This man bought a nice example of this 1 year bike (in the U.S.) for a low price. A new chain and sprockets, tires, HP brake pads, tune and fluid change and he still had less than $3500 in this very clean fun bike. You dont have to spend a fortune to get a nice Jap standard.
dan says
You do to get it to that level! Modern forks big oil cooler free flowing pipes swing arm triple tree, engine internals!
Jon says
Thanks Paul for posting these back to back. Really helps to see both companies work. Still a Sanctuary fan, but WOW to both!