Now and then some eccentric builder comes up with a project that breaks the internet and this is precisely what’s going on here. Enter Kevin, a 1985 Daihatsu Hijet 1000 kei van that’s now powered by an entire Yamaha FZR600 motorcycle. A double JDM project!
Sure, we’ve all seen tiny four-wheeled vehicles with bike engine swaps, but in this case, the bike is the swap. Okay, we might’ve exaggerated a little, since the motorcycle is not quite 100% inside the van: the rear wheel is missing.
Yes, Kevin is drivable, as its builders, the Polish crew over at Nightride, demonstrated during the recent Ultrace 2023. The custom car gathering saw the contraption being taken around the lot for pictures and showcasing its people-moving abilities at skateboard speeds, which is precisely what makes this thing so fun.
The event also saw the Yamaha motorcycle-powered Daihatsu kei van getting the judges’ vote over an L28-swapped R34 Nissan Skyline Liberty Walk Super Silhouette presented by company founder Wataru Kato himself, so things got pretty wild—Kevin got the #4 spot in the end.
Yes, the motorcycle clutch, which is operated via the Daihatsu kei van’s standard clutch pedal—as is the throttle—has a bit of trouble keeping up at times, which is why the vehicle gets its fair share of pushing (e.g. when going uphill).
And while the front axle now rides on air suspension to give the vehicle its tarmac-touching stance, there’s no rear suspension whatsoever—a chain drives a solid rear axle via a sprocket.
But there are plenty of creature comforts… at least in this context: the engine is now started via a button on the dash and the custom exhaust goes underneath that rear axle, exiting the vehicle at the rear via bosozoku-style vertical pipes. Add those rear flares and the roof spoiler for extra visual drama.
Plus, the grey roll cage gives one some peace of mind, the all-metal seats offer plenty of lateral support (we’re pushing it here) and the front wheel of the motorcycle serves as an armrest, while the handbrake has a custom roof mount.
Kevin is one of the wildest kei “car” builds in the world
That handbrake might come in handy further down the road, as Nightride usually builds drift cars and perhaps Kevin’s 185/60 R13 tires will be torn apart for our pleasure.
After all, the Yamaha’s 600cc engine makes about 90 hp, which is twice as much as the factory three-cylinder 1,000cc unit used to offer. And, with that limited steering angle and no rear diff, this van might as well get oversteer-driven like a super-sized go-kart.
Now, if you’re wondering how the driver fits inside this contraption, you should know the steering wheel is detachable and the column has had its angle adjusted.
We’re not surprised these builders based their project, which has had more than one form over the past two years, on a kei vehicle. That’s because these diminutive Japanese rides are winning hearts all over the world these days—have you seen Texas Toot, the Autozam Scrum kei monster truck that Hot Wheels decided to turn into a casting? We’d love to see Kevin getting a similar treatment.
