Kejashi’s Tilt-Wing Motorcycle Tilts Like a Bird in Flight

Most bikes lean hard into turns, riders practically kissing the ground to stay in control. But in South Australia, mechanic Kent James Shillitoe has built something that defies this familiar scene. His creation, the Kejashi tilt-wing motorcycle, doesn’t just bend the rules of two-wheeled physics – it tears them apart and builds something new. This thing, with its weird steering and a wing that tilts like a bird in flight, is going to change how motorcycles corner.

Shillitoe, a maker with a day job fixing bikes, started with a simple question: why can’t motorcycles corner like Formula One cars? Cars have four tires for grip and aerodynamic wings that press them into the track, so they can carve turns at insane speeds. Motorcycles have two tyres and rely on the rider’s lean to maintain traction, but that lean comes with a catch. As a bike tilts past 45 degrees – common in high-speed MotoGP racing – any aerodynamic aids, like winglets, start pushing the bike outwards instead of down, and sabotage the grip. Shillitoe’s solution? A motorcycle that keeps its downforce steady and reduces the need to lean so hard.

Unlike traditional motorcycles where the front wheel pivots directly under the handlebars, the Kejashi’s front wheel is mounted on a trailing arm extending from a steel cage far ahead of the bike’s frame. When you turn left, the entire steering column – wheel and all – swings out to the right, sometimes more than a foot off the bike’s centreline. This offset shifts the bike’s weight inwards, just like pro riders hang off their seats to counterbalance a turn. By moving the wheel outwards, the Kejashi lets the rider stay more upright, reducing the lean angle needed for tight corners. Shillitoe compares it to a Can-Am Spyder trike, where hard cornering lifts an inside wheel, but here it’s just two wheels working magic.

Riding this thing is a leap of faith. Shillitoe says it felt “all kinds of wrong” at first, the front wheel swinging out wide like a pendulum while the bike stays steady. But once you trust it, he says, it feels natural – almost like a regular motorcycle, only smoother. The offset steering is like a kind of lateral suspension, soaking up mid-corner bumps that would unsettle a standard bike. On a dirt road, Shillitoe once dodged a boulder without thinking, the gap between the wheels letting it pass harmlessly underneath. “It’s stable,” he says. “You can take your hands off and it just trails along, no worries.” That stability, combined with less lean, could mean better tire grip and fewer slides, especially on tricky surfaces.

Then there’s the wing—a massive, tilting structure that’s as much a conversation starter as it is a performance tool. Above the rider’s head, it’s linked to the steering system, tilting opposite the turn to stay level with the ground. This keeps the downforce pressing straight down, not sideways, even when the bike leans. At 93mph Shillitoe estimates the wing generates about 132lbs of downforce, enough to compress the front forks slightly. That extra grip could be a game changer on a racetrack where every ounce of traction counts. But the wing’s placement isn’t perfect—it sits right in the rider’s line of sight when upright, like a Formula One car’s HALO bar. Tuck down and it’s out of the way but it’s a reminder of the Kejashi’s raw, prototype nature.

Shillitoe built this marvel from a humble Honda CB125, swapping the engine for a 50hp two stroke dirt bike motor with a custom exhaust. Despite the added steel cage the bike weighs just 287lbs—barely more than the stock 282lbs CB125—thanks to stripped down road gear. Drag is noticeable at high speeds but Shillitoe dreams of a Formula One inspired system to tilt the wing upwards, reducing resistance on straights. For now he’s been testing on South Australia’s back roads, weaving through the Adelaide Hills. The bike’s not ready for city streets or head to head racing—it’s built for time attack events or hill climbs where raw cornering speed rules.

What’s next for the Kejashi? Shillitoe wants to take it to a racetrack, compare it to a standard CBR125 he keeps for testing. He’s cautious though, waiting for warmer weather to push the bike’s limits. The prototype built in his shed over a year is rough around the edges—steel where carbon fibre could shave weight and add rigidity. He imagines a future version with a super stiff frame where the offset steering absorbs bumps like a secondary suspension. The design is tantalizing, like the Zenvo TSR-S hypercar that tilts its rear wing to boost cornering. But for now it’s a one man project, a bold experiment that’s equal parts genius and madness.

Sometimes someone comes along with an idea so crazy it makes you rethink what’s possible. Shillitoe’s Kejashi is that kind of idea—a motorcycle that defies decades of two wheeled convention. It’s not finished and it’s not perfect but it’s impossible to ignore. As Shillitoe works on his creation the question isn’t just will it work but will the world of motorcycling be ready for something this bold. One thing’s for sure: the next time he fires up that two stroke engine and puts the front wheel into the dirt eyes will be watching waiting to see if this weird machine can make its mark.
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