Goose’s “MFP1000” from Unik Edition…
Mad Max (1979) remains one of the most influential films of the 20th century, as powerful today as it’s ever been — perhaps because a post-apocalyptic future seems a more distinct possibility than it did in the 80s. A baby-faced Mel Gibson was cast in the lead role, starring as a vengeance-driven ex-Main Force Patrol (MFP) officer hunting down the psychotic Toecutter and his gang of murderous bikers.
The film was the directorial debut of George Miller, who actually funded the low-budget film by working as an ER doctor — an experience that would directly contributed to the grisly, realistic action of the entire Mad Max series:
“Only Miller had the upsetting real-life experience in emergency medical treatment to inform [the films’] depiction of high-speed chases and their tragic aftermath.” –Screen Rant
Of course, we love that much of the film takes place on two wheels. A local Kawasaki dealership donated a whole stable of Kawasaki KZ1000 machines (14 in all) for use in the film, and members of a local Victorian motorcycle club, the Vigilantes, played the members of Toecutter’s gang — talk about authenticity!
Melbourne-based workshop La Parisienne (RIP) modified the bikes for the film, including the 1977 Kawasaki KZ1000 “Kwaka” of MFP Pursuit Officer Jim “Goose” Rains — Max’s happy-go-lucky friend and brother in arms, who comes to a fiery and tragic end at the hands of Toecutter and Johnny the Boy.
The KZ1000 would later become the basis for the KZ1000P Police model, which remained in production until 2005! However, Goose’s machine was far cry from the bloated police bikes of CHiPs and other 20th-century police departments.
The Kwaka (aka “MFP1000”) was more of a streamlined high-speed pursuit special, complete with rearsets, megaphone exhaust, and low bars — something of a café racer with lights.
Many of the Kwaka’s parts were hand-built for the film and subsequently destroyed. Until 2002, Japanese workshop Whitehouse made replica kits for the MFP1000, but these are rare in the wild — our friends at Return of the Cafe Racers featured a black one several years ago.
Fortunately, Lisbon-based workshop Unik Edition Custom Motorcycles has taken up the helm with this MFP1000 “Kwaka” replica, built from an ’81 KZ1000 they had sitting in the shop. António “jokingly suggested” they should build a replica of the bike, but the rest of the team jumped on the idea.
“Two weeks later we screened the film in the workshop so the whole team could get into the spirit.”
After more than a year of research, parts hunting, and fabrication, the team at Unik Edition created the highly faithful replica you see here. Best of all, they’ve made it so you can create your own:
“We were left with a kit of fairings and stickers to be able to reproduce this motorcycle in Europe with greater ease. Just contact us!”
Meanwhile, North American buyers can contact Airtech Streamlining for replica kits. Below, Tiago from Unik Edition gives us more details on the build, with photos courtesy of Manuel Portugal (@manuelportugalphoto).
Mad Max MFP1000: In the Builder’s Words…
Obviously we like the whole creative process of building and developing pieces. But above all we like challenges and honoring art. The history of this motorcycle is very peculiar. We had a 1981 Kawasaki KZ1000 in the shop and a passing friend asked if we knew this bike was the same bike from the 1979 movie Mad Max.
Of course we knew and that was one of the reasons why we liked the bike so much. António jokingly suggested that it would be interesting to build a replica of the bike! On our part he received an obvious mega smile.
Two weeks later we screened the film in the workshop so the whole team could get into the spirit.
One year later, and after a lot of research, looking for parts, and despite our 1981 model being slightly different from the 1977 version of the movie, we managed to do our magic here.
Having had the opportunity to build this bike, it was a really fun process. We were left with a kit of fairings and stickers to be able to reproduce this motorcycle in Europe with greater ease. Just contact us!
MFP1000: Detail Gallery
MFP1000: Riding Gallery
More: unikmotorcycles.pt/en/bikes/kawasaki-mad-max-1979-jim-goose-42/
Follow the Builder
Web: unikmotorcycles.pt
Facebook: @unikmotorcycles
Instagram: @unikmotorcycles
Photography: Manuel Portugal (@manuelportugalphoto)
More Unik Edition Builds
Lisbon Bonnie: Thruxton-Powered Triumph T120 Bonneville - Thruxton Power: Bonneville T120 Custom Roadster from Unik Edition… The Triumph T120 Bonneville sits at the top of the Bonnie range, a retro roadster that combines the style and character of the old air-cooled Bonnies […]
Big Suzy: Suzuki DR800 Big Scrambler - Unik Edition scrambles DR Big… In 1990, Suzuki released the DR800 Big, the largest mass-production single-cylinder dual-sport ever available to the buying public. The “dashing desert styling” came straight from the mighty DR-Zeta Paris-Dakar bike, […]
Main Force Patrol: Mad Max KZ1000 “Kwaka” - Goose’s “MFP1000” from Unik Edition… Mad Max (1979) remains one of the most influential films of the 20th century, as powerful today as it’s ever been — perhaps because a post-apocalyptic future seems a more […]
Italian Six: Benelli 900 Sei Café Racer - “Sinfonia” by Unik Edition Custom Motorcycles… Introduced in 1972, the Benelli 750 Sei (“Six”) was the world’s first six-cylinder production motorcycle, featuring a 747cc air-cooled inline six producing 71 bhp. The driving force behind the […]
Go-Zilla: Yamaha XSR900 “Gojira” by Unik Edition - A triple-cylinder hooligan inspired by the Skyline GT-R… In 1989, Nissan released the R32 Skyline GT-R, an all-wheel-drive street car with a 2.6-liter twin turbo straight-six engine that made 320 horsepower in factory trim…but could […]
Tailor-Made: Suzuki GS850 by Unik Edition - A bespoke GS, built for a vintage tailor… Launched in 1976, the Suzuki GS series was the company’s first full-fledged line of four-stroke street bikes, which developed a reputation for solid handling and bulletproof, over-engineered […]
A Lighter Goose: Moto Guzzi California 1100 Cafe Racer - In 1971, Moto Guzzi introduced the very first California — an Italian V-twin cruiser originally developed for the Los Angeles Police Department’s Traffic Division, featuring a bulletproof Lexan windshield, sirens, radio, lights, and a left-foot […]
Queen of Heaven: Honda CB550 “Inanna” by Unik Edition - The Honda CB550 is one of our favorite Honda Fours. While it was largely overshadowed by its larger sibling, the CB750, it was much more than a run-of-the-mill middleweight. In fact, it struck an elusive […]
Retro Thumper: Yamaha XT600 “113” by Unik Edition - A 70s-style scrambler built for the mom of a motocross racer… In 1984, Yamaha released the XT600, the latest in the company’s XT series of four-stroke dual-purpose machines that began with the famed XT500, winner […]
Japanese Muscle: Yamaha XJR1300 “Geisha” by Unik Edition - The Yamaha XJR1300 was a fire-breathing brute of a machine, a two-wheeled muscle car whose air-cooled engine could be traced back to the 1980s. By the time the 1251cc powerplant found its way into the […]
Black & Yellow: Barbour International’s Triumph Scrambler - Unik Edition builds a scrambler for a historic moto brand… Few brands can claim the motorcycling heritage of Barbour International. In 1908, Barbour’s inaugural catalogue included an oilskin suit designed for motorcycling, “impregnable by wind […]
Honda CB500T “Sakura” by Unik Edition - Only available from 1975-76, the Honda CB500T was an evolution of the CB450, featuring a longer stroke parallel twin engine, 50cc more displacement, and a few assorted upgrades, such as ball-type main bearings. While it […]
’80s Glory: Honda CBX750 “Flávia” by Unik Edition - An ’80s sport bike, well upgraded… Introduced in 1984, the Honda CBX750 — aka the RC17 — was developed from the CB750 and sold mainly in Europe and Australia. The bike’s DOHC 16-valve engine produced […]
BMW R100RS “D’Artagnan” by Unik Edition - The BMW R100 was the last of the legendary airheads, a 980cc air-cooled boxer twin that’s been known to do 200,000 miles and more. The RS was the sport touring version, sporting aerodynamic bodywork by […]
Modern Classic: BMW R100R by Unik Edition - A 1970s-inspired BMW straight out of Lisbon… The BMW airhead has become a favorite platform among many custom builders. The boxer engine is one of the most iconic powerplants in motorcycling history, and riding one […]
Very hep!