Cafe Racer

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KTM 690 ENDURO R
BMW R1200 GSA
1977 BMW R100/7


Frank McGoldrick is one of those people who seem to have a talent for everything they turn their hand to. An accomplished welder and fabricator, he graduated to designing and building bars, shops and restaurants throughout the UK. After selling his business five years ago, Frank moved to the French Alps and was finally able to return to his childhood passion—motorcycles. Finally getting some time on his hands, he decided to build his own motorcycle, “with a style and individuality that most major manufacturers seem to neglect,” he says.


After scouring eBay Frank found a 1977 BMW R 100/7 in the UK. It was low mileage, but had been stored outside on a busy London street with no cover. “It was a rusty dirt ball of a bike,” he says. “But with a new battery and a quick service it seemed to run ok. It was simply a case of getting it back to France, an 800-mile journey.” Two days later the BMW was in Frank’s mountain workshop. As the first snow of the winter settled outside, he readied his grinder for some serious work.
He wanted to build a light, functional, everyday motorcycle that “worked”. And also to create a blueprint for his MAKE brand—a stylish object with an ethos that could be transferred to furniture, clothing, art, interiors and cycles. The first job was to strip down every nut and bolt, remove the engine and wiring, and return the BMW to its component parts. Frank cut the sub frame from the main frame, de-tagging and de-lugging as he went along, and reworking the rear suspension geometry for more aggressive handling. The finished frame was was bead blasted, powdercoated and painted.

Meanwhile in the workshop a new competition clutch was fitted, heads were polished and ported, and the carbs were overhauled and rejetted. The casings and wheels were meticulously polished by hand. Frank rewired the bike and fitted a small red starter switch and single speedo into the headlight assembly. A solo leather seat was fabricated, and the exhaust system was shortened, with race mufflers fitted. A custom battery box and lightweight gel battery were installed, along with new levers, throttle, and stainless steel brake and fuel lines. The original bike had a dry weight of 210kg but the MAKE BMW weighs in at 178kg. Frank estimates a 10 bhp increase of over stock, boosting performance still further.
Sketches are underway for a new project and there are two possible options at the moment: a 1970 Triumph T120/650R or an early 70s Harley. It’ll be interesting to see what Frank makes of those.
 

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KTM 690 ENDURO R
BMW R1200 GSA
BMW R100 RS custom


One of the most interesting new European custom builders is Karles Vives of Fuel Bespoke Motorcycles. He’s based in Barcelona, Spain, and is entirely self-taught. He’s also got an excellent eye for aesthetics.

This is the second BMW R100-based build from Fuel. (Here’s the first.) And this time, Vives has taken elements of flat track bikes as his inspiration: “Light, thin and powerful motorcycles with wide handlebars and big air filters,” he says.

He’s changed the entire back end of the bike, and worked with VonZeti to create a new seat and tail unit—shortening the subframe to fit. The tank was replaced by one from a BMW R90/6, which is narrower than the R100 RS original. “That gave the bike the look I wanted,” says Vives. “I also modified the slope of the seat and tank unit to get a more aggressive line to the bike.” The bars are from Tommaselli and the original headlight has been replaced with a smaller one, to give the bike a more balanced look.

K&N air filters sit upstream of the engine, while the exhaust pipes are handmade. Vives has taken the original BMW exhaust and shortened it, terminating the system with upswept reverse cone mufflers. The suspension has been overhauled all round.

Dunlop K70 Vintage tires and perforated sideplates add to the retro look. The electrics have been condensed inside the battery box, using the space freed up from installing a small gel battery.

The bike is now for sale: if you’re interested, contact Vives via the Fuel website.
 

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KTM 690 ENDURO R
BMW R1200 GSA
Crowe Customs BMW R80/7


Custom motorcycles are often about sacrifice. As looks improve, functionality suffers. And most of the time, it doesn’t matter, especially if a bike is only ridden for short blasts, or down to a local watering hole. But it’s good to see the occasional long-haul machine given the custom treatment—like this 1978 BMW R80/7 from Crowe Customs of Portland, Oregon.

“This BMW has been my daily beater for the last three years,” says James Crowe. “It’s taken me across the country, up and down the west coast, and up to Canada in the dead of winter. But last fall, it was really starting to get beat. I hadn’t built a bike for myself in over five years, so the timing was right to blow it apart.”

Crowe is working with the bicycle builder Jordan Hufnagel on a project called West America, celebrating the idea of two-wheeled exploration: cross country trips involving gravel roads, swimming holes and carrying large loads. So the modifications to this R80/7 have a serious purpose.

The front suspension is from a Suzuki DR650, which was a surprisingly easy fit. (“The DR650 bearing races are the same as the stock BMW ones,” Crowe notes.) To complete the install, a custom brake rotor was machined, along with new fender mounts. And at the back, Progressive Suspension shocks improve the ride.
Crowe relocated the battery under the transmission and made a new subframe to match the curve of the custom rear fender. New Church Moto created the seat and rear rack, which is supplemented by pannier mounts and soft bags from Lemolo Baggage.

There’s some trick engineering going on here too: the under-tank master cylinder is now actuated by a set of CNC-machined perches and levers, hooked up to an integrated throttle unit. Crowe also made the bars, selecting a wide scrambler-style bend, and designed the ceramic-coated exhaust system.
It’s a practical machine, as the image below shows. And believe it or not, there are even mounting points to carry a full-size MTB bike on the back. Head over to our Facebook page to catch a glimpse of that.
Images courtesy of Jon Humphries.
 

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KTM 690 ENDURO R
BMW R1200 GSA
BMW R100RT by Cafe Racer Dreams


Two months ago, CRD hit the ball out of the park with an elegant vintage BMW R75. They’ve now revisited the Teutonic theme, this time with a muscular and purposeful R 100RT.

‘Ruby Ring’ was commissioned by an Austrian fan of the Spanish custom builders. And she’s not just a pretty face: the extensive list of mods starts with the engine, which has been heavily upgraded with the help of BMW specialists MaxBOXER.

The 1983-model twin has been boosted from 980 to 1040cc, with lightweight high-compression pistons. They’re running a 7mm shorter stroke, but a large overbore. The heads have been ported, with new valves fitted, and a dual-plug ignition system installed. (This comes complete with 16 maps to choose from, so you can select the power curve you want.)

Carbs are Dell’orto, sucking through K&N filtration, and gases exit via a custom exhaust system built by CRD’s neighbors, a company called GR. A lighter and stronger Sach sports clutch handles the extra power.

At the front, the 41mm forks have been rebuilt. At the back, the entire structure of the R 100RT is new, and is now anchored by Hagon Nitro shocks. The bars are Renthal Ultra Lows, and the pegs are from Tarozzi. Continental TKC 80 Twinduro dual sport tires give the bike a measure of off-road ability.

The stance is appealingly stocky and compact, and the whole shebang is finished in a mix of deep ruby-red paint and gray powder-coat. Muy bonito, ¿no?
Check out previous CRD builds in the Bike EXIF Archives, and keep up with CRD’s news on their Facebook page. Images courtesy of Rafa Gallar.

 

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KTM 690 ENDURO R
BMW R1200 GSA
Custom BMW R75/6


I’m a sucker for a tastefully updated classic BMW. And this mid-70s airhead is as good as it gets. The bike started out as a stock R75/6, but it’s now way beyond factory spec—thanks to California-based BMW specialists Boxer Metal.

According to builder Chris Canterbury, “The customer saw a similar bike in a magazine, and wanted me to build him his own version. So we took the engine up to 1000cc [from 750cc] with late model heads and carburetors, a BMW sport cam and a lightened flywheel.”

Boxer Metal also fitted a police-spec tank and seat obtained from Europe, and had the bodywork repainted by Chico-based artist Dennis Price. They stripped, rebuilt, powder coated and re-laced the wheels with stainless steel spokes. The front end is now a dual disc setup from a R90S; it’s matched to completely rebuilt forks, with Works Performance providing the rear shocks.

Extreme attention to detail has given this R75/6 a factory-fresh look: Boxer Metal has powder coated the frame parts, and black anodized many of the other components. The exhaust has been treated to a Jet-Hot Ceramic Coating, and the shiny parts are either chrome-plated or new stainless steel.

The standard R75/6 had around 50 hp, but this machine is probably putting out closer to 70—which should give spritely performance for a bike weighing just over 200 kg wet (460 lbs).
Classic style and a decent turn of speed—what more could you want?
Images courtesy of Oliver Hutton. For a different take on the BMW R75/6, check out the Wilkinson Brothers’ cafe racer.
 

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KTM 690 ENDURO R
BMW R1200 GSA
Custom BMW R80/7


BMW Motorrad has a gap in its product range large enough to drive a Bundeswehr Unimog through: it doesn’t have a retro roadster to compete with the hugely popular Triumph Bonneville or the expanding Moto Guzzi V7 fleet. Which is strange, given the remarkable popularity of the classic R-series with custom builders.

Here’s the latest vintage Beemer to catch our eye. It’s an R80/7 built by Luka Cimolini in his garage in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Luka’s original plan was to customize a Dnepr, but documentation issues put paid to that. So he snapped up a 1977 R80 in the UK and shipped it to eastern Europe.

It took Luka two years to build this machine, his first custom. But he’s hit the ball out of the park at the first attempt. Slammed low and with a kicked-up seat, he’s given the high-riding R80 a low and sporty stance.
The mods are extensive, with the most obvious being front forks dropped almost two inches and 11-inch shocks fitted at the back. The rebuilt engine is hooked up to universal Megaton reverse cone mufflers, and Luka modified the subframe to take the custom seat unit. The fenders are bobbed BMW originals, and BMW /5 headlight brackets cradle a customized Dnepr lamp. The brake and clutch levers are Triumph, the steering damper knob is from a BMW R26, and the tacho is from an R69S. The grips are Lambretta.

It’s a wide-ranging mix of parts, but they hang together remarkably well. The bike can hold its own against airheads from established builders such as Cafe Racer Dreams and El Solitario.
BMW, it would seem, is taking note of the trend. One of the biggest news stories from this week’s EICMA motorcycle show in Milan is the announcement of a retro roadster from BMW, to be revealed next year. A development of the LoRider concept, it’s likely to be powered by the current air/oil-cooled, 1170cc boxer motor and feature inverted forks. Can’t wait.
Images © Ciril Komotar. With thanks to Andraž Kopitar of the leading Slovenian custom motorcycle site 7seven Customs.
 

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KTM 690 ENDURO R
BMW R1200 GSA
BMW R45 cafe racer


There’s something about the compact, muscular stance of 70s-vintage BMWs that makes them prime candidates for customization. This cafe racer comes from leading glass artist Francesco Pagnin of Treviso in Italy, who calls his motorcycle workshop ‘Franz Garage’. It’s based on a BMW R45, the 473cc boxer-engined middleweight built throughout the late 70s and early 80s. After a complete mechanical and electrical overhaul, Francesco built a seat and tail unit and modified the rear frame to suit, using 8mm tubing. There are neat touches throughout, with minimal instrumentation and a new headlight assembly and rearsets. The tank is from an R100, the bars are adjustable Tommaselli items and the mirrors are from Rizoma. Completing the radical transformation of this unassuming R45 is a delicious white, black and gold paintjob from Patron Racing, and stubby custom mufflers built by Francesco himself. Molto bella. [Thanks to Michiel of BMW Cafe. If you like this, check out the BMW R100/7 Scrambler we ran a year ago.]






1973 BMW R60/5 Custom


BMW’s classic Boxer engine is one of those powerplants you either love or hate. It looks like no other, and invariably dominates the appearance of a bike. I have to admit I love the look of this motor, and so does Terry Whitehurst. He started building his R60/5 custom a year ago, with one thing in mind: minimalism. He was looking for the lines of a race bike but with a twist, taking a dash of inspiration from a ‘47 Panhead. So Terry removed the airbox, fitted K&Ns, and junked the stock Bings for new Mikuni carbs. (“Why do they call Bing carburetors Bing? Because it’s the sound they make hitting the trash can.”) He shortened and reinforced the subframe, and coated the entire chassis with POR-15 before topping it off with a semi-gloss top coat—“literally tougher than powder coat.” The stock forks were shortened 2”, and the wheels were powdercoated and fitted with new stainless spokes. Terry gave the electronics serious attention, fitting a Thunderchild diode board, Dyna III ignition, and brand new cloth wiring. That killer exhaust, by the way, is not a modern concoction: it’s a 30-year old Luftmeister racing system with a custom baffle in the muffler.










BMW R100 Scrambler


BMW’s R series is seriously challenging the Honda CB as the custom platform of choice; over the past few months, a remarkable number of stylish 70s BMW customs have been popping up in the Bike EXIF inbox. This one was built by Karles Vives of Barcelona, Spain, and it’s an RT model—which in BMW’s complicated lexicon, means it’s a tourer. (This was best explained by Cycle magazine’s April 1979 test: “The new RT can best be described as a full-house touring version of the RS, which is a semi-touring version of the S, which is a sporting version of the pipe rack R100T, which is a bunged-out version of the R80/7. Which is a slightly overbored and subtly refined update on the discontinued 750cc model.”) The RT was also the most expensive motorcycle in the world in the late 70s, surpassing even Harley-Davidson’s Electra Glide.


Anyway, back to the vehicle in question. “I always wanted to have a unique motorcycle,” says Karles, “the bike that I couldn’t find in any store. I have never done any job on a bike: I have never changed brake pads or removed the battery, so thinking about a custom project seemed to be an impossible mission.” Karles decided to give it a go, and found an R100 RT from 1982 that was the perfect base for his project. “I started to work hard with a lot of enthusiasm and patience, looking for accessories, removing all the parts I didn’t want, and trying to fix the new ones. At my side I had Jerry Churchill’s book,
BMW 2-Valve Twins 1970-1993
—a great tool for beginners like me—and also the help of some ‘masters’ from the BMW Classic forum.

“The main idea was to get a comfortable riding bike with a cool look, and trying not to spend a lot of money. So I went for the Scrambler style, with a high handlebar, solo seat and off-road tires. After three months, this is the result. Hope you like!”

 

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KTM 690 ENDURO R
BMW R1200 GSA
BMW R69S custom


I’d be a very happy man if this was the sight that greeted me when I opened my garage door on a Saturday morning. Unfortunately, this is not my workshop; it’s that of Ritmo Sereno in Tokyo, a treasure-trove of exquisite vintage machinery. Right now they’re working on this R69S, which is being customized to a client’s specification. The Munich-built R69S had a long production run—throughout most of the 1960s—and was powered by a 594 cc boxer twin putting out 42 bhp. It was not the fastest machine you could buy, but the engineering was state-of-the-art. The motorcycle magazines were enamoured: in 1962, Cycle Worldsaid, “Whatever the BMW’s merits in a contest of speed, it is still the smoothest, best finished, quietest and cleanest motorcycle it has ever been our pleasure to ride. To be honest, we think that anyone who would worry much over its performance-potential is a bit of a booby. The R69S is fast enough to handle any encounter, and it has attributes that are, in touring, infinitely more valuable than mere speed.” Ritmo hasn’t revealed the mechanical modifications yet, but the suspension, bars and exhaust system are new. The bike has also been fitted with revised bodywork including a new fairing, fenders, seat and rear cowl. For more pictures of the original




BMW R80 custom


There are some bikes that are all show and no go, but this BMW reflects a different kind of ‘show’. It’s positively theatrical. Secreted amongst the mechanicals are an antique glass doorknob, a brass bicycle bell and a tiny cameo portrait—see images below—added by the owner, Vancouver-based artist and actor Justin Wright. His Beemer started life in 1987 as an R80/RT, and was customized by an engineer/machinist called Kurt Lang. “Kurt decided to use the bike as a custom platform,” says Justin, “and in his words, ‘To see what I could do with metal for a motorcycle’.” Kurt spent a winter building this BMW, and after a couple of months of riding, sold the bike to Justin. I don’t know how much money changed hands, but there are a lot of man-hours here. The tank, seat and engine top case are all polished, hand-made aluminum. The headlight, brake light and footpegs are also aluminum, and were hand turned on a lathe. The straight bars, controls and the entire exhaust are hand-crafted in stainless steel. And if you’re wondering why the engine looks a little unusual for an R80, it’s because the cylinder heads were replaced with those from a much earlier model BMW—for the rounded look—with the remaining fins rounded off. Despite the elegant little accessories, this BMW is intrinsically functional: “Everything not necessary has been removed,” says Justin. “The bike is basic and detailed with purpose in mind. I think of it as a futuristic motorcycle built by someone in the 1930s.” [Images by Jason Lang.]

UPDATE 25 July 2010 We’ve added two new images at the bottom of the photo gallery below to show the seat and exhaust more clearly. There’s also a basic YouTube
video
that reveals what the R80 sounds like when started up.








 

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KTM 690 ENDURO R
BMW R1200 GSA
BMW R100T custom


When I first saw this BMW, I struggled to put a date to it. Was it an older bike freshened up, or a relatively new bike that had taken a trip back in time? It turned out to be an R100T resto-mod, customized to make it look older than its 1979 model year. It’s owned by Oakland-based Jean-David Gerber: “My goal was to have it overhauled in such a way that it would look more like a bike from the 1960s—a ‘naked’ bike, with fork gaiters and spoked wheels and so on. As you know, BMW used to have a very conservative approach to the design of their ‘airheads’: most parts are interchangeable throughout the 25 years of their production, from 1970 to 1995. Greg Hutchinson, one of the airhead experts of the San Francisco Bay Area, kindly agreed to teach me the basics of mechanics.”

Jean-David replaced the wheels, tank, turn signals, valve covers and handlebars with parts from older BMW models. The seat is a modified police seat from a R90/6. The objective was to have a later-model 1000 cc airhead that “looks old, but still fresh.” The ‘Sienna Ivory’ color comes from a modern Vespa GTV250 and none of the metal parts were polished (to retain the patina) but some were bead-blasted. The engine was overhauled and kept stock—except for fitting dual plugs, electronic ignition and a deeper oil pan—so as not to compromise reliability. The result is understated and low-key, but to my eyes, creamily delicious. See the full restoration, beautifully photographed, on Jean-David’s Airhead Reborn blog.
Nikon D300 | 1/2000s | f/2.8 | ISO 320 | Focal length 120mm










BMW R60/5 cafe racer


Most images that we receive fall into one of two categories: average photographs of a very interesting motorcycle, or beautiful photographs of a fairly common motorcycle. So when you happen across a photographer who is also a vintage bike nut, it’s a marriage made in heaven. This exquisite customized R60/5 is owned by commercial photographer Josh Withers, and he’s shown off the bike to perfection. It helps to live near a Californian beach, I guess, but this machine would look equally gorgeous in the grungiest Atlantic City alleyway. The Berlin-built R60/5 was in the middle of BMW’s ‘slash 5’ range—the others being the R50/5 and the R75/5—and had a 600cc air-cooled motor in the traditional boxer configuration. Josh’s machine is a 1973 ‘toaster‘-tank model from the last year of production, and he paid just $500 for it. As with many bargain bikes, the problems soon started to mount up, and Josh ended up doing a bare-frame restoration. But the result was worth it, don’t you think?

Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
| 1/125 sec | f/18 | ISO 100 | EF24-70 f/2.8L USM









BMW R1200 custom


Most motorcycle marques can point to a single early model that set the tone for those that followed and established the brand. In BMW’s case it’s the R32. It was unveiled at the Berlin motor show in 1923, and it was a good fifty years later before BMW Motorrad shook off the R32′s iconic black-paint-and-pinstripes look. This ‘R1232’ is a very unusual custom built by a team led by Jean-Luc Dupont of the French BMW dealer Panda Moto 89. Jean-Luc is based in Villeneuve-Sur-Yonne, south east of Paris, and he’s known for creating BMW customs based on current production models.

According to the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America website, ‘Jean-Luc had the idea of creating a modern interpretation of the R32 using current technology. This would be a complete motorcycle design and production exercise, and would require everything to be fabricated … “Harley-Davidson has built its reputation on having their motorcycles as a modern interpretation of the past. I wanted to do the same for BMW, and where better to start than BMW’s first motorcycle, the R32?” said Jean-Luc.’
It’s interesting to compare the specifications of the original R32 with Jean-Luc’s creation. The 1923 bike had 8.5hp and weighed 122kg. The R1232 has 107 horses and weighs 235kg (520 lbs), which is reasonable by today’s standards. So the power-to-weight ratio has increased by more than six-fold. (The six-speed gearbox will ease progress even further.) If there’s a question mark, it’ll be over the braking system and the 2.5” wide tires, which roll on 21” rims at the front and 19” at the back. But then again, you can’t have everything. The R1232 took US$95,000, 16 months and over 600 hours of work to create, and you’ll find the full specification (in French) and more photos on the Panda Moto website. [Images by David Ducastel.]



 

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KTM 690 ENDURO R
BMW R1200 GSA
BMW R69S


When this R69S rolled into the workshop of Tokyo resto-mod specialists Ritmo Sereno, it was a slightly gawky custom with mismatched curves and a shapeless silver tank. With their usual attention to detail, Ritmo reworked it into a beautiful cafe racer with more conventional BMW lines and a useful performance boost. The front wheel was dropped down a notch from 18” to 17”, and Excel rims fitted both front and rear. A front brake from a Suzuki GT750 was installed, and the stock Bing carburetors were replaced by a Keihin FCR setup—breathing through new intake manifolds machined from a 70mm bar of 2017S aluminum. New rearsets pushed the riding position forward and the new tank, although it looks authentic at first glance, is actually a fiberglass skin over a handmade 13.5l aluminum interior. A full rewire and custom accessories such as new blinkers completed the job. Ritmo CEO Siroh Nakajima has catalogued the build in detail on his personal blog—head here to check it out.








BMW R60/5 custom


I’ve always had a soft spot for 1970s BMWs, but I haven’t seen anything quite like this slash-five before. It’s owned by Frenchman Gaëtan Pillaud, and he calls it a ‘Clubber’—a mix between a clubman and a bobber. The bike started life as a 1973 R60/5, which means it has an aircooled 599cc boxer twin motor, shaft drive, and a kickstart mounted on the back of the gearbox. It’s got a Trackmaster tank and seat sourced from eBay, military-spec Firestone ANS tires, and café racer clip-on bars from LSL. Gaëtan dropped the forks at the front to improve the bike’s stance, and fitted custom shocks to keep the back end under control. The alloy rear fender was made by French motorcycle legend George Martin, and the exhaust is an authentic Dunstall. If the headlight, almost dwarfed on this bike, looks familiar, that’s because it’s from an AMF-era Harley shovel. Even the wiring harness has received attention—it’s sheathed in woven cotton in true vintage style. It’s a little rough around the edges, but this Beemer has a strange charm all of its own—the perfect machine for a spirited blast down a winding road in the Pyrenées. [Via Ze Last Chance Garage.]



 

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KTM 690 ENDURO R
BMW R1200 GSA
1934 BMW R7


Issue #3 of BMW Motorcycle Magazine showcases the amazing R7 concept, describing it as “one of the most important, innovative and visually stunning motorcycles ever produced.” We agree. Although this BMW is over 70 years old, it could almost be a contemporary concept. It was shelved as WWII approached, and put in a box. In 2005, that box was opened, and BMW Classic started the restoration. There’s more information about the project on Phil Hawksley’s BM Bikes.
PS: Bike EXIF is now on Pinterest, and has over half a million followers. We’re showcasing the best motorcycle images and links from around the net, as well as our own greatest hits. Check out our boards here.



 

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KTM 690 ENDURO R
BMW R1200 GSA
1983 BMW R80 Bobber


This amazing BMW was reportedly built by a fellow named Rodney Aguiar, who has worked for Roland Sands. It’s a BMW R80 given the bobber treatment, and the detailing is exquisite—from the blacked-out boxer engine and mechanicals to the way the coil of the monoshock matches that signature BMW yellow paintwork on the tank. It’s strange, but it all hangs together somehow: it reminds us of the work of Deus in Sydney. Information about this bike is scant, but if you know more, drop us a line in the comments. [Via Bubble Visor, with thanks to Mitch Alison.]



Ron Wood BMW F 800


A couple of years ago, BMW USA took the Rotax engine from an F 800 and gave it to legendary flat track builder Ron Wood. Wood obliged by building this exquisite machine, and on its very first competitive outing, it finished in sixth place. The F 800 was the loudest bike on the track: the AMA race announcer reported that the BMW “sounded like a bear coming out of his den for the first time”. But aside from the exhaust system, the motor in this bike is mostly stock, and it even retains the electric start. Wouldn’t it be great if BMW made a road-legal version of this?

Memo to BMW: “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday.”
Via Cycle World.





BMW R75/5


I love this image. And not just because I have a soft spot for old BMW airheads: it’s also a classic example of a picture telling a story. William Pruyn bought this 1972 ‘toaster’ (check the chrome-paneled tank) two years ago in San Francisco, and grabbed the shot four months ago in the Nevada desert as he rode coast-to-coast on Route 50. The 750 cc R75/5 was one of the fastest production motorcycles of its time, and the first BMW bike to be manufactured completely in Berlin. Pruyn remembers that his bike “came with a ton of paperwork, including a log from the first owner which included details like location, mileage, amount of fuel bought, mechanical notes, and ambient temperature.” The bike is mostly original except for a reproduction seat, and Pruyn has added a Dyna condenser and Hepco & Becker reproductions of the vintage Krauser cases. “When we decided to move back to NYC, I planned a trip across the US of backroads and camping,” says Pruyn. “I had Dave of Recommended Service give it his blessing—he even used a few drops of water from a milk jug he kept in the shop labeled ‘Bavarian Holy Water’—and it ran great the entire way.”





975 BMW R90/6


This immaculate example of the Hans Muth-designed BMW R90/6 was recently sold in Tokyo by Ritmo Sereno (“Serene Pace”). The upscale workshop has the glacial cool of a Porsche showroom, but specialises in mint BMWs and Moto Guzzis from the 70s to the 90s. The stock list is always worth checking, along with the portfolio of tastefully tweaked Euro custom bikes.





 

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KTM 690 ENDURO R
BMW R1200 GSA
Poco a poco, ¨en la sombra¨ y entre muchos otros proyectos va creciendo esta BMW.
Ya se van viendo las formas.
En cuanto al diseño en colores, se ve que predomina el negro como Pepe quería. El toque de color será presentado en su momento...
En esta entrada podéis ver el montaje del bloque motor sobre el chasis para más tarde agregar pistones, cilindros, culatas, etc.
También presentamos nuevo grupo de frenos con unas pinzas mucho más potentes que las originales que vienen de una BMW R1200 GS de 2005, los discos vienen se HD Sportster, y para que todo esto acople muchas horas de trabajo en el taller.
Los puños junto a las piñas firmadas por la prestigiosa marca alemana Motogadget, el conjunto de faro, cuenta kilómetros y botón de menú Motogadget finalizan esta entrada que ya huele a final!!

















El pasado miércoles pasó por el taller su dueño y quedó enamorado del proyecto.
Las premisas a seguir eran claras y parece que hemos acertado en sus gustos.
Para nosotros es un placer estar haciendo esta moto para Pepe y su agencia.
El proyecto ya está sobre ruedas y a falta de eléctrico, carburadores, guardabarros y poco más.
Y para que quede constancia dejamos aquí tres fotos donde presentamos la nueva pintura del tanque de gasolina, el asiento en piel negra y los escapes!!







Ya tenemos toda la parte ciclo completa.
A falta del eléctrico, se puede decir que la moto de Pepe está terminada!!
Aquí unas fotos para abrir boca de la futura sesión profesional.




 

xurxes

"καφέ#αρκούδα"
Περιοχή
Salonika
Όνομα
Basil
Μοτό
KTM 690 ENDURO R
BMW R1200 GSA
Como podéis ver, en el caso de esta R100 estamos haciendo todo el motor.
Hace unos días hicimos la recopilación de todas las piezas y hoy ya ha empezado su montaje.

Un trabajo bonito que renovará la sangre de esta mítica montura alemana.










Ayer fue la presentación por todo lo alto de mano de BikeExif.
Hoy toca por aquí!!!
Muchos habéis seguido sus pasos y en algo menos de un mes esta BMW se ha convertido en lo que Didier quería.
Pronto esta R100/7 surcará las carreteras de Los Alpes franceses.
Estamos muy contentos con el resultado final, espero que a vosotros os guste tanto como a nosotros!
Desde aquí queremos dar las gracias a Cesar de Love for Iron por estas magnífica sesión de fotos.




















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xurxes

"καφέ#αρκούδα"
Περιοχή
Salonika
Όνομα
Basil
Μοτό
KTM 690 ENDURO R
BMW R1200 GSA
Kevils R80 Amigo

Posted by Dutch on Jan 27, 2013 in Kevils, Pro Builds | No Comments


This 1982/83 BMW R80 is an ex-Police bike and was commissioned by Robin from Bolivia South America for a full Kevils Speedshop cafe racer build. Kev & C’os reputation for building stunning BMW customs has clearly reached way beyond the shores of the UK and it’s not surprising considering the mix of consistency and value for money that Kev and his team provide at their Devon-based custom workshop.

Robin wanted a bike similar to “Jet!”, one of Kevil’s cafe racers from 2012, and Kev was happy to oblige but this time with a few improvements, including a hidden battery, and Kevil’s own alloy seat unit with with leather tuck and roll trim.

The bike also benefited from a stainless steel top yoke, a white faced clock (in KMH). Kevil’s stainless 2 into 1 system was also routed to the other side of the bike to allow the side mounted plate and tail light to be mounted to the left.

The bike is painted in Ford Pearl Panther Black with contrasting triple white racing stripes. Robin also wanted a headlight guard fitted to protect the lens as the roads are not great in Bolivia.

Newer style cam covers give away the bike’s 82/83 birthdate.

Side mounted plate leaves the rear end looking lean & mean.

Kev and Co were going to call the bike Chollo, which means Jet in Spanish (the most widely spoken language in Bolivia) but according to the urban dictionary this also means the squits/shits, so they wisely moved away from that moniker and instead settled on the more widely known and friendly Amigo.
 

xurxes

"καφέ#αρκούδα"
Περιοχή
Salonika
Όνομα
Basil
Μοτό
KTM 690 ENDURO R
BMW R1200 GSA
Kevils
Kevils B-Monda

Posted by Dutch on Apr 15, 2013 in Kevils, Pro Builds | No Comments


Seems like Kev Hill has decided to mix it up a little from the usual Kevils Speedshop blueprint- literally – with this Honda tanked – and badged – R100 Brat-style custom. Broad, up-swept Triumph handlebars with trendy brown grips and a yellow-lensed headlamp shout 1970s roadster almost as loud as the white-wrapped pipes’ Mega silencers.

The donor is an R100/7 and was commission by Mark in London – and we expect to see her at The Bike Shed event this May. The retro Cream, Blue, White and Yellow paint is pure old-school but sits nicely beside satin black powdercoat on the cut down fenders.

The three-quarter length tuck and roll seat is Kevil’s own, as is the usual attention to detail and finish that all Kev’s customers can expect from his builds.

The industrial looking rear lamp might have been wrestled from one of Doctor Who’s early Daleks and really looks the part.

Original BMW snowflake cast wheels have a timeless look reminiscent of spokes but are a lot easier to take care of, and always look good in black.

This is the kind of bike that makes you look twice – or maybe three times, once you clock the Honda badged Flat twin and trademark Beemer chassis parts, but it’s not just the mix of brands that will get this bike plenty of attention at your local cafe, it’s also the fact that she’s just plain pretty.

…and if you haven’t ever ridden a BMW cafe-racer or brat-style scrambler then you might be in for a pleasant surprise. Old beemers look big but there’s a lot of space around those engines, and the weight they do carry is very low. Also, the brakes actually work on later models, and there’s a fair amount of grunt once you get used to the way Beemers deliver their modest power. Just ride the torque and enjoy.
Here she is in her natural habitat, hanging out in the Kevils’ workshop, where we are also teased by a glimpse of her interesting looking cafe-cousin in beaten aluminium.
 

xurxes

"καφέ#αρκούδα"
Περιοχή
Salonika
Όνομα
Basil
Μοτό
KTM 690 ENDURO R
BMW R1200 GSA
Kevils
Kevils BlackJack R80

Posted by Dutch on Mar 28, 2013 in Kevils, Pro Builds | One Comment


Down in deepest Surrey, Russ will be counting the days before Kev Hill & Co at Kevils deliver his new baby, this cafe racer’d BMW, which has been given the nickname, “Black Jack”.

The donor is a 1982 BMW R80, which has been given the usual Kevils treatment, fitted out in proper cafe racer style with scooped L-shaped seat unit and Ace bars to give a clip-on style bar position. Add a set Rassk rearsets and you get a proper head-down, arse-up aggressive riding stance.

To get the paint looking this rich and deep the guys mixed Ford metallic Panther Black (ooooh) with Red Pearl from the latest Ferraris. Wheels are Kevil’s favourites, the standard but much-sought-after Snowflakes, powdercoated black.

To compliment the deep fire-red and black paint, the seat is upholstered in a Oxblood leather tuck and roll, matched with trendy brown grips.

Twin chrome Mega silencers take care of the acoustics, while speed is monitored using a small, slimline white-faced speedo from Kev’s secret source.

And then there’s the rest; upgraded brake discs, the Kevil’s ally seat unit, a new top yoke, rear subframe, and the hidden battery – all you’d expect from the usual thorough job we’ve come to expect from this Devon workshop.
Enjoy her Russ!

See more from Kevils here on The Bike Shed, or head over to their Wesbite for the lowdown on how you can get your own one of these lovely Beemers.
 

xurxes

"καφέ#αρκούδα"
Περιοχή
Salonika
Όνομα
Basil
Μοτό
KTM 690 ENDURO R
BMW R1200 GSA
Kevils
Kevils R80 Husky

Posted by Dutch on Feb 26, 2013 in Kevils, Pro Builds | One Comment


Obviously this isn’t an actual Husqvarna, but anyone familiar with their range will have seen images of the likes of Steve McQueen sitting astride a manly-looking dirtbike in exactly these colours, so it’s understandable why Kev & Co at Kevils Speedshop decided to nickname this latest R80 build “Husky”


Apart from the paint scheme one standout feature is Kevils own high-level brsuhed stainless exhast system, which snakes over the clinders and white numberboard like a drawing in a Dr Seuss book. The metal polished Street Scrambler seat is also Kevil’s own, trimmed in tuck’n'roll leather.


Up front the matt black headlamp is complemented hy a small white faced speedo and mid-level silver satin braced dirtbike style bars. Wheels are also powder coated in satin finish black.

Overall it’s another lovely Kevils beemer, adding to their inventory of quality BMW custom builds. Kev says; “We are really pleased with the way it all goes together the colour and proportion balance is good” We agree.
 

xurxes

"καφέ#αρκούδα"
Περιοχή
Salonika
Όνομα
Basil
Μοτό
KTM 690 ENDURO R
BMW R1200 GSA
Kevils
Kevils R80 Amigo

Posted by Dutch on Jan 27, 2013 in Kevils, Pro Builds | No Comments


This 1982/83 BMW R80 is an ex-Police bike and was commissioned by Robin from Bolivia South America for a full Kevils Speedshop cafe racer build. Kev & C’os reputation for building stunning BMW customs has clearly reached way beyond the shores of the UK and it’s not surprising considering the mix of consistency and value for money that Kev and his team provide at their Devon-based custom workshop.

Robin wanted a bike similar to “Jet!”, one of Kevil’s cafe racers from 2012, and Kev was happy to oblige but this time with a few improvements, including a hidden battery, and Kevil’s own alloy seat unit with with leather tuck and roll trim.

The bike also benefited from a stainless steel top yoke, a white faced clock (in KMH). Kevil’s stainless 2 into 1 system was also routed to the other side of the bike to allow the side mounted plate and tail light to be mounted to the left.

The bike is painted in Ford Pearl Panther Black with contrasting triple white racing stripes. Robin also wanted a headlight guard fitted to protect the lens as the roads are not great in Bolivia.

Newer style cam covers give away the bike’s 82/83 birthdate.

Side mounted plate leaves the rear end looking lean & mean.

Kev and Co were going to call the bike Chollo, which means Jet in Spanish (the most widely spoken language in Bolivia) but according to the urban dictionary this also means the squits/shits, so they wisely moved away from that moniker and instead settled on the more widely known and friendly Amigo.
 

xurxes

"καφέ#αρκούδα"
Περιοχή
Salonika
Όνομα
Basil
Μοτό
KTM 690 ENDURO R
BMW R1200 GSA
Kevils
Kevils Erica

Posted by Dutch on Dec 5, 2012 in Kevils, Pro Builds | 2 Comments


Formerly known simply as a 1983 R100RS, this 1000cc Beemer is now more affectionately known as “Erica” by her new owner, put together by gurus of the flat twin cafe custom, Kevils, based down in Devon in the UK.

According to Kev Hill, this bike has had the full monty, being graced with twin-plug heads, and the sparks driven by Dyno coils and an ignition booster. Having burned the fuel more efficiently than the usual Boxer of that era, burnt gases exit through Supertrapp silencers with unusually long, sloped cones, slash-cut at the ends.

The standard RS already benefits from Brembo brakes, oil cooler and rear disc brake as standard so she’s a great donor.


Erica’s forks are stiffened with San Jose braces coupled with Kevils’ own shortie front mudguard, Kevils Alloy seat unit unit and Tuck and roll leather upholstery.

Raask rearsets take care of the riding position and foot controls, and here’s a better view of those unusual slash-cut extended Supertrapp silencers.

The battery is tucked away under the seat and OEM sidestand is swapped out for a Surefoot item while Koni rear shocks support Kevils’ favourite snowflake wheels, which are powder coated black to match the blacked-out engine.
Up top, a white-faced speedo is mounted on a Kevils’ brushed stainless top yoke plate, while the rest of the bike is finished in Lancia Bronze Pearl with white racing stripes and a BMW silver headlamp to light-up those twisty corners after dark.

Kev’s tells us his brief was a to build a proper minimalist cafe racer with humped race seat, and dropped bars, emulating the look and feel of clips-ons, but also having all the bells & whistles you’d expect on a useable daily ride that shifts when you pin the throttle. We say; job done!
 
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