Cafe Racer

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Kevils
Kevils Rooster

Posted by Dutch on Nov 21, 2012 in Kevils, Pro Builds | 2 Comments


This dark and majestic Beemer is the latest, and most different, bike to come out of Kevils‘ Devon workshop. With a sprung saddle over twin bullet-shaped indicator/tail lights combined with high brushed stainless pipes and ribbed fork gaitors it has a strange scrambler/chop look that reminds us a little of the brutal Galaxy Customs Beemer we featured a few weeks ago, but this is much more timeless… Or perhaps a bit “Victorian Steampunk from a parallel universe”?
I don’t think we’ve ever seen anything quite like it – yet it’s unmistakeably a Kevils’ bike with their snowflake wheels, clean lines and slim instruments.

Based on a 1981 R100T the bike also features a gel battery hidden in vintage leather conductors bag, with black satin mudguards and polished stainless supports all made in house.



Kev described the silencer as a “cocktail shaker” and combined with white-faced speedo, white grips and orange & white pin-striping painted by hand by tattoo guru, Simon Dent, from Exmouth in Devon, the whole thing comes together with stark contrasts in both shades and components.


It’s certainly totally individual and very different from the norm, and we suspect it will be a love/hate bike for most of our punters here and on Facebook.

Side mounted plate also adds to the complex mix of custom styles, neither cafe, scrambler, tracker or brat… We love it.
 

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Kevils Magnum & Flame

Posted by Dutch on Aug 17, 2012 in Kevils, Pro Builds | 4 Comments


Kevin Hill’s gorgeous BMW customs seem to be generating plenty of commissions, and true to form, another two R100 based scramblers have rolled out the workshop doors and into the arms of happy customers.


Magnum – liveried in Gold – is a 1980 R100, featuring a fully upholstered seat, rear disc brake, brushed stainless side panels, black carb bodies and titanium wrapped down pipes, as well as all the usual “Kevils” refinements digital speedo etc, and painted in Chrysler gold


Flame – in Blue – is a ’79 vintage R100/7 and features a polished aluminium seat unit with leather upholstery, stainless mesh side panels, painted in blue, black and graphite – all BMW colours,



Check out Kevils Speedshop on Facebook for regular updates and bike banter.
 

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Kevils Siren

Posted by Dutch on Jun 28, 2012 in Kevils, Pro Builds | One Comment


Kev Hill, AKA Kevils Speedshop, has whipped-up another lovely custom Beemer, based on the trusty old R100. This lovely little scrambler was commissioned by Matt Bardock and has been given the catchy moniker “Siren” which could be because she is a seaside beauty that will tempt you to your doom, or perhaps it’s the sound of the Police chasing the owner through town after some over enthusiastic stunting on the Queen’s highway?

Either way, she’s a beauty, and an one of the few options for owning an affordable unique custom motorcycle that you really can ride every day and in all weathers. Keep it up Kev.

Gotta love a side-mounted plate when it comes to keeping the tail pure and clean. Very naughty in non-DOT approved silver & black tho. Nee nah nee nah…


That grill on the end can will keep the mice from nesting over winter…
 

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Kevils Sparky Beemer

Posted by Dutch on May 18, 2012 in Kevils, Pro Builds | 3 Comments


Here’s another fine scrambler boxer twin from the West Country’s Kevils Speed Shop, this time given the moniker, Sparky.
The build was commissioned by John in London, and is based on a 1980 BMW R100 featuring a chrome powder coated tank, custom high level stainless two into one exhaust, retro rocker covers, polished aluminium side panels, fully upholstered cafe seat and digital speedo




Personally speaking, I can’t get enough of he current crop of Beemers being turned into custom scramblers and cafe racers. There aren’t many bikes that provide such a versatile platform that’s cheap and easy to work on, with a plentiful supply of donor bikes and interchangeable parts, which will all bolt or weld together to provide a custom you can use all day, every day, come rain or shine, and chances are you’ll still be riding it in twenty years.
 

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Kevils Ruby Beemer

Posted by Dutch on May 16, 2012 in Kevils, Pro Builds | One Comment


Kev Hill at Kevils down in the West Country has had a busy few months getting a couple of new customer bikes ready for the spring, including this gorgeous Ruby Helmets inspired Cafe Racer.

Commissioned by Marek from Poland, the bike is based around a 1983 BMW r100 with the usual Kevils cafe treatment, and a genuinely striking custom paint job. Marek will have no trouble picking his bike out in the parking lot.


As well as the usual detailing on a Kevils custom, the bike features a Bonita style seat, Raask rearsets, Floating rotor, Digital speedo and wrinkle finish, blacked-out engine.

As usual Kev has been upfront about his pricing, and this custom is sensibly priced at a genuinely attainable and affordable £6000… Get saving, and then go see Kevils.
 

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Kevils Beemers Re-Born

Posted by Dutch on Jan 19, 2012 in Kevils, Pro Builds | No Comments


Way down in deepest darkest Devon you’ll find Kevils Speed Shop, run by Kevin Hill (see what he did there) who appears to have mastered the art of re-shaping old BMW Boxers into desireable – and affordable – cafe racers and flat trackers.
Not only do these bikes make brilliantly practical customs (as we’ve seen with our very own Untitled MC’s bikes) they are also reliable, solid and, with donor bikes aplenty, they’re an extremely keenly-priced way to own a peice of something unique.

This is Kev’s latest creation – the Snapper is based on an R100. Most of the custom parts are locally sourced and there seems to be a ready supply of unused old parts available too.

The bikes are properly strippped and refinished, with new filters and seals, stainless bolts and rewiring, and build time is aroung 6 weeks per bike. I have to say that the Snapper is our clear favourite, but the Spider runs it a close second and would make a killer town bike.

The Spider

The Baron

Chino
 

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1980 BMW R80 - Tarmac Custom Motorcycles

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

I’m sure many of us know the situation. A complete bike in pieces, a vision of the end product in our head, and trying to work out how wrong you will be about the budget required for the build. Tarmac Custom Motorcycles encountered the first two of these ideas, and the latter ended up being no issue, as whatever they spent on it was worth it. Javi Pacheco and Jano Valiente, a classic bike enthusiast and a seasoned mechanic respectively, joined forces in late 2011. Since then they have completed 12 bikes, with a handful more to finish. Their latest offering comes in the form of a 1980 BMW R80 flat tracker, which showcases the Tarmac workshop’s talents beautifully.

As mentioned, the bike found it’s way to the Tarmac workshop in pieces. This only made the start of the build easier, the engine being stripped down and carefully rebuilt. A coat of matt black paint covers the engine, one part of the dark aesthetic of the frame section of the bike. In place of the the stock carburettors sit a pair of Keihins, which according to Javi will ‘make for really smooth driving and more punch at high revs’. To keep an eye on how much punch, a universal speedo has been wired up and mounted on the handlebars.

The rear frame is all new, a shorter hoop being welded to the bike frame. Beneath the custom hoop sits a pair of smaller passenger footpegs than the ones the factory fitted. The factory front footpegs were ditched as well, a set of BMX pedals replacing them. According to Tarmac, this helps with better access to the rear brake and gear change levers. This bike rolls on Avon Classic tyres, the short rear guard a custom make by Tarmac, fashioned inhouse on an English wheel.

The Beemer’s handling hasn’t been neglected, with Tarmac putting their touches on the bike, so it can be as fun as it is goodlooking. The coiled rear shocks, donated by a Triumph Thruxton, sit inclined forward on the rear frame. At the front end, the forks have been lowered and treated to a set of handlebars from a Bultaco Sherpa. To raise the performance of the front brakes, a Honda ST1100 master cylinder pumps stopping power through stainless steel braided hoses.

It’s the neatness of the build, almost clinical in it’s manner that stands out the most. The lack of inhibition used when choosing the parts allows the bike’s lines to just flow, an example of this being the Montesa H6 headlight unit being used in the build. After less than two years in the bike building scene, Tarmac are producing bikes with the same level of skill as (or better than) builders who have been in the game for a lot longer. And with a handful of bikes waiting to be finished, we can be sure to see more bikes built by Tarmac Custom Motorcycles in the time to come.
So next time you are looking at a deconstructed bike, use Tarmac’s R80 as inspiration, and remember you will always be wrong about the build budget.
Photography by Yanka from Unopuntouno Fotografia

 

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Rudy Banny’s '86 BMW R80RS - “Brafé Racer”

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Rudy Banny's college career began with Petroleum Engineering. That's the art of getting crude oil out of the ground and in to pipes. But that was only for about ½ a semester, after which he found out that several calculus classes were involved, and promptly dropped out. Amen to that. Afterwards, you could say he did complete u-turn and got into a little Petroleum Deconstruction. “I've always been a huge fan of Brat Style. After landing a job in advertising, I fell in love with BMW's when a buddy of mine let me ride his 1965 r60/2 and 1972 r75/5 for a week when I was shooting in LA. That was it. I fell in love with airheads. I wanted one, but just couldn't get into the purist mentality that seems so prevalent with Bimmer owners. I’m more of a custom guy. So, I started looking for the cleanest, most pristine airhead I could find, so I could deconstruct it.”

“I was intrigued by Nicholas Damen's Bee Emm Brat posted on Pipeburn, so I used it as my inspiration for this build, except I went ‘Brafé’ Style...”

The bike started out as a fully dressed 1986 R80RS. After stripping it down to a motor and a frame, Rudy started by powder coating the wheels, forks and driveshaft flat black. He then installed an Acewell Speedo, a new headlight and fork ears and brake lines from Spiegler Performance Parts and left the RS cafe bars in place.
“Because I removed the fork brace so I could put a fatter tire on the front, I replaced the stock top fork plate with an aluminum triple clamp from Boxerworks to keep the forks from twisting."

"When I decided to keep the cafe bars, I felt the need to get a nice rear set, which I picked up from Flatracer. I kept the stock pipes, wrapped them and capped them off with some sweet stainless steel reverse-cone shorties that I picked up from Dime City Cycles.”

“I had the tank painted flat black to match the wheels and slapped some new badges on it as well as a Monza gas cap from Flatracer.com. I cut down and narrowed the rear sub-frame to take the Nitroheads Bratstyle Thin Seat that I purchased from Pipeburn. And finally, I cut down and powder coated a steel rear fender and topped it off with an old school tail light from Dime City Cycles.”
 

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1986 BMW R80RT - 'Bopper'

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Australia has a tendency to claim things and people that are actually originally from our closest neighbours, New Zealand. For example, Russell Crowe and Keith Urban, who most people think are Australian are in fact both born in New Zealand. So when Michael Dobson sent us this radical R80RT build, part of the conditions were that we made sure our readers knew the bike was built in Australia New Zealand. Of course we reluctantly agreed.
Michael has one impressive resume, which includes being a motorcycle mechanic for 34 years, specialising in servicing and primarily building BMW police bikes for over 20 of those years. That in itself is impressive, but the list also includes a stint as a successful race mechanic in BEARS and production racing, a workshop foreman at Motorad and a "semi famous Ural pilot". So if there was one guy who we would choose to build us a custom Beemer, Michael is the perfect candidate.

Michael started the project with a 1986 NZ Police R80T which he helped assemble many years back. "It was one of 120 that a younger me helped assemble and deliver" he says. "After a disposal auction, passing through the hands of several friends and many miles, it became “my next project”. It is now an example of what happens “when good cops go bad”.

"Originally I intended to loosely follow the bobber style but having read far too many chopper magazines in the early 70's, I found it evolving into a mix of bobber and chopper which I have called “Bopper Style”." Michaels personal requirements for the bike were that it needed to have good brakes, lights, tires and mudguards with a comfortable riding position. "This I have achieved" he says.

"Throughout the two year part time build I have kept in mind the guiding words I read in Garage Magazine – “Respect the line, observe classic proportions and dammit, possess some taste”. Later I also discovered a quote from Collin Chapman – “Simplify then add lightness”. While my bike isn't especially light in weight, it is simple and I have added the illusion of lightness."

Mike has used many different BMW parts on this bike. The front wheel is a 21” BMW R80GS, and the rear wheel is actually a standard R80 mag with polished sheet aluminum discs glued on. The forks are from a R100CS with 2” over stanchions. Head light is from a R1200C and the handlebars (in garage shots) are from a K100RS which have been reversed and dropped forward. The frame is a standard R80 with sub frame and pillion peg hangers removed.
The bike also pays homage to the older BMW's, with HT leads coming out of the top of the engine, single (Ural) seat, old logo and classic black and white paint.

The engine has been fully rebuilt and fitted with Siebenrock 1000cc kit. Also adding Dellorto PHF 36mm Carbs. Speedo is a Motogadget chrono classic. The petrol tank is surprisingly from a Keeway Cruiser much modified by Kiwi Race Cars who also ribbed the british rear mudguard. The exhaust is a one piece stainless by Cycleworks who also made the battery box and rear guard support. Airbox has been replaced by a custom cast alloy cover made by Ken Howe conceals electrics. The tail light is a slash cut exhaust pipe with Hella trailer light attached. Lastly the metallic black paint job was by Todd Moffat and the beautiful hand pin striping and air brushed pre-war BMW logos were done by Kurt from Juniors Kustom Rides.

Michael has done a sterling job turning this 1986 BMW into a timeless bobber cross chopper. It may have taken him two years to build this amazing bike part time, but usually it takes time to do it right. He tells us he has worked at a much faster pace building Beemers in the past. "In 1985 we once uncrated and assembled 90 BMW R80RT bikes in a week for the local NZ police" – now that is one productive week.
Photography by Ireen Demut
 

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Scott Halbleib's BMW K100RT - “Number 3”

Saturday, October 27, 2012

See that title up there? The one that starts with the name "Scott Halbleib"? There will two groups of people who read the line. The first, and probably by far the largest group, will be the readers who say, "who the hell is Scott Hal... Hal..." And then there will be those of you know who Scott is in the same way that you know that Dare Jennings is the guy behind Mambo and Deus Motorcycles, and that Ian Barry is the guy who owns Falcon Motorcycles. See, every bike that Scott has fashioned has been a jaw-to-the-floor, put me in a nice dress and call me Shirley world beater. In fact his first build, the Honda CB450 Bobber we featured in 2010 is one of my personal all-time favourites. Seriously. So when we heard from Doug Devine, owner and builder of the Yammie we posted last Wednesday that Scott had a new bike, we got our nice dresses on, picked our jaws up off the floor, and this is what we found...

Here's Scott. “This one came out of left field. An acquaintance left a message that he was getting rid of his bikes and wondered if I'd be interested in his BMW that had been sitting in a garage for 6 years. Sure. Then I got it home. What the hell was I going to do with this mint green mammoth? I had to get it running first, which meant stripping it down a bit to swap out the battery, new cables, clean injectors, filter and swap fluids. A little trial and error and it was running perfectly.”

“I thought about putting it back together and selling as a restore of sorts. But the challenge of trying to do something with it was keeping me awake at night. Plus the f@#cking thing was eating up all the space in my garage, so everything came off. Then I wondered if I had made a mistake. It didn't necessarily get any better looking. I spent a lot of weeks mocking things up with foam, hangers, cardboard, spare parts, etc. and this is the result - a tourer-enduro.”

“The modifications include: low rise dirt bars, 7" headlight w/ aluminum brackets and rock guard, Kenda dual sport tires, Works performance shock, stripped tank, fork gaiters, painted wheels, fenders from the XS650, tailight from Low Brow and turn signals from British customs.”

“The biggest challenge was creating a seat that fit the bulk of the bike. I spent some time carving foam until I had something I liked, then had my upholsterer, Mike Brewer stitch me up some 2 tone vinyl.”

“it's still vintage somewhat, but bulletproof
and capable of riding cross-country”

“It's a beast. And looks the part. Best thing about it, is it's still vintage somewhat, but bulletproof and capable of riding cross-country with an aftermarket windscreen. I'm still looking at some exhaust options and waiting on some expanding aluminum to form some side panels. Hopefully get some seat time in it, post on Ebay, then move on to the next one.”
 

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1984 BMW R65 Café Racer - “The Wasp”

Thursday, October 18, 2012

“Barn find,” they call them. And the ‘they’ in this case would be an American-dominated coalition of nations that do actually have barns. Which kind of leaves those in the world who don't actually have barns as part of their local bucolic repertoire kinda in the lurch, don't you think? Well, not being a nation of people who take these kind of things lying down, us Aussies refused to put up with second best and trumped the barn with a marvelous creation we call the “shed.” See, whereas a barn can contain many things that aren't even remotely cool (take the humble yet smelly cow) the average Aussie shed will always have something cool it it. It's the law in some states. Forget animals, ploughs, and nesting birds - sheds are much more likely to be inhabited with things like engine parts, bar fridges, welders and greasy tools. Oh, and BMW motorbikes, if Tony Botrall's find is anything to go by...
Never being one for rules, Tony decided to park his ride in the subway
Here's Tony. “It all started when someone said to me ‘Would you like my motorbike? It’s an old BMW, but it’s in pretty bad shape.’ What was I meant to say?
Immediately ‘café’ sprung to mind. Having seen some great bikes done like this, my mind started working overtime! Wanting a R series BMW was my goal, but the owner not being sure of exactly what the bike was, I was taking a bit of a gamble, sight unseen bike, not sure of model, but hey, doing up any bike will keep me out of trouble, even if only for a short amount of time!”

“So after talking a mate with a trailer into coming and picking it up with me, I got myself a 1984 BMW R65, and yes, it was in pretty bad shape! Having been stored in a shed, on a coastal property for the last 8 years! If they made a paint colour ‘corrosion,’ then this bike looked like it had been painted with it... But still, it had plenty of potential. And wasps, thanks to the nests they had built on the bike. Once parked safely in the garage, it was time to start removing everything that didn’t need to be there.”

“Rust and corrosion had certainly taken their toll on all of the alloy and metal parts. After a few treatments of sulphuric acid, the alloy started to look like alloy again, so it was out with the die grinder and wire wheel to make it all nice and shiny again. The wheels got the same treatment, then a coat of metallic silver.
The frame and associated parts were sand blasted, and rust treated, before being painted gloss black. The heads and a few covers on the motor got hit with gloss black engine enamel (after the wasp’s nests were cleaned out of the cooling fins!)
Not loving the shape of the R65 fuel tank, I tracked down a R100 tank, which I promptly purchased. A few mods needed to take place to fit it on, relocate electrics, another petcock, but all in all, it just simply looks better...”
The donor bike - we're guessing it's not the small, pink one
“A second hand set of ‘straight’ forks were found in America, but unfortunately, when they arrived, and after I had spent a few hours cleaning the legs up, discovered that they had been in an accident, bent, and some hairline cracks, so I had to refurbish the original ones. Some new fork tubes were sourced, and the rebuild began.
Final assembly happened pretty quickly, after replacing the Bing’s with Mikuni carbs, it also fired up straight away. After replacing a lot of wiring, nuts, bolts, bars, in fact, almost everything except the rolling chassis and drive train, it was rolled out of the garage.”
 

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CRD #14 - BMW R75/5

Sunday, May 6, 2012

The guys from Spanish shop Café Racer Dreams are truly making a name for themselves on a global scale. The garage was born out of a lack of vintage custom shops in Spain and founder Pedro Garcia hasn't looked back since opening its doors a few years ago. This is the first BMW to roll out of their small Madrid based garage and we love its stripped down simplicity. The bikes engine has been rebuilt with the expertise of Javier from Maxboxer who specialises in boxers. At this stage it's still a work in progress but we definitely like where they are going with this project. Pedro tells us it should be complete by the end of next month so we'll keep you posted. In the meantime there's a solid build thread worth checking out on the CRD blog.


 

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1980 BMW R80/7 Café Racer

Friday, April 13, 2012
Darkness. Sweet bike. Expensive camera. Empty lot. What could possibly go wrong?
Here's a encore bike from one Mark Byfield. He's an owner/builder that caused quite a stir with his first bike, an faired '85 R80 that would easily make our all-time top 10 list. This time he's shaken things up a bit and gone with, erm, another R80. But has he ended up in a similar place? Hells no - for here we see not a beautiful, bare-bones faired racer but instead a caffed-out daily rider with a padded seat, a toaster tank, and some very exxy-looking front brakes. Mark seems to have a knack for making a lot out of a little cash and a large, overflowing bucket of DIY skills. Don't you just hate him?

Here's the man himself. "It's a 1980 R80/7 that i picked up from eBay. It was a good old touring rig with a big fairing and comfortable seat. Obviously things had to change."

"It was stripped down and the wiring was sorted out with the inclusion of an Acewell instrument unit. Anything non essential was dropped off."

"Next was the bodywork which entails a toaster tank bought from the states, a CB500(?) seat and modified rear sub frame. The rear wheel was then changed out for a /5 spoked unit and the front wheel for a TZ 4LS brake with and flanged rim. Classic tyres finished off the wheels."
The donor bike, replete with it's 1970s "I can smoke a cigarette AND do the ton" screen
"The exhaust is stock apart from after market mufflers that give a nice loud burble. The controls consist of ace cafe bars and after market throttle and levers with alloy rear sets for the brakes and gears. Not particularly comfortable but makes for an engaging ride. It was a really fun build, except for the bit where I had to pay for the 4LS front wheel..."
 

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1974 BMW R75 - Krautmotors Street Tracker

Sunday, February 12, 2012

When it comes to finding inspiration on building a custom motorcycle, most people search the internet, look in magazines or pray to a higher being to give them a brilliant idea. Not Rolf Reick from Germany. He was inspired by people telling him he couldn't do what he always wanted to do — build a BMW using an old frame and a new engine. "I guess the overall motivation was that people told me it just wasn't possible to build it like that" says Rolf. Rolf is a product designer and head of a private school for product design. Besides that he works as a freelance designer and also owns a clothing label called Krautmotors. So between doing all those things we have no idea how he has time to build so many amazing bikes. Like this one-of-a-kind 'BMW Frankenstein' Street Tracker...

"I started modifying motorcycles about 30 years ago" says Rolf. "Without any focus on selling them, just for my own sake and fun. Somehow I tend to customize whatever I own. I built this one because I wanted to have a faster old BMW. Instead of tuning the old motor I simply put a newer model's motor into the frame. Anyhow, I disliked the new BMW models ever since because they keep getting higher and higher. To be honest I had BMW frames lying around and got hand on a cheap 4V GS. It was fun and didn't make any sense at all."

So what actually makes up this BMW tracker I hear you ask? The frame is from a 1974 R75 - which Rolf just had lying around. The engine, swing arm and rear wheel are from a 1100R, and the gearbox is from a 1100GS. Front wheel and fork are off a 100GS. And the carburetors are from a R100 GS-PD. The only thing that isn't off some kind of Beemer is the fuel tank which comes from an old 1970 Honda Enduro.
One of the most eye-catching features of the bike is the unusual alternator placement. "I had to place it on the side because there was no room under the frame in the middle of the engine, so i cut the tank for the compressor look" Rolf tells us. "Also the gearbox housing had to be trimmed to fit into the frame. The fork had to be cut by 14 centimeters and the modern technical gimmicks like the anti-lock braking system and fuel injection got lost, somehow." And finally the paint job was done by Rolf with good old fashioned spray cans. The entire build took him around 4 months, working two days a week. Not bad when you consider the amount of work thats gone into it.

Rolf's next project is designing the fairing for the Ducati bike for the racing team he is part of called Now Salt. The bike will run on the Bonneville salt race track in September attempting to break the record as the world's fastest Ducati. We wish him all the best and we'll keep you posted how he goes.
So we are only in February and I'm thinking this BMW tracker could be a contender for the Pipeburn Top 10 bikes of the year. I guess we're about to find out by the comments below...
 

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1983 BMW R65 "Veille École"

Monday, August 8, 2011

Here's something you may or may not know, depending on your own, personal level of smart-ass-ed-ness. The current BMW logo has been developed over many generations of refinement to the point it's at today - the familiar circle divided into blue and white quadrants. But do you know where it started? Here's where; as a white spinning propellor against a blue sky. That's right, a propellor. Motorcycles were essentially a sideline for the company after the treaty of Versailles banned Germany from making arms in 1918. Talk about making the best out of a poor lot. So almost 100 years later we find ourselves in Sydney with a Frenchman pondering just how to trick up his '83 R65. Then in a moment of divine inspiration, he realises exactly what he should do. Behold the world's first BMW motorbike decorated in the colours of the French Airforce. Vive la différence!
Can you introduce yourself ?
My name is Pierre Geromboux. I am currently living out my mid-life crisis in Sydney’s North West. I work in Medical sales.
What Kind of BMW is it?
The bike is a 1983 BMW R65. I have called her "Veille École" which means "Old School" in French. When I purchased the bike it had been sitting in a garage for 5 years. The owner had started with an engine rebuild but the project had stalled there. With the help of my good friend Andrew from Ramspeed we stripped the bike back, gave it a Radical Fenderectomy and resprayed everything. Powder coated the wheels black. Used two tone Gloss and Matt black on petrol tank. Fitted drop down bars, Pod airfilters, Twin headlights & LED indicators. Replaced original instrument display with digital Tacho & Speedometer. Custom cross stitched leather and suede seat. Carbon fiber covered battery (still weighs the same!). Wrapped pipes with new stainless steel slip-on trumpets. Graphics by Joey at Motographics. Next step bi-turbo!

Did you do it all yourself?
I had a mechanic friend help me with fitting the drop down bars and I had to get electrical help when I took off the original instruments and was replacing the generator warning light. Even when we identified this as the problem for the battery not charging and completed the circuit with a resistor, it still would not work. The final solution was setting up a small LED generator warning light under the digital display. All the seals and bearings were replaced, as well as the carburetors rebuilt. The bike is now tuned to perfection and runs reliably.

What’s she like to ride?
I try to ride every weekend. I have done the Putty Road up to Singleton. All through the Blue Mountains. Down to the Royal National Park or sometimes just the coffee run up the Old Pacific Hwy. The beauty is in simplicity of the mechanics. There are no electronic management systems. You get feedback by using all your senses. Checking the oil by using a dipstick. Listen to the engine note and hear how she is running and when to change gears. Smell the oil when the engine gets to temperature and you know it is time to open the taps! The bike is very torquey and gets off the line well. It has quite short gearing and revs out quickly. Top speed is probably about 140khm? That’s what the speedo said anyway. I will try to get it on a Dyno at some stage.

What other bikes have you owned before?
My first bike was actually a scooter when I lived in Paris age 19. I will never forget coming around the Arc de Triomphe onto the Champs Ellysee with six lanes of chaos around me. I then had a Honda CB250 before lapsing into car ownership. I got back into bikes last year when I saw this old boxer engine needing to be brought back to life.

What is a Frenchman doing riding a German bike anyway?
Revenge for WWII.

Favourite BMW and other bikes?
My favourite BMW is easy - it's the 1934 BMW R7. Otherwise I would be happy to park anything that appears in Pipeburn in my garage.

What’s your workshop like?
It's a pretty standard two-car garage, but with a bike instead of the second car. There's a quality socket set, a BMW tool set, some painting and polishing stuff - and I have a bike lift so I can get in and work under the bike.

If she was a movie, which one would she be?
Dambusters.
 

xurxes

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KTM 690 ENDURO R
BMW R1200 GSA
1985 BMW R80 Café Racer

Wednesday, July 20, 2011
"BMW" - bitumen's mostly wet...
As a hobby you've got admit that motorbikes are, all things considered, relatively cheap. It's heartening that in this day and age you can still rock on up to your local Ducati store and buy an Italian two-wheeled Ferrari for a lot less than US$20,000. In fact the advertised price for Ducati's top-of-the-line 1198 SP racer in North America is only a smidge under US$22,000. In the scheme of things, that's a silly small price. A 2011 Ferrari 458 Italia would cost you ten times that amount, and I doubt that any of us would be willing to choose a single car over 10 new bikes - let alone 40+ second hand or vintage bikes.
Which brings us rather neatly to this little gem, aka Mark Byfield's cafe'd 1985 BMW R80. With nothing but a bunch of hard work and a cash outlay of less than five Aussie grand, he's managed to create a bike that looks like a million bucks and which rocks our boat a lot more vigorously than any four-wheeled Italian poseur-mobile ever could.

Over to Mark. "I just had my 40th birthday. I work in the offshore oil industry, drilling exploration wells for various clients in various locations all over the world from our semi submersible drilling rig. It's usually pretty good fun and engaging. I've been riding bikes, both motorbikes and pushbikes, since I was about 4. I raced motocross and downhill mountain bikes up until about 3 years ago. Still ride a bit of enduro on my Husaberg 501; it's a great bike."
Mark decided to customise the bike very soon after the exhausts fell off
"I got interested in building a bike a few months ago and always loved airhead beemers, and a cafe racer seemed like the perfect way to go. The bike started out as an ebay bargain 1985 R80. After I picked it up, I did the usual strip, clean and rattle can routine, giving the frame, wheels and swingarm the flat black treatment."

"As I wanted to fit the Ducati-style single seat, I had to cut down the subframe to fit the shorter seat unit. Not an easy task with my dodgy welding skills! I also sourced the cool ass /5 tank from ebay US and gave it a sand back, a new paint job and badges. The Ducati style fairing and rear sets came from Flatracer in the UK. The fairing got a final clean-up and got the same paintjob as the seat and tank."
What is it that makes BMWs look so good in fairings?
"The only other real mods where the exhaust, which is a custom job welded up by me made up of assorted spare parts that were lying around, and removing everything that is not absolutely necessary. The final effort was a service and tune and I was off, It goes really well and is an absolute blast. Sounds like a tractor and goes like a train!"
 

xurxes

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KTM 690 ENDURO R
BMW R1200 GSA
BMW R80/7

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Adam Kay from the U.K. was looking for a donor bike that he could customize and ride everyday – he calls it his 'midlife crisis' project. After a little bit of research he came across Victory Motorcycles in Camden London. Rex the owner specializes in BMWs and classic British iron. "Rex had a R80/7 for sale so that's what I got" said Adam. "The style of my custom came from looking at a racing Guzzi I saw on Bike EXIF. I did all the work myself under the guidance of Rex and as I only had two days a week that I could dedicate to the job, it took me 8 months to customize the R80/7". Here's how Adam describes his 'midlife crisis project':
"I wanted a single seat, a long rear mudguard and a short chopped front mudguard like a bobber. I choose not to paint the tank after I had spent ages stripping off the old paint and filler after all that effort I didn't want to cover it up again with paint! I also wanted it to have no decals, because to me a boxer is clearly a BMW, so it doesn't need any info on the tank.
"I began with a total strip down to the frame. The frame had all parts that were not needed cut off. Battery box, plastic covers hooks, seat hinges and a few more bits. The frame, subframe, swinging arm, side stand, top yoke and wheels were powder coated in satin black. Most nuts, bolts and other chromed parts were re-plated in a dull chrome or were replaced with stainless steel parts. The brake system was replaced from an under the tank unit to a handlebar mounted reservoir system. A second brembo was added. 2 new stainless discs replaced the single steel disc and steel braided hoses are used. The engine and gearbox was painted with black heat resistant paint. New shorter and loud exhausts are used. Graphite impregnated exhaust wrap for the header pipes to give the bike a meaner look. New alloy rear mudguard cut to fit - original front mudguard cut to new size and shape painted matt black. Replaced the touring seat with a customized single scrambler seat. The tank was then stripped to the steel and hand sanded, then a clear coat of lacquer was used to seal it.
"I changed the R80/7 from what I thought could be seen as a rather dull machine to a thing of old school rebellion. I wanted a machine that could be ridden every day and one that looks as cool as any custom. I think this BMW does just that. I also wanted to challenge myself as I have never done anything like this before so this could be my "midlife crisis" project. I think I have done a great job on this motorcycle and have a commission to customize a R80/7 to look like mine. I’m also working on a new luxurious R80 custom which should be ready next year."
Adam is now working on his next project, a 'lux' R80 custom which we look forward to sharing with you when finished. You can see more build pics and info on his site Untitled Motorcycles.
 

xurxes

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KTM 690 ENDURO R
BMW R1200 GSA
1953 BMW R51/3 Cafe Racer

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Steven Whelan is an American living and working in Germany. Over the years he has amassed a motorcycle collection that Jay Leno would be envious of. Some of his bikes include a 1936 BMW R12, 1952 BMW R51/3, 1964 BMW R69S, 1950 Vincent Comet and a 1962 Triumph 6T Thunderbird that was restored as a copy of the Steve McQueen fence jumping German bike from the film "The Great Escape".
So when he decided it was time for a new project, Steven had his mind set on building a Rocker-styled cafe racer, inspired by the 1939 Supercharged Schorsch Meier BMW Type 255 which won the 1939 Isle of Man TT. "I found a complete 1953 R51/3 and started the project by finding an aluminium specialist in Germany that had already made pre-war racer style aluminium tanks and mudguards" says Steven. The frame was then modified by welding anti-flex reinforcement and adding a pre-war style 2-spring seat. A replica "Rennbrotchen" seat extention was added allowing the rider to flatten out while driving. After searching many biker flea markets and through contacts, Steven was able to find several unsual and rare racing parts from the 1950's and 60's. I will let Steve tell you about all the specs and mods: "The wheel hubs are original Hoske racing full-width hubs; a Rausch headlight sporting a peaked Hella chromed rim holds both the 3" speedometer, tach and 700cc Keyser cylinders with modified heads replaced the original BMW 500's. Added to the engine were two Mikuni VM 28mm carbs with replaceable K&N filters or polished inlet tubes, & replica Hoske racing exhausts. The gearbox had the original air cleaner mount machined off to resemble the pre-war machines and was re-built using 4-speed racing gears. The front fork is a 1960's Ceriani that was originally sold in the 60's as a replacement for the BMW /2 series Earl's Fork, but was shortened to retain the original R51s wheelbase. Handlebars and mirrors are from a R75/5, tail light is a Miller/Vincent replica and a modern fly screen was fitted. The silver mudguards with black tank & hand pinstriping was used to give a more Rocker look & feel to the bike. Lastly the classic Avon Speedmaster Tires were fitted to the aluminum rims."
As far as vintage racers go, they don't get much cleaner than this. The attention to detail is superb and apparently, so is the handling. Steve tells us he is still breaking this beautiful Beemer in, but did "reach 70 MPH in one burst, and on curving roads the bike handles superbly."

 

xurxes

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KTM 690 ENDURO R
BMW R1200 GSA
1983 BMW R80ST

Monday, May 10, 2010

This awe-inspiring Rodney Aguiar custom BMW R80ST recently appeared at the Cycle World Motorcycle Show. Rodney is known for his work with Roland Sands and is also the builder of one of last years most spectacular bikes, the 1983 R80 Bobber. Rodney has really shown his fabrication skills on his latest BMW R80ST, custom building both frame and the "futuristic" sheet metal tank which fits snug over the almost stock 798cc airhead engine. The forks were taken from a Suzuki GSX R750 and the rear single sided swingarm is from a BMW R1100 Paralever. The exhaust is filtered through a set of FMF Suzuki RM 250 Silencers. The absence of a rear fender isn't very practical but the illusion it creates of a floating wheel is magic. If you think this bike is creative you should check out Rodney's website Propulsion Lab. Hint: If you want to find pictures of motorcycles on his website, try clicking on the face. [Found on Loudpop Voyager]


Wrenchmonkees #9 - BMW R65/7

Monday, December 7, 2009
The BMW R65 is personally one of my favourite BMW motorcycles. It was BMW's answer to the new generation of Japanese bikes hitting the market in the late 70's. Built shorter and smaller to compete with these Japanese light and middleweight street bikes flooding the markets. Now 30 years later it's great to see the Wrenchmonkees (WM) work their magic on this German icon. Firstly by placing a R80 engine in the R65 frame, adding Gazi Gas rear shocks and many custom WM features like their megatron muffler, and a no-nonsense monkee seat. The old-school Firestone Deluxe Champion tires are the final icing on the cake. Not sure whether the debadging of the BMW logo is an anti-establishment statement or just WM claiming complete ownership of their creation. Whatever the case, it just works. For more pics of this uber cool bike, visit the Monkee #09 gallery.






BMW 1952 R25/2

Saturday, June 20, 2009
Richard from Sweden's Richard Garage is an amazing BMW motorcycle restorer. We all love before and after shots, and this is one of the best I've seen. The 1952 BMW R25/2 motorcycle, was found in a garden where it had stood for 42 years, only covered with a oil cloth. That's Richard standing with the bike when he found it. The stunning white BMW motorcycle is what he turned it into after lots of hard work. Respect.







BMW R80ST by Fuel


Fuel Bespoke Motorcycles is not the most prolific of Spain’s custom workshops, but their creations are always worth keeping an eye out for. This is the latest, based on a 1984 BMW R80ST.

Called the Fuel R80 STrial, it’s inspired by ISDT bikes—the Triumphs, BSAs and Pentons of the 1960s that competed in the International Six Days Trials. “Light bikes with small headlights, flat handlebars, a minimalist seat and off-road tires,” says Fuel main man and BMW Motorrad enthusiast Karles Vives. “Motorcycles that were capable of riding trails and woods for days.”

The R80ST was commissioned by a classic bike enthusiast who lives in the Austrian Alps and wanted an upgrade to both aesthetics and performance. So Fuel’s engineer Hilario and mechanics Isaac and Jose set to work. The forks are now from a BMW K75 Sport, mated to a custom axle and newly fabricated triple trees. The front brakes were upgraded too, with a 320mm disc, a four-piston Brembo caliper and a Nissin master cylinder.

The rear has been entrusted to a Wilbers shock with multiple adjustments. Fuel also switched the exhaust to a custom 2-into-2 system, raising the angle of the mufflers. The rear subframe has been redesigned to create a shorter and slimmer profile, and to strengthen the bike for off-road use.

The headlight is now from a classic Spanish trials bike, mounted on a custom bracket. It sits ahead of a Motogadget speedometer, Tomaselli bars fitted with the switchgear from an old Triumph, and classic enduro grips. A car-type starter motor has been installed to fire up the engine.

The tank is from a Kawasaki KZ750, with an ingenious addition to one side: A vintage Ural suicide shift (above) has been converted to a choke mechanism for warming up the engine when cold.
As with all Fuel bikes, the fit and finish is absolutely immaculate. Although this R80ST rolled out of the showroom nearly thirty ago, it looks like it left the factory yesterday.
Today, Karles and the Fuel crew are heading south for ‘Scram Africa’—a trip of more than 2,000 kilometers for classic trail bikes and resto-mod customs, to Morocco and beyond. So it’s no surprise that the R80ST has already been ridden in anger—and there are photos to prove it.
Head over to the Fuel Bespoke Motorcycles website for more images of Fuel builds, and follow their news via the Fuel Facebook page. Images by Claudio Rizzolo.
 

xurxes

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Salonika
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KTM 690 ENDURO R
BMW R1200 GSA
Blitz BMW R100RT ‘La Parisienne’


If you visited the BMW Museum in Munich a few months ago, you might have noticed an interloper: a brawny custom with a Yamaha XT500 tank. Sharing space with a BMW concept car and an immaculate 1982 R100 RT, the custom looked like a pit bull amongst immaculately coiffed poodles.

The juxtaposition was not as incongruous as it seemed, though. The ‘Yamaha’ was actually a BMW R100 RT, just like its neighbor on the stand, albeit in disguise. It was built by the controversial French workshop Blitz Motorcycles and is called ‘La Parisienne.’

Confused onlookers who failed to recognize the bike can be excused—this R100 has been customized almost beyond recognition. The rear frame is completely new, and fitted with a bespoke seat and a mono shock. The frame and forks have been powdercoated in dark gray, and the engine, bars (from an R100 RS) and wheels powdercoated in a sinister black.

The bike has also been rewired with simplified electrics; a compact li-ion battery now hides in a box under the transmission. Mini switches control the blinkers and the digital speedometer display, and the engine start button is screwed into the bracket of the front brake lever. The levers (shortened) and brake master cylinder are from a Yamaha R1.

Vintage-style lights add a retro touch, along with 18” Coker rubber. The carbs sport handcrafted intakes and the shorty muffler is painted a high-temperature black on the outside and red on the inside. And yes, the tank really is from vintage Yamaha XT500 enduro—mounted on the frame exactly as it was found.

The effect is brutal and even disorientating. But it still caught the eye of the BMW museum curators. Maybe the Teutonic purveyors of motorcycling efficiency do have a sense of humor after all.
Head over to the Blitz website to see more of Fred Jourden and Hugo Jezegabel’s builds. And follow the news from the 17th arrondissement via the Blitz Facebook page.





BMW R100S by Deus


You don’t see many 1970s BMW R-series customs in the USA. But this very sharp R100S cafe racer should prompt a few searches for old airheads on eBay. It’s set for launch at The One Motorcycle Show in Austin this weekend, and was built by Michael Woolaway, motorcycle design director at Deus USA.
The R100S was one of BMW’s more sporting bikes, with a quarter-mile time of just under 13 seconds. The ‘S’ designation meant you also got a small fairing, twin discs at the front, lower bars and a racier seat. But it was still a long-haul bike built for the autobahn.

That’s something Woolie set out to change. “I wanted to build something that didn’t look much like a BMW,” says Woolie. “I tried to style it a bit older than an R100S.”

It’s a ground-up rebuild, starting with the frame. Woolie removed the brackets and the sub-frame and its mounts, and then fabricated a new chromoly sub-frame. More fabrication quickly followed: the tank, seat, fenders, foot controls and rear sets are all made by hand.

Up front, Öhlins forks have been shortened and re-valved by Ed Sorbo at Lindemann Engineering. Pierre Vallaincourt at Works Performance engineered the rear suspension. The battery is now hidden under the seat, protected by a heat shield rated to 1200 degrees. And the mirrors, handlebars and bar mounts are all top-shelf components from Rizoma.

The riding position is more aggressive than the stock R100S, but still practical. “It’s got a big tank and you’re all stretched out, so you really feel like you’re tucked in behind it,” says Woolie. “It’s a fun bike and a bit faster than I actually expected.”
If you can’t make it to The One Motorcycle Show, head over to the Deus USA website to examine the BMW in more detail.





BMW R75/6 by Kingston Customs


Custom motorcycle builders in the USA and UK have relatively few restrictions on what they can and cannot do. Then you have countries like Taiwan and Germany, which force builders to abide by draconian regulations.

German bikes require approval from the TÜV authority—which ensures a high quality of work, but also adds complications for the builder. (And is one reason that the new wave custom scene in Germany has lagged behind other countries.) But there are a handful of German builders who are able to work within the restrictions, and get their bikes road-legal. One of those builders is Dirk Oehlerking, the founder of Kingston Custom and creator of this surprisingly radical BMW R75/6.

Oehlerking is an accomplished mechanic with a long history of wrenching on and racing bikes. (He was a German national enduro champion in 1985). He’s been operating Kingston Custom since 2010, creating a stream of mild-to-wild customs across several genres.
This R75/6 is a new approach for Oehlerking, though. “I wanted to build an old-school BMW with character,” he says, “using elements of the bobber and Brat styles.” Inspiration started with the tank, which comes from a 50 cc Yamaha ‘Mokick’ and adds an unusually svelte touch for a vintage BMW. The original front fender has been swapped to the rear.

Oehlerking has stripped down and completely rebuilt the motor, finishing it off with glass bead blasting for a factory-fresh finish. It’s now hooked up to a Norton-inspired exhaust system with a reverse cone muffler. The wheels are also bead blasted, and have been fitted with new Metzeler rubber—19” at the front, and 18” at the back.

In keeping with the low, bobber-style stance, the R75’s forks have been shortened by 88mm (3½ inches). The back end is suspended by a pair of authentic Sachs Hydro Cross shocks, a type popular with vintage dirtbike riders. The battery is now hidden next to the transmission in a custom made box, and the foot controls are aluminum.

It’s one of the more unusual customs we’ve seen lately, with an original style and high-quality fabrication. For an insight into Oehlerking’s work and his background, check out this recent interview on Bubblevisor.
 
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