After surviving one of the harshest winters in recent memory, Polish builder and rider Ryszard Metrak finally rolled his heavily customized BMW K1100LT café racer out of the garage for its long-awaited first shakedown ride. Once a touring-focused BMW K1100LT, the machine has been reimagined into a sleek café racer that still retains the iconic character of BMW’s legendary K-bike platform. After months of wrenching through brutal Polish winter conditions that dropped as low as -20°C, the bike was finally ready to hit the road.
A First Ride Filled With Adrenaline
The first ride began with pure anticipation. Despite accidentally ruining much of the riding footage with an overly light ND filter that left the video severely overexposed, the experience itself delivered exactly what every builder dreams about after a long restoration project. The sound of the inline-four engine roaring through the streets was intoxicating, while the chassis felt planted and stable from the first mile.
Metrak described the bike as feeling “glued to the road,” praising the smoothness and personality of the classic BMW K-series platform. While he jokingly compared the gearbox to a tractor transmission, the overall riding experience clearly exceeded expectations. More importantly, the motorcycle showed no alarming rattles or major handling issues during its first real road test.
Trouble Begins With the Electronics
During the ride, the bike’s premium Motogadget Motoscope Pro digital dashboard started displaying erratic speed readings. At first, the speedometer would intermittently drop by half before returning to normal. Metrak initially suspected a loose sensor or vibration-related issue, but the symptoms rapidly worsened until the gauge stopped registering speed altogether.
Back in the garage, the troubleshooting process began immediately. With the tank and seat removed, Metrak and his father meticulously inspected the wiring, sensor alignment, and magnetic pickup system. Everything appeared correct. That left one final diagnostic step: the manual tap test.
The procedure was simple. By tapping the speed sensor wire against the ground bolt with the ignition on, the dashboard should have registered simulated speed pulses. Instead, the display remained completely lifeless.
Warranty Limbo After Just 100 Kilometers
The timing could not be worse. Although the dashboard was purchased in late 2024, the prolonged build process and harsh winter meant the bike only recently accumulated its first 100 kilometers. Now, the project sits in warranty limbo as Metrak waits to hear whether Motogadget or the dealer will honor the claim despite the elapsed time since purchase.
Source: Ryszard Metrak
