Is there such a thing as a factory built cafe racer? If you ask a purist they’ll tell you no...
BMW Cafe Racer
The German company BMW Motorrad built its first motorcycle, the R32, in 1923. Powered by a 494cc flat-twin boxer the R32’s horizontally opposed engine configuration became an iconic feature of BMW motorcycles throughout their history. In later years they also developed the flat-four engine used in models like the K100. This engine was coined the ‘flying brick’ due to its bulky appearance. Despite its unfortunate nickname the flat-four still the level of performance that earned BMW their well-respected reputation.
Older BMW “airhead” boxer twins and R series models are popular choices for BMW cafe racer projects. With some models featuring bolt-on subframes and others sporting aluminum fuel tanks, choosing a BMW as the donor for your project has its benefits. In more recent years BMW has embraced the custom scene by creating the R Nine T. The BMW R9T was designed and built specifically with customization in mind.
In our archives, you’ll find countless BMW cafe racer features that are a great source of inspiration and tips for anyone hoping to build their own.
At first glance, you could be forgiven for assuming this custom motorcycle is based on a model from BMW Motorrad’s...
A few years ago, James would hear his neighbor start up his old BMW, and after numerous conversations, he was...
The majority of the weight dropped from the Saline R9T can be attributed to the use of aluminium. Saline’s new tail,...
Imagine this scenario: A bike magazine hands you a box-fresh 1978 BMW R100RS and the concept rendering for a fantastic,...
For many years the United States was the biggest source of inspiration for custom motorcycle builders around the world. Then...
“We are first and foremost designers, we don’t consider ourselves as ‘builders’ or mechanics. We customize and have enough contacts...
Ok I know it’s getting ridiculous now. Yet another BMW based Cafe Racer. This is the last one for...
Christian Boosen runs 86 Gear Motorcycles, a custom motorcycle shop in Warsaw, Poland. Growing up alongside the Dutch border in...
Some people profess to being obsessed by a brand because they own 2 or 3 things said brand has made....
The bike started out as a fully faired stock ’95 BMW R100 that Junior agreed to customise for his newly...
Perth’s Kaylan Galloway is a guy who likes to do things the hard way. Probably because he can. A welder...
According to Mark Condon of BikeBiz “Our team really know their bikes, so depending on the customer we can give...
“This project kicked off with a stock 1982 BMW R45 that had laid dormant in our client’s garage for almost...
Why let a little Snow stop you from getting out on your motorcycle? Here’s Blitz motorcycles solution to your winter blues....
Custom bikes often opt for a shock and awe approach to make an impact in this modern, social media-saturated world....
It’s not every day you find yourself handing out an award at one of the world’s most prestigious custom automotive...
Customer requests and customer needs are two very different things. UK’s Sinroja Motorcycles are always happy to oblige with customer...
40 years later the bike is still running (see video below) and still features the original racing seal of the Italian...
Everyone has their favorite things in life but only a few of us get to enjoy a career working with them....
Of all the bike reviews I’ve done, handing the keys back for the BMW R Nine T has been the...
Remember in school when you had an exam and there was always that one kid who consistently finished before everyone...
There’s no denying that classic BMW motorcycles make great looking Cafe Racers, but if you’re looking to build a modern...
The fine vólk at BMW Motorrad have a motorcycle for every occasion – just meander into a dealership and look...
“All men’s misfortunes spring from their hatred of being alone“ The sad individual responsible for that quote obviously never had...
I’ve never had the urge to eat a motorcycle before but this latest build from Jerikan looks delicious. For some...
This drastically customised BMW R80 is the brainchild of Oaky and JJ from Griffin Spares in Sydney. “Sometimes the best...
I’ve always loved the use of wood in cars. When I was young a neighbor converted an old ’30s Chevy into...
Who can resist the beauty of BMW’s boxer engine? Their unorthodox horizontal head configuration and shaft drive has always intrigued...
Hot on the heels of my recent post about Les Ateliers Ruby’s leather jackets UK based, custom workshop Kevil’s Speed Shop,...
You may remember the somewhat controversial Buell Norton Manx I featured a couple of months ago? Well it’s back and it’s...
Last month Deus Ex Machina in Camperdown, Sydney unveiled their stunning R Nine T Cafe Racer, the ‘Henirich Maneuver’. Unfortunately...
I love a good concept bike. An open brief and an aim to push the boundaries, breach new territory and...
“The most elaborate and beautiful K100 we have ever built” For this unique collaboration, VTR Customs ironically chose a...
The 2012 Bonneville Speed Week is wrapping up for another year. Thankfully it looks like we’ll be seeing a lot...
This great video featuring musician/songwriter/producer Butch Walker was pulled together by Mann-made Pictures for Cafe Racer TV. Butch talks about...
It all began when Hieronymus spotted an MC club member’s BMW boxer parked on a sidewalk in Paris. Sitting in...
Stumbled across this 1961 BMW R69s Cafe Racer named “The Bull” today. It’s a strange combination of parts but it...
Building one-off projects for individual customers has its benefits, but it isn’t the most reliable income model for a custom...
37-year-old Degano developed an interest in BMWs from a young age. His father was a member of the French police...
Last year I had the pleasure of attending the Mooneyes show in Japan. The builder that took out best of show...
One of the many amazing bikes on display at this year’s Handbuilt show in Austin was Dustin Kott’s BMW R80....
The Katze is finally out of the Tasche. BMW Motorrad has unveiled its highly anticipated R18 concept. As we all...
In our opinion there’s nothing better than when a talented photographer turns his camera’s attention to classic motorbikes. These shots...
The BMW, which belongs to a friend of Weston, was originally introduced into the family by his ‘Uncle Lou’ and...
“I thought to myself, if I can fix and maintain a 40 million dollar yacht, then I can build a...
Could a motorcycle be any more beautiful? This is a fully restored 1934 BMW R7 and it’s the only one...
Working with clients can be both challenging and rewarding. When Ønix Design’s latest customer, a doctor from Valencia, brought his...
Mentioning Grand Tourer and cafe racer in the same sentence isn’t something you’ll see me do often. That’s because bikes...
This lovely BMW R 100 named the “Earl Grey” is currently up for sale through Urban Moto in Germany for...
This happens when one of the world’s most creative custom workshops decides that they need to customise their shop bike....
After just having the pleasure of pretending to own an R Nine T for the past few days (keep an...
The Eleven by Kevil’s Speed Shop in the UK. One of the latest BMW Cafe Racers to roll out of...
Big thanks to Collin Christenbury for sending in these shots he took at the Vintage Motorcycle Races & Show in Elkhart Lake...
Experiences from our youth can have a profound effect on what we do later in life. For Jean-Pierre, it was...
Building custom motorcycles is all about solving problems. This could be working around a modern electrical system, extracting additional horsepower...
“A gentleman from Missouri contacted me through my H Garage website inquiring about a build using either a newer model...
When it comes to customising older BMW motorcycles the R series airheads are the most popular weapon of choice. Fuss-free...
Nostalgia can be a powerful motivator. For Joe Loss of Fremantle, Western Australia it started in his teenage years when...
Looking back over the last 11 years of running this website the thing I’ve enjoyed the most is seeing workshops...
The Digimoto project was a collaboration between industrial designer Christian Zanzotti, product development agency Greydev and BMW aftermarket experts Wunderlich....
I bet the last thing Edgar Heinrich and the BMW Motorrad Design team ever expected to see was their behemoth...
Early this year Hammer received an invitation to work on the project direct from BMW Motorrad and gladly took up...
When it comes to building custom bikes, taking the path less travelled is never the easy option. Sure, cafe racers...
Of all the boxers the BMW R75/5 models with the “toaster” tank are a firm favourite. They are less angular...
“The Diva project was inspired by BMW motorcycles of twenties, taking their class and elegance and blending it with modern...
“A Scottish businessman reached out to us after seeing our bikes. He asked us to customise his own brand new...
I’ve seen enough BMW cafe racer builds to last a lifetime. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to see any...
On the dawn of a new year there’s plenty to get excited about. You’ve got another year of riding adventures...
Kyohey Sugimoto, owner of Berrybads Motorcycles works out of a modest space in Ōtsu, the capital of Japan’s Shiga Prefecture....
Jeffry Sol’s BMW R nineT has been somewhat of a social media sensation since it was unveiled at the Big...
Not all custom builds have to completely transform a motorcycle to catch our attention. Fresh on the heels of BMW...
I recently became acquainted with Maximiliaan van Kuyk of Maverick motorcycles. Max and his brothers stumbled into the Cafe Racer...
When he’s not fabricating parts for submarines (Yes, you read that right) David Manchester is building bespoke furniture or helping...
I can confidently say this is the first time I’ve featured a custom motorcycle that was influenced by Keira Knightley. Jeremy at...
One of the hardest parts of a custom bike build is deciding when it’s done. This same problem applies to...
The Johnnie Wash R Nine T series features 3 different models of which the Brown is the most extensively modified....
Established in 2002 the K-Speed business is spread over 12 stores around Thailand with its head quarters in Bangkok. Eak...
Hugo Eccles and the Untitled Motorcycles team are capable of building pretty much whatever they can dream up. Their custom...
From building show cars to display at the hallowed halls of the Las Vegas Sema show to tinkering on Honda...
New York City is arguably the planets most influential style and culture mecca. Whatever you’re into you’re sure to find...
When a builder chooses to convert a tourer into a cafe racer it’s always a bit of a surprise to...
Years later I managed to scrape together enough to buy my first road bike, get my license sorted and I...
Giorgio De Angelis of ‘De Angelis Elaborazioni’ prides himself in turning old BMWs into performance focused customs. Throughout his childhood,...
Back in 2012 four like-minded friends decided enough was enough. Driven by their desire to build and ride custom bikes...
Are you a dreamer or a doer? Prior to 2018 Marcel Galuszka would have labelled himself a dreamer. But when...
BMW’s stalwart R100 was offered in various guises from 1976 to 1996. The 980cc boxer twins made adequate power, had...
Two motorcycle obsessed friends building bikes for a living. It sounds like the perfect life to be living. This is...
It’s the start of yet another working week. What better way to get through the day than by drooling over...
BMW’s K100 Sports Tourer is a motorcycle that few people would consider when planning a custom build. Despite it’s 1000cc,...
The owner of the BMW came to the OSE workshop in search of a cafe racer conversion for his 2016...
“As the story goes my first word was ‘car’ rather than ‘mummy’. I’m not so sure whether this is the...
Nitro Cycles are a relatively new workshop to the Spanish custom scene and this BMW K100 RS Cafe Racer represents...
If you’re considering attempting to turn any kind of tourer into a cafe racer you’re going to have your work...
Building 50 custom motorcycles is no mean feat. Adrián Campos and the crew at the Valencia workshop of Bolt Motor...
High in the northeastern reaches of Italy, you’ll find the Friuli Venezia Giulia region. Bordered by Slovenia and Austria it’s...
Even in the motorcycle world, trends, like all things in life, come and go. The cafe racer scene has seen...
