We have a serious soft spot for BMW cafe racers but we’re also big fans of Scrambler styled Beemers. There’s...
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.
“The most elaborate and beautiful K100 we have ever built” For this unique collaboration, VTR Customs ironically chose a...
Last year I had the pleasure of attending the Mooneyes show in Japan. The builder that took out best of show...
The Katze is finally out of the Tasche. BMW Motorrad has unveiled its highly anticipated R18 concept. As we all...
One of the many amazing bikes on display at this year’s Handbuilt show in Austin was Dustin Kott’s BMW R80....
After just having the pleasure of pretending to own an R Nine T for the past few days (keep an...
“The Diva project was inspired by BMW motorcycles of twenties, taking their class and elegance and blending it with modern...
It all began when Hieronymus spotted an MC club member’s BMW boxer parked on a sidewalk in Paris. Sitting in...
I recently became acquainted with Maximiliaan van Kuyk of Maverick motorcycles. Max and his brothers stumbled into the Cafe Racer...
This 1982 BMW R100RT has been customized in the cafe racer style. The fuel tank, front fender, and custom fiberglass...
In 2016, C&J Motorrad of Victoria, Minnesota, transformed this 1983 BMW R80ST into a scrambler masterpiece. The modification involved adjusting...
One of the hardest parts of a custom bike build is deciding when it’s done. This same problem applies to...
We’re big fans of the work of Californian motorcycle builder Samuel Kao and his workshop JSK Moto Co. JSK motorcycles...
This great video featuring musician/songwriter/producer Butch Walker was pulled together by Mann-made Pictures for Cafe Racer TV. Butch talks about...
Last week we featured a very tidy BMW K1100 LT cafe racer by Anthony LoGalbo of New York based workshop...
I can confidently say this is the first time I’ve featured a custom motorcycle that was influenced by Keira Knightley. Jeremy at...
Jérémie, the owner of the French workshop Jerem-Motorcycles, has only been building motorcycles for 3 years part-time. Still, he somehow...
There’s no denying that classic BMW motorcycles make great looking Cafe Racers, but if you’re looking to build a modern...
I bet the last thing Edgar Heinrich and the BMW Motorrad Design team ever expected to see was their behemoth...
Even in the motorcycle world, trends, like all things in life, come and go. The cafe racer scene has seen...
Of all the bike reviews I’ve done, handing the keys back for the BMW R Nine T has been the...
The BMW, which belongs to a friend of Weston, was originally introduced into the family by his ‘Uncle Lou’ and...
This K100RT is a delightful illustration of a sport touring motorcycle from the 1980s, with several modifications typical of a...
Perth’s Kaylan Galloway is a guy who likes to do things the hard way. Probably because he can. A welder...
HellGate Moto in New York City has transformed this 1995 BMW K1100 into a stunning cafe racer. The bike features...
Another cool motorcycling video brought to you by The Selvedge Yard. If you can get past the Bourne Identity-esque erratic...
“I wanted to create an aggressive cafe racer with a design that separates it from the usual and a line...
For many years the United States was the biggest source of inspiration for custom motorcycle builders around the world. Then...
Tank Machine was established by Clement Molina back in 2015 following his 18 years of experience working in the motorcycle...
The compact, muscular R1200R with it’s classic, flat twin engine and naked design was the perfect starting point, but it...
Jeffry Sol’s BMW R nineT has been somewhat of a social media sensation since it was unveiled at the Big...
Established in 2002 the K-Speed business is spread over 12 stores around Thailand with its head quarters in Bangkok. Eak...
There are few motorcycle engines as iconic as BMW Motorrad’s flat twin ‘Boxer’. Renowned for their bulletproof reliability the Boxer...
It’s been less than 6 months since we featured the Le Bouterollier BMW R60/7 and Jean-Pierre is back with yet...
Building 50 custom motorcycles is no mean feat. Adrián Campos and the crew at the Valencia workshop of Bolt Motor...
This 1978 BMW R80/7 was modified by Upcycle Motor Garage into a bobber and fitted it with military-spec Firestone tractor...
Could a motorcycle be any more beautiful? This is a fully restored 1934 BMW R7 and it’s the only one...
If you’re customising motorcycles in Bavaria it seems only right said motorcycles should be those built by BMW Motorrad. Ralf...
Building custom motorcycles is all about solving problems. This could be working around a modern electrical system, extracting additional horsepower...
This is a 1993 BMW R100R that was customized by Plam Werks in North Carolina. It has a metallic blue...
Customer requests and customer needs are two very different things. UK’s Sinroja Motorcycles are always happy to oblige with customer...
Years later I managed to scrape together enough to buy my first road bike, get my license sorted and I...
This 1981 BMW R100RT underwent modifications, including rebuilding the air-cooled 980cc opposed twin and installing a custom quarter fairing, electrical...
This 1978 BMW R100S underwent a scrambler-style customization, showcasing various enhancements. The replacement tank has been skillfully repainted in a...
Upcycle Garage created a unique BMW motorcycle, which is one of two cafe racers built by them. The bike, originally...
A few years ago, James would hear his neighbor start up his old BMW, and after numerous conversations, he was...
It’s not every day you find yourself handing out an award at one of the world’s most prestigious custom automotive...
Back in 2013 BMW Motorrad celebrated the 40th anniversary of the legendary BMW R 90 S with the unveiling of...
Hugo Eccles and the Untitled Motorcycles team are capable of building pretty much whatever they can dream up. Their custom...
Kyohey Sugimoto, owner of Berrybads Motorcycles works out of a modest space in Ōtsu, the capital of Japan’s Shiga Prefecture....
Working with clients can be both challenging and rewarding. When Ønix Design’s latest customer, a doctor from Valencia, brought his...
The owner of the BMW came to the OSE workshop in search of a cafe racer conversion for his 2016...
After a 70mph spill this BMW Boxer was in no state to be ridden. The bikes wheels, forks and engine...
Austria’s NCT Motorcycles are this week’s ‘talk of the town’ with 3 of their awesome builds appearing on custom motorcycle...
The Digimoto project was a collaboration between industrial designer Christian Zanzotti, product development agency Greydev and BMW aftermarket experts Wunderlich....
You may remember the somewhat controversial Buell Norton Manx I featured a couple of months ago? Well it’s back and it’s...
Custom bikes often opt for a shock and awe approach to make an impact in this modern, social media-saturated world....
As 2014 comes to an end I thought I’d take a (close up) look at some of the incredible work...
I once said that the 1934 BMW R7 was one of the most beautiful motorcycles ever made, and I still...
Growing up in India the Sinroja brothers, Rahul and Birju, developed an out of the ordinary love for motorcycles. In...
BMW’s stalwart R100 was offered in various guises from 1976 to 1996. The 980cc boxer twins made adequate power, had...
This 1983 BMW R80ST has undergone a series of modifications to enhance its performance and aesthetics. It now boasts an...
Giorgio De Angelis of ‘De Angelis Elaborazioni’ prides himself in turning old BMWs into performance focused customs. Throughout his childhood,...
This 1983 BMW R100 was transformed into a cafe racer by Untitled Motorcycles in San Francisco, California. Throughout the process,...
Of all the boxers the BMW R75/5 models with the “toaster” tank are a firm favourite. They are less angular...
The Johnnie Wash R Nine T series features 3 different models of which the Brown is the most extensively modified....
In 2018, Federal Moto of Chicago crafted this 1980 BMW R100/7, undertaking various modifications. Their work included the creation of...
Adrián Campos and the team at Valencia’s Bolt Motor Co. are set to finish their 50th build sometime during 2021....
New York City is arguably the planets most influential style and culture mecca. Whatever you’re into you’re sure to find...
This isn’t the first time we’ve featured a BMW cafe racer that’s been put together by a BMW car enthusiast....
I’ve never had the urge to eat a motorcycle before but this latest build from Jerikan looks delicious. For some...
“As the story goes my first word was ‘car’ rather than ‘mummy’. I’m not so sure whether this is the...
During its impressive 20-year run, there were 81 different model variations of the BMW R100. The iconic boxer has been...
The fine vólk at BMW Motorrad have a motorcycle for every occasion – just meander into a dealership and look...
When it comes to building custom bikes, taking the path less travelled is never the easy option. Sure, cafe racers...
This customized motorcycle was created by The Old Boys Motorcycle Workshop using a standard K75 that had been left unused...
It makes perfect sense that one of the world’s top custom BMW motorcycle builders is based in Germany. Under the...
This BMW R Nine T is a customized retro-inspired sportbike turned café racer. It is equipped with a 1,170cc air-cooled...
As Mark Twain so eloquently put it “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work...
BMW’s K100 Sports Tourer is a motorcycle that few people would consider when planning a custom build. Despite it’s 1000cc,...
Are you a dreamer or a doer? Prior to 2018 Marcel Galuszka would have labelled himself a dreamer. But when...
For more than a decade I’ve stayed true to this websites cafe racer theme. I can assure you this was...
The bar has definitely been raised in the custom motorcycle scene. If you’re planning on impressing anyone a bolt-on seat,...
Big thanks to Collin Christenbury for sending in these shots he took at the Vintage Motorcycle Races & Show in Elkhart Lake...
The transformation of this 1984 BMW K100RT into a cafe racer was a meticulous five-month project. The bike now exudes...
Building a custom motorcycle means owning a one-of-a-kind machine. A unique, personal expression that merges your individual style with performance...
Back in 2012 four like-minded friends decided enough was enough. Driven by their desire to build and ride custom bikes...
If you’re into custom motorcycles (which I will assume you are since you’re here) the name Kaichiroh Kurosu and his...
This lovely BMW R 100 named the “Earl Grey” is currently up for sale through Urban Moto in Germany for...
Located in New York City, The Suited Racer considers himself a ‘living piece of conceptual art’. The multidisciplinary artist creates...
Experiences from our youth can have a profound effect on what we do later in life. For Jean-Pierre, it was...
“We are first and foremost designers, we don’t consider ourselves as ‘builders’ or mechanics. We customize and have enough contacts...
When someone describes a bike as a clean build you usually expect it to be something pretty special and I...
The Bavarian Cafe of Costa Mesa, California, undertook a cafe racer-style modification of this 1983 BMW R100 around 2013. The...
The cafe racer in BMW’s R nineT heritage series won hearts with its sleek styling. However, motorcycle journalists brought a...
Early this year Hammer received an invitation to work on the project direct from BMW Motorrad and gladly took up...
Christian Boosen runs 86 Gear Motorcycles, a custom motorcycle shop in Warsaw, Poland. Growing up alongside the Dutch border in...
When it comes to customising older BMW motorcycles the R series airheads are the most popular weapon of choice. Fuss-free...
Here’s a little something to get you through another night glued to the couch. Our latest instalment of the Sunday...