There’s no denying that Guzzis and BWMs have the biggest, bulkiest looking engines of all the motorcycle manufacturers (not to...
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.
Last weekend we officially released issue 7 of Tank Moto. Packed with awesome motorcycle features from around the world this...
When it comes to customising older BMW motorcycles the R series airheads are the most popular weapon of choice. Fuss-free...
One of the many amazing bikes on display at this year’s Handbuilt show in Austin was Dustin Kott’s BMW R80....
Austria’s NCT Motorcycles are this week’s ‘talk of the town’ with 3 of their awesome builds appearing on custom motorcycle...
Why let a little Snow stop you from getting out on your motorcycle? Here’s Blitz motorcycles solution to your winter blues....
Another cool motorcycling video brought to you by The Selvedge Yard. If you can get past the Bourne Identity-esque erratic...
If you’re customising motorcycles in Bavaria it seems only right said motorcycles should be those built by BMW Motorrad. Ralf...
When he’s not fabricating parts for submarines (Yes, you read that right) David Manchester is building bespoke furniture or helping...
“A Scottish businessman reached out to us after seeing our bikes. He asked us to customise his own brand new...
This lovely BMW R 100 named the “Earl Grey” is currently up for sale through Urban Moto in Germany for...
Christian Boosen runs 86 Gear Motorcycles, a custom motorcycle shop in Warsaw, Poland. Growing up alongside the Dutch border in...
Our friends over at Cognito Moto have been toiling away on their latest custom BMW R75 project. The project was...
Tank Machine was established by Clement Molina back in 2015 following his 18 years of experience working in the motorcycle...
It’s the start of yet another working week. What better way to get through the day than by drooling over...
The Katze is finally out of the Tasche. BMW Motorrad has unveiled its highly anticipated R18 concept. As we all...
Hot on the heels of my recent post about Les Ateliers Ruby’s leather jackets UK based, custom workshop Kevil’s Speed Shop,...
Who can resist the beauty of BMW’s boxer engine? Their unorthodox horizontal head configuration and shaft drive has always intrigued...
Melbourne is arguably the creative hub of Australia. If you’re looking for great food or a cultural experience the city...
In full dress, the BMW R1200RT tips the scales at hefty 259kg. This is by no means an ideal starting...
“All men’s misfortunes spring from their hatred of being alone“ The sad individual responsible for that quote obviously never had...
I can confidently say this is the first time I’ve featured a custom motorcycle that was influenced by Keira Knightley. Jeremy at...
What better way to celebrate a motorcycle workshop’s 10 year anniversary than with a build that showcases everything they’re capable...
Established in 2002 the K-Speed business is spread over 12 stores around Thailand with its head quarters in Bangkok. Eak...
“We had never transformed a bike with such complex technology before!” Along with having to deal with the bikes modern...
Every so often a custom motorcycle appears in my inbox that is so unique it stops me in my tracks....
I’ve always loved the use of wood in cars. When I was young a neighbor converted an old ’30s Chevy into...
After a 70mph spill this BMW Boxer was in no state to be ridden. The bikes wheels, forks and engine...
Trust is one of the biggest hurdles for any business. But once it is achieved, success will follow. After amassing...
I once said that the 1934 BMW R7 was one of the most beautiful motorcycles ever made, and I still...
During its impressive 20-year run, there were 81 different model variations of the BMW R100. The iconic boxer has been...
I love a good concept bike. An open brief and an aim to push the boundaries, breach new territory and...
The bike started out as a fully faired stock ’95 BMW R100 that Junior agreed to customise for his newly...
This happens when one of the world’s most creative custom workshops decides that they need to customise their shop bike....
Stumbled across this 1961 BMW R69s Cafe Racer named “The Bull” today. It’s a strange combination of parts but it...
The fine vólk at BMW Motorrad have a motorcycle for every occasion – just meander into a dealership and look...
Of all the boxers the BMW R75/5 models with the “toaster” tank are a firm favourite. They are less angular...
You may remember the somewhat controversial Buell Norton Manx I featured a couple of months ago? Well it’s back and it’s...
After just having the pleasure of pretending to own an R Nine T for the past few days (keep an...
When someone describes a bike as a clean build you usually expect it to be something pretty special and I...
I’ve never had the urge to eat a motorcycle before but this latest build from Jerikan looks delicious. For some...
Giorgio De Angelis of ‘De Angelis Elaborazioni’ prides himself in turning old BMWs into performance focused customs. Throughout his childhood,...
BMW Motorrad has just lifted the covers off their upcoming 2021 R nineT range. This is of course great news...
Custom bikes often opt for a shock and awe approach to make an impact in this modern, social media-saturated world....
“The most elaborate and beautiful K100 we have ever built” For this unique collaboration, VTR Customs ironically chose a...
Two motorcycle obsessed friends building bikes for a living. It sounds like the perfect life to be living. This is...
Building custom motorcycles is all about solving problems. This could be working around a modern electrical system, extracting additional horsepower...
After the success of his first custom bike series, Fran Manen of Lord Drake Kustoms knew he was on to...
Of all the bike reviews I’ve done, handing the keys back for the BMW R Nine T has been the...
Customer requests and customer needs are two very different things. UK’s Sinroja Motorcycles are always happy to oblige with customer...
The compact, muscular R1200R with it’s classic, flat twin engine and naked design was the perfect starting point, but it...
Perth’s Kaylan Galloway is a guy who likes to do things the hard way. Probably because he can. A welder...
A few years ago, James would hear his neighbor start up his old BMW, and after numerous conversations, he was...
Years later I managed to scrape together enough to buy my first road bike, get my license sorted and I...
The owner of the BMW came to the OSE workshop in search of a cafe racer conversion for his 2016...
At first glance, you could be forgiven for assuming this custom motorcycle is based on a model from BMW Motorrad’s...
Building 2 identical motorcycles probably wouldn’t sound all that appealing to most builders. But for Antoine Meister who runs the...
More and more motorcycle workshops are utilising advanced manufacturing technologies to realise their custom creations. 10 years ago three-dimensional computer-aided...
The Digimoto project was a collaboration between industrial designer Christian Zanzotti, product development agency Greydev and BMW aftermarket experts Wunderlich....
BMW struck a chord in the custom motorcycle scene when they released the R Nine T. Powered by a bulletproof...
In our opinion there’s nothing better than when a talented photographer turns his camera’s attention to classic motorbikes. These shots...
It all began when Hieronymus spotted an MC club member’s BMW boxer parked on a sidewalk in Paris. Sitting in...
Adrián Campos and the team at Valencia’s Bolt Motor Co. are set to finish their 50th build sometime during 2021....
Could a motorcycle be any more beautiful? This is a fully restored 1934 BMW R7 and it’s the only one...
Tucked away in the southeastern forests of Bavaria is the small town of Viechtach. If you look it up on...
Well, that wraps up yet another year of amazing cafe racer builds from custom workshops and backyard builders around the...
Early this year Hammer received an invitation to work on the project direct from BMW Motorrad and gladly took up...
It makes perfect sense that one of the world’s top custom BMW motorcycle builders is based in Germany. Under the...
Here’s a little something to get you through another night glued to the couch. Our latest instalment of the Sunday...
Not all custom builds have to completely transform a motorcycle to catch our attention. Fresh on the heels of BMW...
For many years the United States was the biggest source of inspiration for custom motorcycle builders around the world. Then...
I bet the last thing Edgar Heinrich and the BMW Motorrad Design team ever expected to see was their behemoth...
From building show cars to display at the hallowed halls of the Las Vegas Sema show to tinkering on Honda...
Back in 2017, French builder Ortolani Customs wowed us with his metalworking prowess. His polished Ducati 1199 S earned him...
We’ve all had a gut full of 2020 and I’m sure most people would agree they’ll be glad to see...
Last year I had the pleasure of attending the Mooneyes show in Japan. The builder that took out best of show...
BMW’s K100 Sports Tourer is a motorcycle that few people would consider when planning a custom build. Despite it’s 1000cc,...
The year is 1973 and Bavarian Motor Works has just celebrated their 50th anniversary. In addition, they’ve also just completed...
Mentioning Grand Tourer and cafe racer in the same sentence isn’t something you’ll see me do often. That’s because bikes...
There are few motorcycle engines as iconic as BMW Motorrad’s flat twin ‘Boxer’. Renowned for their bulletproof reliability the Boxer...
Europe’s largest Cafe Racer event, the Glemseck 101, just took place in Stuttgart, Germany. Now in its 5th year, the...
Back in 2013 BMW Motorrad celebrated the 40th anniversary of the legendary BMW R 90 S with the unveiling of...
Are you a dreamer or a doer? Prior to 2018 Marcel Galuszka would have labelled himself a dreamer. But when...
40 years later the bike is still running (see video below) and still features the original racing seal of the Italian...
Located in New York City, The Suited Racer considers himself a ‘living piece of conceptual art’. The multidisciplinary artist creates...
The BMW, which belongs to a friend of Weston, was originally introduced into the family by his ‘Uncle Lou’ and...
For more than a decade I’ve stayed true to this websites cafe racer theme. I can assure you this was...
As the lines blur between the different styles of custom bike building and builders become more adventurous, it’s getting much...
We’re big fans of the work of Californian motorcycle builder Samuel Kao and his workshop JSK Moto Co. JSK motorcycles...
It’s been a couple of years since I first featured one of Kevin Hills custom builds. Since then under his...
“A gentleman from Missouri contacted me through my H Garage website inquiring about a build using either a newer model...
Some people profess to being obsessed by a brand because they own 2 or 3 things said brand has made....
Twin Shock Division (TSD) Motorcycles is a tiny shop located in the Ukranian capital of Kiev. Headed by the talented...
I recently became acquainted with Maximiliaan van Kuyk of Maverick motorcycles. Max and his brothers stumbled into the Cafe Racer...
When a builder chooses to convert a tourer into a cafe racer it’s always a bit of a surprise to...
The custom motorcycle world has been full of collaborations in the past few years. Manufacturers have recognised the influence custom...
One of the hardest parts of a custom bike build is deciding when it’s done. This same problem applies to...
