If you’re considering attempting to turn any kind of tourer into a cafe racer you’re going to have your work...
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.
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...
As BMW Motorrad put it, the R9T Racer is “Style in the fast lane.” It’s a fitting statement for this...
Every so often a custom motorcycle appears in my inbox that is so unique it stops me in my tracks....
Adrián Campos and the team at Valencia’s Bolt Motor Co. are set to finish their 50th build sometime during 2021....
Growing up in India the Sinroja brothers, Rahul and Birju, developed an out of the ordinary love for motorcycles. In...
I once said that the 1934 BMW R7 was one of the most beautiful motorcycles ever made, and I still...
The Interceptor may be an unexpected development from Radical Ducati, but it certainly isn’t a disappointment. They’ve created a high...
Unless you’re buying a Harley-Davidson most dealerships don’t offer much in the way of customisation at the time of sale....
The quality of the home built Cafe Racers being submitted by our readers continues to astound us. This exceptional bike...
We have a serious soft spot for BMW cafe racers but we’re also big fans of Scrambler styled Beemers. There’s...
Tank Machine was established by Clement Molina back in 2015 following his 18 years of experience working in the motorcycle...
Brazillian workshop Retrorides is the result of forty years of hard work by two generations of the Lourenço family. Nestled...
More and more motorcycle workshops are utilising advanced manufacturing technologies to realise their custom creations. 10 years ago three-dimensional computer-aided...
Shiroh Nakajima is the custom motorcycle engineer and CEO behind Japanese workshop Ritmo Sereno. In this short film Shiroh explains...
Sometimes techniques for overcoming adversity are found in unexpected places. Scott Campbell found the solution to his battling his demons...
If there’s one thing every builder should strive to achieve when they customise a motorcycle it’s to improve upon its...
Back in 2017, French builder Ortolani Customs wowed us with his metalworking prowess. His polished Ducati 1199 S earned him...
For more than a decade I’ve stayed true to this websites cafe racer theme. I can assure you this was...
Repeat customers are the bread and butter of every business. Unfortunately, for some businesses, such as custom motorcycle builders, most...
The custom motorcycle world has been full of collaborations in the past few years. Manufacturers have recognised the influence custom...
We’ve all had a gut full of 2020 and I’m sure most people would agree they’ll be glad to see...
The bar has definitely been raised in the custom motorcycle scene. If you’re planning on impressing anyone a bolt-on seat,...
Trust is one of the biggest hurdles for any business. But once it is achieved, success will follow. After amassing...
Another cool motorcycling video brought to you by The Selvedge Yard. If you can get past the Bourne Identity-esque erratic...
During its impressive 20-year run, there were 81 different model variations of the BMW R100. The iconic boxer has been...
Don’t get me wrong, the BMW thumper is a great utilitarian machine. The reliability of the simple 650cc Rotax engine...
Tucked away in the southeastern forests of Bavaria is the small town of Viechtach. If you look it up on...
We’re big fans of the work of Californian motorcycle builder Samuel Kao and his workshop JSK Moto Co. JSK motorcycles...
The year is 1973 and Bavarian Motor Works has just celebrated their 50th anniversary. In addition, they’ve also just completed...
Europe’s largest Cafe Racer event, the Glemseck 101, just took place in Stuttgart, Germany. Now in its 5th year, the...
If you’re customising motorcycles in Bavaria it seems only right said motorcycles should be those built by BMW Motorrad. Ralf...
BMW Motorrad has just lifted the covers off their upcoming 2021 R nineT range. This is of course great news...
Our friends over at Cognito Moto have been toiling away on their latest custom BMW R75 project. The project was...
Here’s a little something to get you through another night glued to the couch. Our latest instalment of the Sunday...
The cafe racer in BMW’s R nineT heritage series won hearts with its sleek styling. However, motorcycle journalists brought a...
After months of hard work and seemingly endless nights of writing, issue 2 of Tank Moto is now available! Just...
Last weekend we officially released issue 7 of Tank Moto. Packed with awesome motorcycle features from around the world this...
After a 70mph spill this BMW Boxer was in no state to be ridden. The bikes wheels, forks and engine...
There’s no denying that Guzzis and BWMs have the biggest, bulkiest looking engines of all the motorcycle manufacturers (not to...
BMW struck a chord in the custom motorcycle scene when they released the R Nine T. Powered by a bulletproof...
Located in New York City, The Suited Racer considers himself a ‘living piece of conceptual art’. The multidisciplinary artist creates...
The latest instalment of the Batman movie series directed by Matt Reeves is due to hit US cinema screens in...
Austria’s NCT Motorcycles are this week’s ‘talk of the town’ with 3 of their awesome builds appearing on custom motorcycle...
“I wanted to create an aggressive cafe racer with a design that separates it from the usual and a line...
Back in 2013 BMW Motorrad celebrated the 40th anniversary of the legendary BMW R 90 S with the unveiling of...
Building 2 identical motorcycles probably wouldn’t sound all that appealing to most builders. But for Antoine Meister who runs the...
Melbourne is arguably the creative hub of Australia. If you’re looking for great food or a cultural experience the city...
When someone describes a bike as a clean build you usually expect it to be something pretty special and I...
As 2014 comes to an end I thought I’d take a (close up) look at some of the incredible work...
It makes perfect sense that one of the world’s top custom BMW motorcycle builders is based in Germany. Under the...
What better way to celebrate a motorcycle workshop’s 10 year anniversary than with a build that showcases everything they’re capable...
This isn’t the first time we’ve featured a BMW cafe racer that’s been put together by a BMW car enthusiast....
Sometimes it’s a single detail that defines a build. Just one modification or handmade part that takes a custom motorcycle...
Twin Shock Division (TSD) Motorcycles is a tiny shop located in the Ukranian capital of Kiev. Headed by the talented...
It’s been less than 6 months since we featured the Le Bouterollier BMW R60/7 and Jean-Pierre is back with yet...
There are few motorcycle engines as iconic as BMW Motorrad’s flat twin ‘Boxer’. Renowned for their bulletproof reliability the Boxer...
Well, that wraps up yet another year of amazing cafe racer builds from custom workshops and backyard builders around the...
One of the biggest decisions you’ll make when building your own Cafe Racer, or any style of custom motorcycle for...
In full dress, the BMW R1200RT tips the scales at hefty 259kg. This is by no means an ideal starting...
“I had been looking to build a clean, minimalistic BMW cafe racer for a couple of years. The less on...
I am Nigel Petrie from Engineered To Slide and I want to share with you my new BMW R Nine...
Last week we featured a very tidy BMW K1100 LT cafe racer by Anthony LoGalbo of New York based workshop...
After the success of his first custom bike series, Fran Manen of Lord Drake Kustoms knew he was on to...
As the lines blur between the different styles of custom bike building and builders become more adventurous, it’s getting much...
“We had never transformed a bike with such complex technology before!” Along with having to deal with the bikes modern...
It’s been a couple of years since I first featured one of Kevin Hills custom builds. Since then under his...
The compact, muscular R1200R with it’s classic, flat twin engine and naked design was the perfect starting point, but it...
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