I’ve never had the urge to eat a motorcycle before but this latest build from Jerikan looks delicious. For some...
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 cafe racer in BMW’s R nineT heritage series won hearts with its sleek styling. However, motorcycle journalists brought a...
You may remember the somewhat controversial Buell Norton Manx I featured a couple of months ago? Well it’s back and it’s...
Every so often a custom motorcycle appears in my inbox that is so unique it stops me in my tracks....
Giorgio De Angelis of ‘De Angelis Elaborazioni’ prides himself in turning old BMWs into performance focused customs. Throughout his childhood,...
For more than a decade I’ve stayed true to this websites cafe racer theme. I can assure you this was...
Some people profess to being obsessed by a brand because they own 2 or 3 things said brand has made....
Looking back over the last 11 years of running this website the thing I’ve enjoyed the most is seeing workshops...
When it comes to customising older BMW motorcycles the R series airheads are the most popular weapon of choice. Fuss-free...
Last year I had the pleasure of attending the Mooneyes show in Japan. The builder that took out best of show...
Not all custom builds have to completely transform a motorcycle to catch our attention. Fresh on the heels of BMW...
The compact, muscular R1200R with it’s classic, flat twin engine and naked design was the perfect starting point, but it...
After just having the pleasure of pretending to own an R Nine T for the past few days (keep an...
I recently became acquainted with Maximiliaan van Kuyk of Maverick motorcycles. Max and his brothers stumbled into the Cafe Racer...
Building custom motorcycles is all about solving problems. This could be working around a modern electrical system, extracting additional horsepower...
When a builder chooses to convert a tourer into a cafe racer it’s always a bit of a surprise to...
BMW made a cardinal sin when they created the cafe racer variation of the R Nine T. They down-graded its...
Austria’s NCT Motorcycles are this week’s ‘talk of the town’ with 3 of their awesome builds appearing on custom motorcycle...
“I thought to myself, if I can fix and maintain a 40 million dollar yacht, then I can build a...
Customer requests and customer needs are two very different things. UK’s Sinroja Motorcycles are always happy to oblige with customer...
Growing up in India the Sinroja brothers, Rahul and Birju, developed an out of the ordinary love for motorcycles. In...
In full dress, the BMW R1200RT tips the scales at hefty 259kg. This is by no means an ideal starting...
Well, that wraps up yet another year of amazing cafe racer builds from custom workshops and backyard builders around the...
It’s the start of yet another working week. What better way to get through the day than by drooling over...
I can confidently say this is the first time I’ve featured a custom motorcycle that was influenced by Keira Knightley. Jeremy at...
On the dawn of a new year there’s plenty to get excited about. You’ve got another year of riding adventures...
The BMW K1100LT motorcycle, despite being heavy and expensive, had a powerful engine and high-quality components, making it a popular...
“I wanted to create an aggressive cafe racer with a design that separates it from the usual and a line...
High in the northeastern reaches of Italy, you’ll find the Friuli Venezia Giulia region. Bordered by Slovenia and Austria it’s...
Hugo Eccles and the Untitled Motorcycles team are capable of building pretty much whatever they can dream up. Their custom...
Remember in school when you had an exam and there was always that one kid who consistently finished before everyone...
Are you a dreamer or a doer? Prior to 2018 Marcel Galuszka would have labelled himself a dreamer. But when...
The Eleven by Kevil’s Speed Shop in the UK. One of the latest BMW Cafe Racers to roll out of...
As the lines blur between the different styles of custom bike building and builders become more adventurous, it’s getting much...
One of the biggest decisions you’ll make when building your own Cafe Racer, or any style of custom motorcycle for...
Experiences from our youth can have a profound effect on what we do later in life. For Jean-Pierre, it was...
Europe’s largest Cafe Racer event, the Glemseck 101, just took place in Stuttgart, Germany. Now in its 5th year, the...
Sometimes it’s a single detail that defines a build. Just one modification or handmade part that takes a custom motorcycle...
Trust is one of the biggest hurdles for any business. But once it is achieved, success will follow. After amassing...
Shiroh Nakajima is the custom motorcycle engineer and CEO behind Japanese workshop Ritmo Sereno. In this short film Shiroh explains...
Melbourne is arguably the creative hub of Australia. If you’re looking for great food or a cultural experience the city...
Tank Machine was established by Clement Molina back in 2015 following his 18 years of experience working in the motorcycle...
Tucked away in the southeastern forests of Bavaria is the small town of Viechtach. If you look it up on...
Nostalgia can be a powerful motivator. For Joe Loss of Fremantle, Western Australia it started in his teenage years when...
“The Diva project was inspired by BMW motorcycles of twenties, taking their class and elegance and blending it with modern...
Big thanks to Collin Christenbury for sending in these shots he took at the Vintage Motorcycle Races & Show in Elkhart Lake...
Building one-off projects for individual customers has its benefits, but it isn’t the most reliable income model for a custom...
If you’re customising motorcycles in Bavaria it seems only right said motorcycles should be those built by BMW Motorrad. Ralf...
Brazillian workshop Retrorides is the result of forty years of hard work by two generations of the Lourenço family. Nestled...
If you’re into custom motorcycles (which I will assume you are since you’re here) the name Kaichiroh Kurosu and his...
It makes perfect sense that one of the world’s top custom BMW motorcycle builders is based in Germany. Under the...
It all began when Hieronymus spotted an MC club member’s BMW boxer parked on a sidewalk in Paris. Sitting in...
After months of hard work and seemingly endless nights of writing, issue 2 of Tank Moto is now available! Just...
Back in 2017, French builder Ortolani Customs wowed us with his metalworking prowess. His polished Ducati 1199 S earned him...
40 years later the bike is still running (see video below) and still features the original racing seal of the Italian...
One of the many amazing bikes on display at this year’s Handbuilt show in Austin was Dustin Kott’s BMW R80....
What better way to celebrate a motorcycle workshop’s 10 year anniversary than with a build that showcases everything they’re capable...
According to Mark Condon of BikeBiz “Our team really know their bikes, so depending on the customer we can give...
Bill Costello crafted this custom café racer out of a 1981 BMW R100RT, intending to create a sleek urban ride...
Even in the motorcycle world, trends, like all things in life, come and go. The cafe racer scene has seen...
“I had been looking to build a clean, minimalistic BMW cafe racer for a couple of years. The less on...
Everyone has their favorite things in life but only a few of us get to enjoy a career working with them....
“All men’s misfortunes spring from their hatred of being alone“ The sad individual responsible for that quote obviously never had...
BMW’s K100 Sports Tourer is a motorcycle that few people would consider when planning a custom build. Despite it’s 1000cc,...
Could a motorcycle be any more beautiful? This is a fully restored 1934 BMW R7 and it’s the only one...
Mentioning Grand Tourer and cafe racer in the same sentence isn’t something you’ll see me do often. That’s because bikes...
BMW’s stalwart R100 was offered in various guises from 1976 to 1996. The 980cc boxer twins made adequate power, had...
There’s no denying that classic BMW motorcycles make great looking Cafe Racers, but if you’re looking to build a modern...
Sometimes techniques for overcoming adversity are found in unexpected places. Scott Campbell found the solution to his battling his demons...
“We had never transformed a bike with such complex technology before!” Along with having to deal with the bikes modern...
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