The ‘airhead’ flat twin boxers and R-series motorcycles are great choices for BMW cafe racer projects. More recently, we’ve seen the rise of modern-day specials based on the BMW R nineT, which was designed to be easily customized, with a bolt-on subframe and modular electrical system.
Here you’ll find traditional 60s-style cafe racers based on the BMW R75 and R100, plus neo-retro builds based on newer models including the K100 ‘flying brick’.
It’s a good starting point to find the parts, seats and performance upgrades that’ll take your own BMW to the next level—and get inspiration from other BMW cafe racer builders on the custom scene.
There’s no denying the popularity of the classic BMW boxer—but it does have its idiosyncrasies. Perhaps the most infamous of these is the way its fuel tank leans one way, while its substantial engine block leans another. This visual disharmony didn’t sit well with Earth Motorcycles. Faced with a 1987 BMW R80RT and a client…
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What is it that makes BMW motorcycles the perfect canvas for customization? Is it the visual distinctiveness of powerplants like the no-nonsense airheads or the outlandishly equipped K-series? Or possibly the rigorous engineering that makes these platforms stand the test of time. Whatever the cause, BMWs are a staple of the custom scene, and the…
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Six cylinders, 1,649 cubic centimeters, 113 liters of storage space, and more electronic aids than you can shake a stick at; the BMW K1600 GTL is a high-tech behemoth, built to devour miles in supreme comfort. It’s the first bike we’d pick for a cross-country trip, grinning widely as its six inline pistons spool up…
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High-end custom motorcycles are a joy to ogle, but owning them is often beyond the reach of us mere mortals. Not everyone has the skill or time to build pinnacle-level custom, nor the money to commission one. The average rider is more likely to see a custom bike they like, and then look at how…
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With roughly 2.7 million people living in Brooklyn, New York, the serendipitous tale of this BMW R100R café racer stands out as…
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As the founder of Spain’s 72 Cycles Performance, and one-half of the collaborative outfit 72 HKG Performance, Antonio Rodriguez has developed an…
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Diamond Atelier impresses with an uber-slick BMW boxer built for the race track, while Japan’s Infiniti Motorcycle builds a stunning Harley-Davidson bobber.…
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Building a café racer with an older motorcycle usually involves two phases; getting the bike running, and customizing it. And if the…
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Batman swooped onto the pages of DC Comics 85 years ago, but it would take 19 years for the Caped Crusader to…
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Although the BMW R nineT was originally designed as a throwback to classic BMW boxers, it’s always had a modern edge. That…
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No motorcycle encapsulates the vibe of 90s BMW sport tourers quite like the BMW K1100RS. It had everything—three-spoke wheels, triangular bodywork, and…
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Jérémie Duchampt is a dab hand at building slick café racers—a fact that he’s proven time and time again. The proprietor of…
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