A set of black handlebars from a K100RS were the first purchase soon followed by brown grips and a Monza style fuel cap for the original R100 tank. Then came the biggest expense of the build, a pair of Megaton mufflers and a new, retro styled taillight. As he’d hoped amongst the parts that came with the bike Hieronymus found a tail section with a 3/4 seat amongst them. After a local shop reupholstered the seat it was decided the tail would become the focus of the build. Rather than chopping the frame short he’d keep it long and the new tail section added to give the bike a sharper line.
Meanwhile Mark the Blacksmith tore the Beemer down and took to its fenders with a grinder. With the bike apart the engine and rims were treated to a fresh coat of satin black powdercoat and the exhaust was wrapped in preparation for re-fitting. Firestone Deluxe Champion rubber was wrapped around the bikes rare 6 spoke rims and a ‘Danger de Mort’ (Danger of Death) sign borrowed from an electricity pole in the south of France was added to the battery strap. For braking upgrades the boys then added twin Brembo brakes up front and a single in the rear. With these changes completed the bike was rebuilt, adding the reupholstered tail end and tinting the headlight for one last styling tweak.
Hieronymus admits he didn’t take a traditional design approach with his Cafe Racer, but he did manage to finish it within his budget. Best of all his dream of having a cool ride to cruise on has been accomplished.
When you’ve been bitten by the bike bug anything is possible! You may not have the skills, the time, the money or the know how, but when you’ve got your heart set on rocking your own custom ride, all of these challenges can be overcome. Hieronymus Evers wanted his own Cafe Racer to carve up the streets of Amsterdam. After visiting local garages and custom shops it quickly became apparent that enlisting their help was financially unviable so he’d have to approach his BMW build a bit differently…
