Last weekend we officially released issue 7 of Tank Moto. Packed with awesome motorcycle features from around the world this issue showcases eight of the incredible custom bikes we photographed on our recent visit to Indonesia. One workshop we were lucky enough tointerview was the Kickass Choppers garage in Jakarta. Workshop owner Vero (pronounced Fero) is widely recognised as one of Indonesia’s most respected custom builders and his workshop is filled with a plethora of incredible project builds. During our time with Vero we interviewed him about 2 of his current projects, one of which was this BMW R75/S Cafe Racer…
Vero’s BMW R75/S Café Racer was built for a local customer who sourced the bike after he had expressed to him interest in working on a Boxer. When the bike arrived it was decided to keep the frame mostly original and do what he referred to as a “smart modify”, making small changes to create a dramatic new look.
The engine block was blasted clean leaving it with a lightly textured finish that became the starting point for the look of the BMW. The engine covers, air box, triple trees, hubs, rims and guards were consequently stripped raw and brushed to compliment the look of engine cases and tie everything together.
The bikes suspension was changed to a mono-shock set up to reduce clutter and a custom rear wheel arrangement was devised. After careful measurements Vero ordered a blank Akront rim, which he drilled to match the spoke pattern on the BMW’s shaft drive hub and a fatter, 4.25 inch Coker Diamond tyre was added.
To “buff up” the stock BMW forks Vero’s team fabricated a set of custom alloy fork sleeves to slot beneath the Telefix clipons and a fork brace was added to stiffen the handling of front end. The top clamp was shaved clean and vintage style Raask rear sets were used to replace the stock BMW foot controls.
With these changes in place the proportions of the bike had already dramatically changed so Vero went “mild” with the rest of the mods. A universal Café Racer styled tail section was mounted to match the top line of the fuel tank, positioning the rider in a higher, more aggressive sports bike riding position. To fill the space beneath the seat he then fabricated the high mounted stainless steel exhaust and mufflers, adding alloy heat shields to protect the rider’s legs.
As Vero explained, “If you get the proportions right you can use almost any finish or paint scheme and it will look good”. Once Vero was satisfied with the bikes stance the owner advised his colour choice of blue and the tank and tail were prepped for paint. To match the look of the rest of the bike Vero went with a satin finish, metallic paint, which he broke up with cream panels similar to the colour scheme of the BMW’s emblem. It’s a killer looking Café Racer and to quote Vero’s own words I think it’s “smart modified” exemplified.
For more images and the story of Vero and his Kickass Choppers workshop grab a copy of Tank Moto issue 7 here.
