Back in 2017, French builder Ortolani Customs wowed us with his metalworking prowess. His polished Ducati 1199 S earned him...
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.
This 1978 BMW R80/7 was modified by Upcycle Motor Garage into a bobber and fitted it with military-spec Firestone tractor...
I bet the last thing Edgar Heinrich and the BMW Motorrad Design team ever expected to see was their behemoth...
Perth’s Kaylan Galloway is a guy who likes to do things the hard way. Probably because he can. A welder...
The Bavarian Cafe of Costa Mesa, California, undertook a cafe racer-style modification of this 1983 BMW R100 around 2013. The...
After a 2 year hiatus, the Munich-based custom motorcycle powerhouse Diamond Atelier is back. Despite big changes in the company’s...
Building custom motorcycles is all about solving problems. This could be working around a modern electrical system, extracting additional horsepower...
I love a good concept bike. An open brief and an aim to push the boundaries, breach new territory and...
The cafe racer in BMW’s R nineT heritage series won hearts with its sleek styling. However, motorcycle journalists brought a...
High in the northeastern reaches of Italy, you’ll find the Friuli Venezia Giulia region. Bordered by Slovenia and Austria it’s...
It all began when Hieronymus spotted an MC club member’s BMW boxer parked on a sidewalk in Paris. Sitting in...
When it debuted, the BMW K1 was Marmite for motorcyclists. They either loved it or hated it. The radical sports...
What better way to celebrate a motorcycle workshop’s 10 year anniversary than with a build that showcases everything they’re capable...
Working with clients can be both challenging and rewarding. When Ønix Design’s latest customer, a doctor from Valencia, brought his...
One of the biggest decisions you’ll make when building your own Cafe Racer, or any style of custom motorcycle for...
The BMW K1100LT motorcycle, despite being heavy and expensive, had a powerful engine and high-quality components, making it a popular...
The bike started out as a fully faired stock ’95 BMW R100 that Junior agreed to customise for his newly...
Upcycle Garage designed and built two cafe racers, and this custom BMW motorcycle is one of them. It was originally...
This 1983 BMW R100 was transformed into a cafe racer by Untitled Motorcycles in San Francisco, California. Throughout the process,...
There’s no denying that classic BMW motorcycles make great looking Cafe Racers, but if you’re looking to build a modern...
This 1975 BMW R75/6 underwent a three-year transformation into a cafe racer. The bike is finished in metallic silver with...
Shiroh Nakajima is the custom motorcycle engineer and CEO behind Japanese workshop Ritmo Sereno. In this short film Shiroh explains...
Everyone has their favorite things in life but only a few of us get to enjoy a career working with them....
40 years later the bike is still running (see video below) and still features the original racing seal of the Italian...
Adrián Campos and the team at Valencia’s Bolt Motor Co. are set to finish their 50th build sometime during 2021....
When someone describes a bike as a clean build you usually expect it to be something pretty special and I...
There are few motorcycle engines as iconic as BMW Motorrad’s flat twin ‘Boxer’. Renowned for their bulletproof reliability the Boxer...
Experiences from our youth can have a profound effect on what we do later in life. For Jean-Pierre, it was...
One of the many amazing bikes on display at this year’s Handbuilt show in Austin was Dustin Kott’s BMW R80....
From building show cars to display at the hallowed halls of the Las Vegas Sema show to tinkering on Honda...
After months of hard work and seemingly endless nights of writing, issue 2 of Tank Moto is ! Just like...
Introducing the remarkable BMW R Nine T Sport Custom, a unique motorcycle that underwent an extensive two-year transformation, requiring substantial...
The compact, muscular R1200R with it’s classic, flat twin engine and naked design was the perfect starting point, but it...
“The Diva project was inspired by BMW motorcycles of twenties, taking their class and elegance and blending it with modern...
“All men’s misfortunes spring from their hatred of being alone“ The sad individual responsible for that quote obviously never had...
“We are first and foremost designers, we don’t consider ourselves as ‘builders’ or mechanics. We customize and have enough contacts...
The majority of the weight dropped from the Saline R9T can be attributed to the use of aluminium. Saline’s new tail,...
If you’re considering attempting to turn any kind of tourer into a cafe racer you’re going to have your work...
Plam Werks, located in Hendersonville, North Carolina, undertook the customization of this remarkable 1993 BMW R100R motorcycle. The bike underwent...
The quality of the home built Cafe Racers being submitted by our readers continues to astound us. This exceptional bike...
This BMW R100 has been transformed by Kevil’s Speed Shop, a Torquay-based motorcycle tuning house and cafe racer specialist. The...
The bar has definitely been raised in the custom motorcycle scene. If you’re planning on impressing anyone a bolt-on seat,...
Repeat customers are the bread and butter of every business. Unfortunately, for some businesses, such as custom motorcycle builders, most...
After a 70mph spill this BMW Boxer was in no state to be ridden. The bikes wheels, forks and engine...
The 1978 BMW R80/7 showcases a polished fuel tank complementing its black frame. It is equipped with a 797cc boxer...
“A gentleman from Missouri contacted me through my H Garage website inquiring about a build using either a newer model...
There’s no denying that Guzzis and BWMs have the biggest, bulkiest looking engines of all the motorcycle manufacturers (not to...
Tucked away in the southeastern forests of Bavaria is the small town of Viechtach. If you look it up on...
The year is 1973 and Bavarian Motor Works has just celebrated their 50th anniversary. In addition, they’ve also just completed...
We have a serious soft spot for BMW cafe racers but we’re also big fans of Scrambler styled Beemers. There’s...
When it comes to building custom bikes, taking the path less travelled is never the easy option. Sure, cafe racers...
Why let a little Snow stop you from getting out on your motorcycle? Here’s Blitz motorcycles solution to your winter blues....
The transformation of this 1984 BMW K100RT into a cafe racer was a meticulous five-month project. The bike now exudes...
I’ve always loved the use of wood in cars. When I was young a neighbor converted an old ’30s Chevy into...
Lord Drake Kustoms, a motorcycle customization workshop in Malaga, transformed a 1984 BMW R65 into a cafe racer style for...
For more than a decade I’ve stayed true to this websites cafe racer theme. I can assure you this was...
Remember in school when you had an exam and there was always that one kid who consistently finished before everyone...
Stumbled across this 1961 BMW R69s Cafe Racer named “The Bull” today. It’s a strange combination of parts but it...
HellGate Moto in New York City has transformed this 1995 BMW K1100 into a stunning cafe racer. The bike features...
Bill Costello crafted this custom café racer out of a 1981 BMW R100RT, intending to create a sleek urban ride...
Here’s a little something to get you through another night glued to the couch. Our latest instalment of the Sunday...
Big thanks to Collin Christenbury for sending in these shots he took at the Vintage Motorcycle Races & Show in Elkhart Lake...
BMW struck a chord in the custom motorcycle scene when they released the R Nine T. Powered by a bulletproof...
“We had never transformed a bike with such complex technology before!” Along with having to deal with the bikes modern...
Last week we featured a very tidy BMW K1100 LT cafe racer by Anthony LoGalbo of New York based workshop...
This customized motorcycle was created by The Old Boys Motorcycle Workshop using a standard K75 that had been left unused...
Back in 2013 BMW Motorrad celebrated the 40th anniversary of the legendary BMW R 90 S with the unveiling of...
Another cool motorcycling video brought to you by The Selvedge Yard. If you can get past the Bourne Identity-esque erratic...
This BMW R100R underwent an extensive modification process to enhance its performance and aesthetics. The modifications included refinishing the wire-spoke...
A few years ago, James would hear his neighbor start up his old BMW, and after numerous conversations, he was...
Ok I know it’s getting ridiculous now. Yet another BMW based Cafe Racer. This is the last one for...
Zweiradwerke is a BMW Motorrad authorized dealership and moto cafe in the Bavarian city of Rosenheim. Their headquarters offers a...
It’s the start of yet another working week. What better way to get through the day than by drooling over...
Unless you’re buying a Harley-Davidson most dealerships don’t offer much in the way of customisation at the time of sale....
Christian Boosen runs 86 Gear Motorcycles, a custom motorcycle shop in Warsaw, Poland. Growing up alongside the Dutch border in...
I’ve never had the urge to eat a motorcycle before but this latest build from Jerikan looks delicious. For some...
Growing up in India the Sinroja brothers, Rahul and Birju, developed an out of the ordinary love for motorcycles. In...
Building a custom motorcycle means owning a one-of-a-kind machine. A unique, personal expression that merges your individual style with performance...
I recently became acquainted with Maximiliaan van Kuyk of Maverick motorcycles. Max and his brothers stumbled into the Cafe Racer...
Imagine this scenario: A bike magazine hands you a box-fresh 1978 BMW R100RS and the concept rendering for a fantastic,...
Sometimes it’s a single detail that defines a build. Just one modification or handmade part that takes a custom motorcycle...
After the success of his first custom bike series, Fran Manen of Lord Drake Kustoms knew he was on to...
This BMW R Nine T is a customized retro-inspired sportbike turned café racer. It is equipped with a 1,170cc air-cooled...
This happens when one of the world’s most creative custom workshops decides that they need to customise their shop bike....
This BMW R Nine T is a retro-inspired sports bike that has been significantly customized to create the original ‘PC.02’...
The Kustom Moto team has transformed this 1992 BMW K1100 into a modern cafe racer, complete with a powerful 100+...
Could a motorcycle be any more beautiful? This is a fully restored 1934 BMW R7 and it’s the only one...
Of all the bike reviews I’ve done, handing the keys back for the BMW R Nine T has been the...
The latest instalment of the Batman movie series directed by Matt Reeves is due to hit US cinema screens in...
It makes perfect sense that one of the world’s top custom BMW motorcycle builders is based in Germany. Under the...
The greatest gift a father can give his son is to believe in him. Wido Veldkamp is an industrial design...
This 1985 BMW R80 underwent modifications, including refinishing the fuel tank and frame in black, fitting a shortened rear subframe...
On the dawn of a new year there’s plenty to get excited about. You’ve got another year of riding adventures...
Jeffry Sol’s BMW R nineT has been somewhat of a social media sensation since it was unveiled at the Big...
As 2014 comes to an end I thought I’d take a (close up) look at some of the incredible work...
When he’s not fabricating parts for submarines (Yes, you read that right) David Manchester is building bespoke furniture or helping...
“This project kicked off with a stock 1982 BMW R45 that had laid dormant in our client’s garage for almost...
The BMW R nineT, part of BMW’s Heritage line, is a classically styled café racer that seamlessly combines vintage and...
As Mark Twain so eloquently put it “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work...
