They say once you experience German engineering, you never go back. And this is certainly true of BMW Motorrad’s legendary motorcycles. BMWs feature unique flat-twin boxer engines, unmistakable style, and renowned mechanics that must live up to Berlin-level performance standards.
Launched in 1923, BMW has long been lauded for its line of airhead engines (1969–1995). The well-known R nineT and R80 series of Beemers (among others) have become the basis for quite a few masterful builds covered on these pages.
When one of Spain’s most legendary goalkeepers wanted a hot steed based on a BMW K series ‘brick,’ he knew just the team to call: Bolt Motor Co. of Valencia. Andrés Palop, known for his penalty-stopping prowess at Sevilla FC, approached Bolt boss Adrián Campos with a simple brief for a custom build; clean lines,…
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In the premier league of custom builders, Diamond Atelier’s place is secure. The sleek creations of the Munich workshop look better than most factory-built show bikes—and they’re perfectly usable too. But Tom Konecny and Pablo Steigleder don’t just design one-offs. Their ‘Mark II’ BMW café racers are in limited production, offering a faster and more…
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There’s a lot to be said for elegance and subtlety. And there’s also a time and place for going completely over the top. Dani Weidmann and his crew at the Swiss shop VTR Customs can play it both ways. This time, they’ve turned the volume up to 11 and built a BMW R nineT that’s…
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We’re always on the hunt for custom motorcycles that push boundaries. So if you’re going to tread familiar territory, you better do an exceptional job of it. This right here is a classic BMW cafe racer—a genre that’s quite frankly been done to death. But unlike ninety percent of the airhead cafés we see, this…
Read more »The custom scene event calendar has boomed over the last few years. For fans like us, it means more opportunities to bask…
Read more »We’ve seen so many bad BMW customs—and sketchy bobbers—that hearing both words in one sentence makes us nervous. But the Estonian outfit…
Read more »Vagabund Moto have built some of the sharpest BMW airheads we’ve seen. They’ve developed a signature style too: custom boxers with stark,…
Read more »A pair of BMW R NineT customs channeling the past and the future, a glorious Rickman Metisse, and an all-time classic Honda…
Read more »It’s around this time of year that all the top Japanese builders release their latest customs. Many workshops have spent weeks burning…
Read more »We’re in constant awe of the Japanese custom motorcycle scene. Our compadres in the Land of the Rising Sun have an approach…
Read more »Yesterday it felt like the entire custom world was in Yokohama, Japan, for the famous Mooneyes show. Officially called the ‘Hot Rod…
Read more »In the world of custom building, the frame is the bit you leave alone—unless you really know what you are doing. Anyone…
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