Looking back over the last 11 years of running this website the thing I’ve enjoyed the most is seeing workshops...
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.
In our opinion there’s nothing better than when a talented photographer turns his camera’s attention to classic motorbikes. These shots...
When a builder chooses to convert a tourer into a cafe racer it’s always a bit of a surprise to...
The Digimoto project was a collaboration between industrial designer Christian Zanzotti, product development agency Greydev and BMW aftermarket experts Wunderlich....
The year is 1973 and Bavarian Motor Works has just celebrated their 50th anniversary. In addition, they’ve also just completed...
“The Diva project was inspired by BMW motorcycles of twenties, taking their class and elegance and blending it with modern...
I’ve written articles about thousands of custom motorcycles, but every so often a bike crosses my radar that’s unlike anything...
Growing up in India the Sinroja brothers, Rahul and Birju, developed an out of the ordinary love for motorcycles. In...
This 1985 BMW R80 underwent modifications, including refinishing the fuel tank and frame in black, fitting a shortened rear subframe...
One of the hardest parts of a custom bike build is deciding when it’s done. This same problem applies to...
This BMW R Nine T is a retro-inspired sports bike that has been significantly customized to create the original ‘PC.02’...
When it debuted, the BMW K1 was Marmite for motorcyclists. They either loved it or hated it. The radical sports...
Shiroh Nakajima is the custom motorcycle engineer and CEO behind Japanese workshop Ritmo Sereno. In this short film Shiroh explains...
Zweiradwerke is a BMW Motorrad authorized dealership and moto cafe in the Bavarian city of Rosenheim. Their headquarters offers a...
I love a good concept bike. An open brief and an aim to push the boundaries, breach new territory and...
It’s been less than 6 months since we featured the Le Bouterollier BMW R60/7 and Jean-Pierre is back with yet...
It all began when Hieronymus spotted an MC club member’s BMW boxer parked on a sidewalk in Paris. Sitting in...
The custom motorcycle world has been full of collaborations in the past few years. Manufacturers have recognised the influence custom...
Back in 2013 BMW Motorrad celebrated the 40th anniversary of the legendary BMW R 90 S with the unveiling of...
Tank Machine was established by Clement Molina back in 2015 following his 18 years of experience working in the motorcycle...
At first glance, you could be forgiven for assuming this custom motorcycle is based on a model from BMW Motorrad’s...
Introducing the BMW K1100, a remarkable cafe racer-style motorcycle that pays homage to the legendary Bavarian ‘Flying Brick’. This particular...
Building one-off projects for individual customers has its benefits, but it isn’t the most reliable income model for a custom...
Adrián Campos and the team at Valencia’s Bolt Motor Co. are set to finish their 50th build sometime during 2021....
Back in 2012 four like-minded friends decided enough was enough. Driven by their desire to build and ride custom bikes...
It’s the start of yet another working week. What better way to get through the day than by drooling over...
Here’s a little something to get you through another night glued to the couch. Our latest instalment of the Sunday...
HellGate Moto in New York City has transformed this 1995 BMW K1100 into a stunning cafe racer. The bike features...
“The most elaborate and beautiful K100 we have ever built” For this unique collaboration, VTR Customs ironically chose a...
The BMW, which belongs to a friend of Weston, was originally introduced into the family by his ‘Uncle Lou’ and...
Back in 2017, French builder Ortolani Customs wowed us with his metalworking prowess. His polished Ducati 1199 S earned him...
This is a 1993 BMW R100R that was customized by Plam Werks in North Carolina. It has a metallic blue...
Daniel Delfour, an experienced violin maker, decided to channel his artistic sensibility into crafting a truly extraordinary motorcycle. Combining a...
After a 2 year hiatus, the Munich-based custom motorcycle powerhouse Diamond Atelier is back. Despite big changes in the company’s...
We’ve all had a gut full of 2020 and I’m sure most people would agree they’ll be glad to see...
Cognito Moto, based in Richmond, Virginia, revamped a 1971 BMW R75/5 into a striking “brat tracker.” The motorcycle showcases a...
One of the biggest decisions you’ll make when building your own Cafe Racer, or any style of custom motorcycle for...
If you’re considering attempting to turn any kind of tourer into a cafe racer you’re going to have your work...
I’ve always loved the use of wood in cars. When I was young a neighbor converted an old ’30s Chevy into...
Building custom motorcycles is all about solving problems. This could be working around a modern electrical system, extracting additional horsepower...
As BMW Motorrad put it, the R9T Racer is “Style in the fast lane.” It’s a fitting statement for this...
Established in 2002 the K-Speed business is spread over 12 stores around Thailand with its head quarters in Bangkok. Eak...
For more than a decade I’ve stayed true to this websites cafe racer theme. I can assure you this was...
BMW Boxers have been all the rage in the custom motorcycle scene for years. Renowned for their bulletproof reliability and...
Remember in school when you had an exam and there was always that one kid who consistently finished before everyone...
Customer requests and customer needs are two very different things. UK’s Sinroja Motorcycles are always happy to oblige with customer...
The cafe racer in BMW’s R nineT heritage series won hearts with its sleek styling. However, motorcycle journalists brought a...
“We are first and foremost designers, we don’t consider ourselves as ‘builders’ or mechanics. We customize and have enough contacts...
Years later I managed to scrape together enough to buy my first road bike, get my license sorted and I...
This great video featuring musician/songwriter/producer Butch Walker was pulled together by Mann-made Pictures for Cafe Racer TV. Butch talks about...
40 years later the bike is still running (see video below) and still features the original racing seal of the Italian...
Some people profess to being obsessed by a brand because they own 2 or 3 things said brand has made....
The bike started out as a fully faired stock ’95 BMW R100 that Junior agreed to customise for his newly...
I’ve seen enough BMW cafe racer builds to last a lifetime. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to see any...
I once said that the 1934 BMW R7 was one of the most beautiful motorcycles ever made, and I still...
Perth’s Kaylan Galloway is a guy who likes to do things the hard way. Probably because he can. A welder...
The compact, muscular R1200R with it’s classic, flat twin engine and naked design was the perfect starting point, but it...
It’s not every day you find yourself handing out an award at one of the world’s most prestigious custom automotive...
Giorgio De Angelis of ‘De Angelis Elaborazioni’ prides himself in turning old BMWs into performance focused customs. Throughout his childhood,...
Another cool motorcycling video brought to you by The Selvedge Yard. If you can get past the Bourne Identity-esque erratic...
I recently became acquainted with Maximiliaan van Kuyk of Maverick motorcycles. Max and his brothers stumbled into the Cafe Racer...
Building a custom motorcycle means owning a one-of-a-kind machine. A unique, personal expression that merges your individual style with performance...
The BMW R nineT, part of BMW’s Heritage line, is a classically styled café racer that seamlessly combines vintage and...
The Interceptor may be an unexpected development from Radical Ducati, but it certainly isn’t a disappointment. They’ve created a high...
Trust is one of the biggest hurdles for any business. But once it is achieved, success will follow. After amassing...
Plam Werks, located in Hendersonville, North Carolina, undertook the customization of this remarkable 1993 BMW R100R motorcycle. The bike underwent...
Sometimes techniques for overcoming adversity are found in unexpected places. Scott Campbell found the solution to his battling his demons...
Every so often a custom motorcycle appears in my inbox that is so unique it stops me in my tracks....
The 2012 Bonneville Speed Week is wrapping up for another year. Thankfully it looks like we’ll be seeing a lot...
This 1978 BMW R80/7 was modified by Upcycle Motor Garage into a bobber and fitted it with military-spec Firestone tractor...
For many years the United States was the biggest source of inspiration for custom motorcycle builders around the world. Then...
It makes perfect sense that one of the world’s top custom BMW motorcycle builders is based in Germany. Under the...
“A Scottish businessman reached out to us after seeing our bikes. He asked us to customise his own brand new...
Two motorcycle obsessed friends building bikes for a living. It sounds like the perfect life to be living. This is...
Christian Boosen runs 86 Gear Motorcycles, a custom motorcycle shop in Warsaw, Poland. Growing up alongside the Dutch border in...
This BMW R100 has been transformed by Kevil’s Speed Shop, a Torquay-based motorcycle tuning house and cafe racer specialist. The...
Upcycle Garage designed and built two cafe racers, and this custom BMW motorcycle is one of them. It was originally...
The Kustom Moto team has transformed this 1992 BMW K1100 into a modern cafe racer, complete with a powerful 100+...
This 1983 BMW R80ST has undergone a series of modifications to enhance its performance and aesthetics. It now boasts an...
Working with clients can be both challenging and rewarding. When Ønix Design’s latest customer, a doctor from Valencia, brought his...
There’s no denying that Guzzis and BWMs have the biggest, bulkiest looking engines of all the motorcycle manufacturers (not to...
We have a serious soft spot for BMW cafe racers but we’re also big fans of Scrambler styled Beemers. There’s...
If you’re customising motorcycles in Bavaria it seems only right said motorcycles should be those built by BMW Motorrad. Ralf...
This customized motorcycle was created by The Old Boys Motorcycle Workshop using a standard K75 that had been left unused...
The transformation of this 1984 BMW K100RT into a cafe racer was a meticulous five-month project. The bike now exudes...
You may remember the somewhat controversial Buell Norton Manx I featured a couple of months ago? Well it’s back and it’s...
“As the story goes my first word was ‘car’ rather than ‘mummy’. I’m not so sure whether this is the...
Imagine this scenario: A bike magazine hands you a box-fresh 1978 BMW R100RS and the concept rendering for a fantastic,...
This lovely BMW R 100 named the “Earl Grey” is currently up for sale through Urban Moto in Germany for...
It’s been almost 10 years since BMW Motorrad released the R nineT. Technologically the Boxer-powered Roadster wasn’t anything groundbreaking. Its...
This 1981 BMW R100RT underwent modifications, including rebuilding the air-cooled 980cc opposed twin and installing a custom quarter fairing, electrical...
This 1977 BMW R75/7 was transformed into a cafe racer, featuring modifications such as a carbon-fiber cafe-style bump seat and...
Why let a little Snow stop you from getting out on your motorcycle? Here’s Blitz motorcycles solution to your winter blues....
As Mark Twain so eloquently put it “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work...
When it comes to building custom bikes, taking the path less travelled is never the easy option. Sure, cafe racers...
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...
Our friends over at Cognito Moto have been toiling away on their latest custom BMW R75 project. The project was...
BMW’s stalwart R100 was offered in various guises from 1976 to 1996. The 980cc boxer twins made adequate power, had...
