Not another Cafe Racer! BMW R100 Project

[Holdawayt]

I needed something to distract me after losing my Dad in a car accident back in 2018. Speed was a contributing factor in the accident (the speeding party hit and run my Dad's car) and at the time I was enjoying putting on my best Power Ranger leathers and darting through the Shropshire countryside on my Yamaha R6.

https://i.imgur.com/POesvtc.jpg

As fun as it was, after the accident I lost all desire to go fast on the roads, and sold the R6 shortly after. I had seen a few cafe racer builds on Instagram and fancied a project, plus the slow and steady "poser" approach seemed ideal to get me back on a bike but with far less temptation to kill myself. At 28 I was due a quarter-life crisis too.

With some cash burning a hole in my pocket I came across this 1983 BMW R100RT which was in remarkable condition. The old boy I bought it from had a wonderful collection of old British bikes and he had looked after the BMW as if it was a 1960's Norton.
I had no end goal in mind really, and I felt slightly guilty about chopping such a clean donor bike up so I decided to ride it for a bit first to figure out what I wanted to change and what was staying.

https://i.imgur.com/N7lbxnb.jpg

After a month of riding the bike, I wrote out a list of jobs I wanted to tackle and so the strip down began. The Brembo brakes lacked bite, I felt the bike was bulky and in my opinion it lacked character.
At this point I should probably point out that if you're a BMW purist or one of these people who hate modified bikes - click the "x" on the top of the screen and stop reading... I got a bit carried away.
All in all though I was happy with the bike and so I started removing the fairings so that I could get the bike through my house and into my workshop.

https://i.imgur.com/xXEZwkZ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/y3uE72Z.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/7ZzDh7X.jpg

It wasn't long before I decided to go a bit further with this bike than I had originally planned. I've never liked the BMW R series custom builds that still have their original forks. I think the boxer engine and the "masculine" lines of the tank call for something more beefy up front and the standard forks look a bit weedy.
Cue a spontaneous GSXR 750 K8 fork and brake set up purchase and a lot of research into getting them to fit.

https://i.imgur.com/lZRR1Nm.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ngbUjP0.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/GpPomJe.jpg

You can see how much bigger the discs are here

https://i.imgur.com/xCzEHXA.jpg

[Holdawayt]

Next was the rear end.
I had tried to keep it simple and bought a subframe and cowl from the internet but after fitting it, I really wasn't happy with how it looked.

https://i.imgur.com/Z7jta3T.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/kx4Nh0A.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/fa9zmEi.jpg

I decided to cut and weld the original subframe instead, the Mrs got stuck in too This soon led to me sculpting the "hump" of the cowl by hand in foam. This was to be fibreglassed and eventually painted.

https://i.imgur.com/vhPt5BX.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/0tMAyRR.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/DnZxTeq.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/MWuDG32.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/bYz4O8o.jpg

I got to this point and realised it still looked shit, I was losing patience and found out I was having a daughter in March 2021. So that was my deadline.

Here is subframe and seat combo number 3:

https://i.imgur.com/DaOnJFw.jpg

[Holdawayt]

I was never happy with the riding position of the R100. I decided rearsets was the way to go, so ordered some Flatracer jobbies and got them installed.

https://i.imgur.com/1pyJVmS.jpg

After this there wasn't really much left to do but strip it all down ready to get the frame powdercoated. While it was in bits I cleaned up the engine and gave it a lick of paint

https://i.imgur.com/NzWQIQF.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/9SEodzA.jpg

Here it is installed in the newly powdercoated frame

https://i.imgur.com/ND9MzKg.jpg

And an hour or so later

https://i.imgur.com/93xgNck.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/bdSFI0x.jpg

[Holdawayt]

The wheels were sent for a coat of gloss black

https://i.imgur.com/MO1aUNr.jpg

Then it was time to wire the bike up.
I'm sure a lot of you have come across the Motogadget M-unit Blue before so I won't go into too much detail. But this little box removes all of the fuses, relays and 90% of the wiring needed to run the bike. It also connects to your phone via bluetooth which means my phone is my ignition key. It comes with an alarm and tracker built in too. Top bit of kit!

https://i.imgur.com/vpE10gS.jpg

I'm skipping a lot here but I had the tank painted, fitted the clip on bars and installed my switches, new shocks, cables and throttle. At this point the bike was pretty much done.

https://i.imgur.com/omEunmx.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/IqZkmYz.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/u2S87nw.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/sRapM3V.jpg

The bike passed its MOT and I've now had 300 miles of shakedown riding with no issues other than my reg plate falling off. I'll update this as I go, but as I mentioned earlier in the thread, I now have a newborn and I've had to type this whole thing with her on my lap.

I have missed shit loads from this, the only thing left standard is the engine, running gear and wheels. If you have any questions about anything in particular please fire away and I'll try to go into more detail.

Thanks for reading so far,

Tom.

[arry]

I'm trying desperately not to like it as I've been all over the eBay's miserablist bikes thread saying how I hate hipster builds.


But I can't find hate for that at all - like it far more than I thought I ever could. Top work

[Holdawayt]

[Holdawayt]

Oh and before anybody mentions it - there will be a front mudguard!!
It's been painted and I'm just waiting for my friend to run the mounting bits through his cnc machine. Then I'll weld it all up.

I understand that the level of fuckery that some bike builders have stooped to means that bikes like this now carry a stigma for being utter shite. And don't get me wrong, it's very niche indeed.
But I've tried to do everything properly on this one, had everything inspected along the way and I don't think I've gone too mad with the mods. Afterall, I intend to ride it and I can't imagine doing more than 20 miles on some of the abominations found on eBay.

[Weisse Schlange]

Nice build, but I have to say it's a pity it wasn't a restoration. The standard bike would be my choice, but like I say , I enjoy a talented build as much as the next person.


On the subject of speed and you're being put off it. You should have though of it as bad driving that caused it, not speed.

Speed is fine if the situation is appropriate. It's a shame when folk give stuff up because other people are mindless scum.

Anyhoo, if you should decide to hard tail it with 12" overs, well ! ,,,
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Hing Oan

[Keithy]

The Shropshire countryside is still here, get that bike out there

[A100man]

Like 'arry I'm no fan of this type of conversion - often due to the slap-dash and uneducated conversions that are posted on 'ebay's most miserable..' However the quality of the work looks good as does the quality of the components used so fair play on that score.
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Now: A100, GT250A, XJ598, FZ750

Then: Fizz, RS200, KL250, XJ550, Laverda Alpina, XJ600, FZS600

[A100man]

[jeffyjeff]

Looks like an airhead RnineT pure with a fender eliminator kit. Like what you did with the front fairing removal and headlight conversion. The ass end looks a little out of balance with the front, but then it does so on the RnineT as well. Appears to be quality work and a fun ride. Congratulations on a nice build.
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History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men - BOC

[WD Forte]

I liked it the way it was.
Now its just another fair weather cafe racer to me
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bikers smell of wee

[Bhud]

I kind of preferred it when it had its own late 70s/early 80s style, and told a story of its own. It was interesting, and a real head-turner. I'm not sure why you didn't choose a Bandit or Diversion for this project, and instead made the unmodified BMW boxer tourers ones even more valuable by doing this to yours.

[Holdawayt]

[Bhud]

[Holdawayt]

[photoman]

I have seen many style changes to old BMW Boxers and none of them came up to looking like the original item. These old girls in good fettle are fetching silly, no make that stupid money, so you have just thrown away part of the grand children's inheritance.

A 1979 R100RT in red Metallic in about the same condition as yours recently fetched over £9000 in a motor auction. What you have now would not get anywhere near that.

I do like the treatment you have given to the engine and gearbox crank casing though, it will be much easier to keep clean but taking a grinder and a hacksaw to the frame and other cycle bits is an absolute travesty.

I am so disappointed I'm off to have another drink!

[yen_powell]

[A100man]

[yen_powell]

[Holdawayt]