BMW

Vagabund V12 BMW R100 RT May Looks Like a Monster, But It’s Fully Street Legal

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com The now defunct BMW R100 line, debuted by German bike maker BMW in 1976, went down in history as the last line of the air-cooled airheads produced by the Bavarians. While on the market, the family included a wide variety of models, and enough of them were made over the years for the breed to still be around today. Most of the R100s now in existence are closer to the scrap yard than an actual road, however. But that’s how we see them, because custom garages have an entirely different view of the bike’s potential. We’ve already seen what the French can do when they get their hands on such two-wheelers when we talked about builds like the Blitz Naso Nero, or the Black Ops, or the Green Beret. But how about an Austrian take on the R100? A local shop that goes by the name Vagabund has an entirely different approach than the French when it comes to converting Bimmer bikes. Instead of tracking down parts and adapting them for whatever build they’re working on, Vagabund went the high-tech way and turned to 3D printing. The motorcycle you see in the gallery above once was a 1994 BMW R100 RT, but careful tuning and customizing turned it into something called V12. And despite its menacing looks, the build is “100% street legal.” Completely different than what BMW had in mind when it first made this motorcycle, the V12 features a host of 3D-made parts: the fork cover (with integrated turn signals), rear end, handlebar controls, housings for indicator lights and headlight, all have been created from scrap and to exact specifications to fit the bike. All these elements, although quite visible, do not however stand out as much as the rear wheel, completely covered […]

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Future Of Connected, Autonomous, Shared, And Electric Performance Motor Bikes – The BMW Motorrad Way

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by Sarwant Singh from https://www.forbes.com In 2023, BMW Motorrad will be celebrating a landmark event: its centenary as a motorcycle manufacturer. But it wasn’t really the past that interested me in my interview with BMW Motorrad CEO, Dr. Markus Schramm. It was more about understanding how this venerated German brand is engaging with the future. How is it approaching the connected, autonomous, shared and electric (CASE) revolution? What plans does this standard-bearer of all things innovative have in store to negotiate the next 100 years? While the experiments of four wheeler manufacturers with CASE technologies have been well documented, there’s not been as much buzz about the progress made by their two wheeler counterparts. It was quite revealing, therefore, to get a perspective on how CASE is making motorcycles smarter, safer and (dare I say it?) sexier. In essence, we are talking of a whole new generation of bikes that weld performance, comfort and safety to take driving experiences to a completely different level. To shed light on all this and much more, I turned to the consummate industry insider: Dr. Schramm, a BMW veteran of almost three decades standing whose passion for motorbikes is evident in the way he speaks (and the number of bikes he owns!). Here are some highlights from the interview: Staying Connected “The aim of our intelligent connected motorbikes is to make motorcycling more experience-oriented, more comfortable and also safer.” Connected technologies have exploded among passenger and commercial four wheelers, enabling undreamed of new services, novel ways of engaging with the customer, hyper personalized experiences and lucrative monetization opportunities. But how are they playing out among two wheelers? “Connectivity, assistance systems and the digital services are becoming increasingly important in motorcycling,” said Dr. Schramm. “Features like emergency call (e-Call) or our other connectivity offers are

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1976 BMW R60/7 Is the Olive in Some Popeye’s Dreams

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Sometimes giving an old motorcycle a new identity is as simple as repairing what’s in need of repair, and simply slapping a tank from another bike on the existing frame. At least, this is how simple the crew from Paris-based Blitz Motorcycles make the whole process look. Unlike most moto shops out there, which go to great lengths to make crazy designs, this one has been making a living by restoring beat down, old machines and giving them a new life, possibly under a different name. Their builds are generally simple, lacking all the bells and whistles others like to adorn their bikes with. Case in point the 1976 BMW R60/7 shown in the gallery above, renamed Olive. The bike started off as all others from its range, but got a new engine, 600cc in displacement, because the owner had barely gotten the driver’s license and needed to comply with power output requirements. “We chose the 600 cc engine for this reason, being certain still that once he will be over the first 2 years of riding (and therefore be allowed to ride a more powerful machine), he will stick to this one. For good,” Blitz says about the engine. The entire bike has been rebuilt according to Blitz, as was the engine (it got new carburetors too) and the electric wiring. On top of the frame the tank is no longer a stock BMW one, but a hardware sourced from a Honda CB250. It is because of the color sprayed on this tank that the bike is named Olive. Other modifications made include the thermal wrapping of the exhaust pipes, new Firestone tires, new headlight, Triumph handlebars, and a custom seat. We are not being told how much the build cost to make, or

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BMW R100 R Green Beret Is the Warrior Bike Special Forces Never Used

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com One of the deadliest military forces on the planet, the so-called Green Berets, have a wealth of gear at their disposal to conduct whatever missions Uncle Sam throws at them. But we’re pretty sure they never used this here bike, though. What’s featured in the gallery above is a BMW R100 R from 1994. The R is one of the many variations of the R100 line the Bavarian bike builder begun making in 1976 as its last line of motorcycles powered by air-cooled engines. The line was discontinued in 1996, just two years after this model was manufactured. And by manufactured, we don’t mean as you see it here. What sits before our eyes is the result of customization work conducted by a Paris-based garage that goes by the name Blitz Motorcycles. This group has been responsible for other interesting remakes of older motorcycles, mostly BMWs and Kawasakis. In the case of German bikes, Blitz seems to have a soft spot for military-oriented names. Another build of theirs, also based on the R100 (in GS configuration this time) was called Black Ops. This one here is the Green Beret, named so because it kind of looks like something the American Special Forces soldiers would use while roaming some desert in search of the enemy. Painted in a combination of khaki green and black, the frame hides the original engine, only reconditioned to be better suited for modern-day use. Several bespoke parts were added to the BMW, including mufflers, the black headlight, the rear loop and of course the seat. The most visible change is the fuel tank, of course, which in this case was sourced from a Honda CB 125 S. We are not being told how much the rebuilding of the BMW R100 R

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1983 BMW R100 GS Black Ops Comes With Dented Tank Because It’s Cool

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com When someone asks for a custom build to be made based on either a car or a motorcycle, they usually ask for the finished product to be perfect. For someone living in Florida, perfect does not necessarily mean flawless. The motorcycle in the gallery above was once a stock BMW R100 GS. The R100 line was born in BMW’s stables back in 1976, and was to become the last of the German motorcycles powered by air-cooled engines. In production until 1996, the range grew to include a wide number of models, from the R100 T to the R100 GS, covering an even wider range of customer needs. Because production of these models ended quite some time ago, and BMW bikes are not usually held in such high regard to be preserved for decades, most of them are now basically useless machines. But there are some garages out there that make a buck by bringing these beatdown bikes back to life. One such garage is Paris-based Blitz Motorcycles, which focuses on giving a new purpose to old German motorcycles. Like this R100 GS here. Made at the request of what we understand is an American customer, the bike underwent a major mechanical overhaul that included an engine rebuild, the replacement of the fuel tank, the addition of new parts and, in the end, the renaming into Black Ops. Named so because the garage “wanted this bike to look stealth and mean” it kind of does not live up to the name. After all, such a dark apparition on a road somewhere is bound not to pass unnoticed, and the distinctive dents on the Honda CB350 fuel tank, kept because “this is what we liked about this tank,” sure makes it easy to pick out from a

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Reithofer re-elected chairman of BMW board

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from http://tradearabia.com Dr Norbert Reithofer has been re-elected as the Chairman fo the Supervisory Board of BMW AG at a meeting of the board today. He was earlier re-elected to the Supervisory Board for a mandate period of five years at today’s Annual General Meeting. Reithofer has been associated with BMW AG for more than three decades. He joined the company in 1987 and was Chairman of the Board of Management between 2006 and 2015. He has been Chairman of the Supervisory Board since 2015. The Annual General Meeting also newly elected Anke Schäferkordt to the Supervisory Board for a mandate period of five years. The media manager takes over the seat of Prof Renate Köcher, who stepped down early at the end of this year’s Annual General Meeting in agreement with the Supervisory Board. With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is a leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 31 production and assembly facilities in 15 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries. In 2019, the BMW Group sold over 2.5 million passenger vehicles and more than 175,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2019 was €7.118 billion on revenues amounting to €104.210 billion. As of 31 December 2019, the BMW Group had a workforce of 126,016 employees.

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Naso Nero Is a 1978 BMW R100 RT Disguised as a Honda

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com A body that looks old, but at the same time fit, a big tank on top with Honda all over it, and a combination of British Racing Green and black that makes it look apart. The bike in the gallery above is not a Honda, as the letters on its tank say, but in fact a decades old BMW R100 of the RT variation. BMW started making the R100 line in 1976, and it would become the last line of the air-cooled airheads made by the Germans, with production ending in 1996. The family included a variety of models, starting with the R100 T and ending with the R100 GS. Somewhere in between it’s the RT that entered production in 1978. Despite the misleading looks, the bike in the gallery above is exactly such a motorcycle, born in the first year of production. Its current shape is owed to a long restoration process conducted by a Paris-based garage going by the name of Blitz Motorcycles. The group has made a habit to bring back to life bikes that should have been long ago scrapped, at the request of customers. In this case, the work was perhaps more engaging because it “came to us in a very worn out condition: over 120 000 kms mileage and an aesthetic that was proving it had had a very very long life.” As with most other Blitz restoration projects, this time a full engine rebuild was needed also, to give the motorcycle a new life, as was the fitting of new wiring. Accompanying the mechanical upgrades is a new look for the motorcycle. The main change is, of course, the addition of a Honda tank, but there are also some other fine touches, like the addition of LED blinkers

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1984 BMW R80 RT Black Dot Glows Green in the Dark

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com In the world of custom motorcycles, there are more Harley-Davidsons and custom frames than anything else. Yet there are some builds, based on other motorcycles, that sure deserve their time under the spotlight. Among them is this BMW R80 RT from 1984. Part of the range that was built by the Bavarians for 13 years from 1982 to 1995, it started life as toned down version of the R 100 RT, but was turned into something spectacular at the end of 2019. Responsible for the conversion is a group that goes by the name Blitz Motorcycles. Based in Paris, the garage is just ten years old, but doesn’t shy away from taking on big projects. The Black Dot One, as the finished product is called, was reworked on behalf of a customer. The transformation included everything from an engine rebuild to new looks, all with the goal of giving a retro-modern twist to the aging two-wheeler. “We had one single request from the owner of this machine: he wanted it to make an extra sound, on top of the one made by the engine, and directly connected to the engine rev,” the builders say about the project. “This only one request, which we respected, gave us the Artistic Direction for the whole project : create a futuristic machine, as if we were living in the ’80s.” Riding on CNC machined wheels, it plays around with just three colors: black, LED green, and LED orange. Black is used all around the body, from the parts of the chassis to the rear wheel. The non-color is offset by green LED lights above and below the engine, and as rear and brake light. Orange, also coming from LEDs, is used for the turn signals. Sporting a Honda fuel

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This BMW R nineT doesn’t need a stand but can rest on its belly instead

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by Abhilasha Singh from https://www.financialexpress.com Today’s custom-build feature comes from Zillers Garage in Russia and there are more than one reasons why it needs everybody’s attention. For one, it looks rather otherworldly with a mix of retro but futuristic bodywork. Dmitry Golubchikov of Zillers Garage was commissioned by BMW Motorrad Russia and the inspiration from aviation. (Source: Bikeexif) It’s based on a 2016-model R nineT, but all that remains from the original motorcycle is the engine, final drive arm and part of the frame. Everything else has been created in-house and it took a total of 10 months to put together. The entire motorcycle is wrapped in hand-formed aluminium with the boxer’s cylinder heads still poking out the bodywork. The big arch is the highlight of the design and it also is a functional cockpit complete with a Motogadget Motoscope Mini Speedo and a set of push buttons. The head and tail lamps have been integrated in the bodywork and there’s even slide-out storage compartment in the tail which has a phone charging port and a socket to plug a battery charger into. Now, about what we were on about in the beginning how this bike doesn’t need a stand of any kind to stay upright. It is designed to rest on its bellypan. A couple of buttons on top control the pneumatic system that raises to the bike when its time to set off. The 18” wheels are fully custom and have been machined of aluminum to resemble turbines. Dmitry also fabricated a stainless steel two-into-one exhaust system, which snakes into the bodywork before emerging in a single muffler on the left. The bulges on each side of the main fuselage hide twin 3D-printed air boxes, kitted out with car air filters. The extreme motorcycle design is complemented by

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BMW R1250RS conversion / handlebar risers F900R/XR

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BMW R1250RS conversion by Hornig – Sports tourer on a new level What do you expect from a sports tourer like the BMW R1250RS? Overall, a coherent and perfect combination of tour comfort and sporty influences. Due to our conversion, the motorcycle reaches a new level when travelling as well as during race track training. BMW R1250RS conversion by Hornig (press release and printable pictures) http://www.mhornig.com/Company.html?newsid=432 Handlebar Risers with Offset for BMW F900R & F900XR Raising the handlebar by 30mm results in a more upright, much more relaxed seating position. Moreover, the handlebar is brought 25mm closer to the rider which additionally improves driving comfort. The handlebar riser also makes riding while standing less tiring, which is of tremendous benefit to taller riders in particular. The overall result is a noticeable increase in stamina and concentration. Long stretches on the motorway are less nerve-racking, and even fast, difficult off-road sections are easier to handle. Easy to fit in minutes. No need for long cables or brake cables! Fits on original handlebar. Handlebar Risers with Offset for BMW F900R & F900XR 99,90 Euro up (incl. VAT) plus shipping (press release and printable pictures) http://www.mhornig.com/Company.html?newsid=433 — Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Motorcycleparts.Hornig YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/MrHornig Instagram: hornig.motorcycle.parts https://www.instagram.com/hornig.motorcycle.parts/ — Your readers could also be interested in: BMW R1250R conversion by Hornig – amazingly different http://www.mhornig.com/Company.html?newsid=430 GPS Mount for BMW F900XR http://www.mhornig.com/Company.html?newsid=429 Side stand foot enlargement for BMW F900R & F900XR http://www.mhornig.com/Company.html?newsid=428 Lithium battery and battery charger for BMW motorcycles http://www.mhornig.com/Company.html?newsid=427 Kind regards, Motorcycle Accessory Hornig GmbH Gewerbepark Chammünster Nord C 5 D93413 Cham Germany http://www.motorcycleparts-hornig.com CEO: Hornig Helmut Regensburg HRB 10330 Ust.Id.Nr. DE251397246 Fon: 0049 9971 99 66 10 Fax: 0049 9971 99 66 110 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Motorcycleparts.Hornig YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/MrHornig

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