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The BMW K100RS was borderline futuristic when it hit the scene within the Nineteen Eighties. Between its blocky horizontal inline-four engine and its geometric fairings, it was a big side-step from the boxer fashions that the marque was well-known for.
Certain, it nonetheless appears prefer it got here from the 80s, however that doesn’t make it a nasty bike. Strip off the bodywork and throw a bunch of top-shelf elements at it, and you could possibly have a pointy, high-performing café racer in your arms. Which is strictly what Spain’s Bolt Motor Co. has achieved to this 1986 BMW K100RS.
Bolt’s consumer had requested a BMW K100 café racer with a race-inspired aesthetic. However whereas most purchasers normally solely have a obscure concept of what they’re after, his concepts have been very particular. So particular, in truth, that he gave Bolt an in depth, full colour sketch to work from.
“Your entire staff was shocked when a freehand drawing of how he needed the bike arrived on the workshop,” says store boss Adrián Campos. “It was a drawing that was prepared to border, the place each element got here to life. From that second on, our aim was to carry that drawing to life.”
From the skeletal subframe to the Öhlins suspension, every thing was laid out unambiguously. Efficiency was prime of the checklist; no downside for Bolt, whose sister firm is the Formulation 3 racing staff, Campos Racing.
From their shared workspace in Valencia, the staff stripped the BMW K100RS all the way down to its naked bones and set to work. It’s not the primary time that Bolt has torn right into a Ok-series BMW, so that they’ve found out a couple of intelligent methods to eke greater than the unique 90-ish horsepower out of it.
See that canister sitting on prime of the engine block on the left facet? That’s a custom-made consumption, developed particularly for the Ok’s motor. Flip to the opposite facet of the bike, and also you’ll spot the relocated ignition, and a Movement Professional coolant restoration bottle.
For the exhaust, Bolt tweaked the headers and fitted twin Akrapovič mufflers. They rewired the bike too, with a Formulation 3 racing-spec wiring loom and Motogadget elements. Adrián can verify that he and his staff did another “fancy issues” to the engine, however he prefers to maintain these secrets and techniques to himself.
Shifting to the chassis, Bolt sourced the upside-down Öhlins forks and twin Brembo brakes from an Aprilia RSV. Getting every thing to suit meant not solely machining new yokes, however an entire new steering stem too. Additionally they added a brand new mounting tab to the body, to accommodate an Öhlins steering damper, borrowed from the Aspar bike racing staff.
The K100 retains its authentic wheels and Brembo rear brake, however now sports activities an Öhlins piggyback shock. It’s linked to the BMW’s new bespoke subframe, which options a couple of distinctive particulars of its personal. There’s a {custom} seat and 3D-printed tail cowl up prime, an electronics tray tucked beneath, and an LED headlight embedded out again.
Bolt additionally stored the K100’s authentic gas tank, however modified it to sharpen up the bike’s silhouette, and to cover the radiator away. Additionally current are discreet fenders at each ends, {custom} made by Bolt.
An LED headlight sits up entrance, mounted on {custom} brackets. The cockpit wears new clip-ons with inner wiring, Motogadget bar-end flip alerts and Highsider mirrors. There’s additionally a Motogadget sprint, housed in a 3D-printed encompass, and LED-backlit push buttons.
Complementing the quite a few mods is BMW M-inspired paint job, masterfully executed by Ángel at Airbrush Customized. Frequent collaborator, Tapizados Llop, dealt with the leatherwork on the seat. If you happen to look intently, you’ll spot blue and purple threads that match the asymmetrical highlights on the gas tank and wheels.
Different add-ons embody Goodridge brake hoses, Tarozzi rear-set foot controls, and a one-off license plate mount that attaches to the swingarm. There’s plenty of element to absorb, which suggests simply what number of man-hours went into this construct.
“It has been a tricky construct which has been laborious to get out, and has wanted many hours of labor,” says Adrián. “We all know that we’ve got put the consumer’s endurance to the take a look at on multiple event, as a result of the time has gone slightly greater than we anticipated. However making a murals like this isn’t fast or straightforward.”
“In the long run, the ultimate outcome has been price daily of ready. We now have managed to provide life to a novel and tremendous particular bike, identical to its proprietor. I hope he enjoys it as a lot as we’ve got loved customizing it!”
Bolt Motor Co. | Fb | Instagram
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