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As in the previous year, BMW Motorrad Germany has called for a major customizing competition this year. While the extremely successful 2021 contest still focused on spectacular conversions of the cruiser icon R 18, this year's customizing contest also focuses on the roadster legend R nineT. BMW Motorrad partners throughout Germany have demonstrated what is possible with the two style-defining models of the BMW Motorrad World of Experience Heritage with a total of 13 conversions worth seeing – eight BMW R 18 and five BMW R nineT:
- ahg Autohandelsgesellschaft mbH Eningen
- Auer Group GmbH, Auer Biker Village Stockach-Zizenhausen
- Becker & Tiemann motorcycle location
- Cloppenburg GmbH Erfurt
- Klaus Mayer GmbH & Co. KG Mannheim
- Motorbike Bögel GmbH Ibbenbueren
- Motorcycle Guhs eK Schwarzenbach an der Saale
- Motorbike center Helmig & Sohn Wietmarschen
- Motorbike Huber GmbH Unterreit
- Procar Automobile GmbH & Co. KG Cologne
- Motorbike Witzel Sennfeld
- Zweiradwerke Vertriebs GmbH Rosenheim
The BMW Motorrad partners each had three months to design and implement their very personal vision of the R nineT or the R 18. The result is 13 different soul fuel bikes that are impressive - from the old-school heritage bike with Springer fork based on the BMW R 18 to the highly dynamic athlete based on the BMW R nineT. There were no limits to creativity, only time. The conversion had to be completed within three months.
ahg Eningen R 18 Edition #01.
Really drivable, but still exciting - that was the motto for Ronny Jelitte, Bastian Franke and Max Koller when building their R 18 Edition #01. Including planning, procurement of parts and conversion, the team invested a total of around 90 hours and the result was an R 18 in bobber style that has it all. The short, compact rear thrives on a rolling mill bobber kit in conjunction with a side license plate holder from Wunderlich, and the Corio saddlery in Metzingen made a matching seat in Scotch-colored buffalo leather.
A Jekill & Hyde Beat Short Slashcut flap exhaust in connection with ceramic-coated exhaust manifolds ensures the good sound. Black engine covers and add-on parts, the BMW Beachbar handlebars and headlight covers, hand levers and tank caps in 2tone Black from the range of Original BMW Motorrad Accessories round off the conversion. As the icing on the cake, the Petrolo company in Kusterdingen awarded the R 18 Edition #01 a special paint finish in 312 British Racing Green, which in combination with the Metzeler ME 888 Marathon Ultra White Wall tires is a real feast for the eyes.
Cloppenburg GmbH R 18 Tanzanite Titanium.
According to the motto "Go with the flow", the Cloppenburg GmbH team dared to carry out the conversion called R 18 Tanzanit Titan. The result is an exciting mix of styles with many loving details and individual solutions: classic, simple and elegant. Under the direction of Christian Gelbhardt and Kevin Gehrt, a very classically oriented R 18 was created that cannot be directly assigned to any of the established genres. Rather, it should be simple and elegant. Driveability, comfort, ergonomics and functionality were at the top of the to-do list. Chrome-plated BMW forged wheels measuring 21 inches at the front and 18 inches at the rear are a feast for the eyes when you're on the move, supported by the original rear fender and carrier of the R 18 B and a front fender by Walzwerk. The BMW Day Rider brown seat fits in harmoniously with this and, in conjunction with the original handlebars and Rizoma risers, ensures a relaxed seating position.
Mirrors, handlebar end turn signals, the 3-in-1 Club S lights at the rear and the license plate holder also come from the Rizoma shelf. The front end and cockpit of the R 18 Tanzanit Titan live from the windshield, headlights lowered by Wunderkind and a speedometer integrated into the tank by means of an LMC conversion, including a retractable tank cap. At the rear, a Wilbers shock absorber Type 640 Road with 20 mm lowering and a Fehling luggage rack are used. The delicious customizing menu was seasoned with a Dr. Jekill & Mr. Hyde Beat Long Chrome Slashcut Chrome Extender exhaust system as well as a finish in BMW Tanzanite Blue II metallic and a hand-double lining on the tank.
Klaus Mayer GmbH & Co. KG R18 Daytona.
The name Daytona was the motto when Klaus Mayer and his team converted the R 18, because the paint finish of the tank, front and rear wheel fenders, side panels and front mask is based entirely on the legendary BMW R 90 S in Daytona Orange. A special treat of the attractive paintwork: the aluminum brushing and white decorative lines. But the R 18 Daytona is also a treat from a technical point of view. It has BMW forged wheels Contrast Cut in 21 inches at the front and 18 inches at the rear, with Metzeler ME 888 Marathon Ultra soles.
The Remus Custom silencers stainless steel chrome with end caps short cut aluminum chrome provide a feast for the ears. Rizoma Club S indicators at the rear, a lamp mask from Wunderlich with a smoke-grey sports windshield and a low rear conversion complete the customizing of the R 18 Daytona, of which Klaus Mayer himself says: "Despite the customizing incentive, our Daytona should still be reminiscent of the classic R 18 and remember the origins of BMW Motorrad. So we didn't change the basic line of the design, but individualized it with various accessories and based the paintwork on the R 90 S and the Daytona Orange, which is also where the name R 18 Daytona came from."
Motorbike Bögel GmbH Iron R 18.
If you recognize the Iron R 18 lettering on the tank sides, you are probably also familiar with the sound of the British metal band Iron Maiden. The Iron R 18 of the team from Motorrad Bögel is as unique as the style-defining Heavy Metal of Iron Maiden, because the conversion to a Springer fork at the front is usually unparalleled in the R 18 world. Garnished with a handmade bobber seat designed as a swinging saddle, sissy bar and Z-handlebar, the Iron R 18 has its very own style - even with the exhaust system.
It was self-designed with a fishtail tailpipe that runs steeply upwards. Big Spoke rims in 21 inches at the front and 18 inches at the rear provide not only a harmonious look but also a rich driving experience for this special R 18, which has also dedicated itself to the theme of heavy metal with its paintwork, as the airbrush painting on the tank sustainably underlines. Like the Springer fork, a technical anachronism of the extraordinary kind: the manual gearshift with a steel helmet as a gear knob.
Motorbike Guhs eK R 18 Steelbody.
The name was also the program for the customizing project by the Motorrad Guhs team headed by Taimo Frömel. "R 18 Steelbody" basically says it all, because wherever you look at the old school R 18, built in the style of pre-war motorcycles: there is hardly a corner in which the R 16 Steelbody, which is equipped with 18-inch wheels, is not covered with bare, finely ground steel occurs. For example with the tank or the adapted duck-tail fenders at the front and rear. The Old School theme is also emphasized by the individually adapted Springer fork and the more technically experienced viewer is hardly surprised that around 200 hours of work went into this project. After all, almost everything that was changed had to be individually adjusted, analogous to the Springer fork.
For example the side covers, which were made around 2 cm narrower, or the speedometer, which now sits enthroned above the left cylinder with a specially made bracket. The same applies to the swing saddle with boxer engine and gold-framed BMW emblem on the seat from Samwel Supplies or the installation of the original BMW headlight on the Springer fork. Finally, the extremely harmonious appearance of the R 18 Steelbody is rounded off by a self-made handlebar, black-coated cylinder head covers and covers for the injection system, an LED rear light in a bobber look, running boards with shift paddles and black-coated exhaust manifolds and a Dr. Jekill & Mr. Hyde long flap exhaust with fishtail end caps.
Motorbike center Helmig & Sohn R 18 fifty-seven.
The R 18 fifty-seven is a sporty, modern chopper with a boxer heart and the traditional Nürburg Grün paintwork from the 1970s. The stylish one-off was created in around 18 hours at the Helmig & Sohn motorcycle center with the addition of fine technical ingredients. Walzwerk supplied the two front and rear fenders as well as the stylish bobber seat and the handlebars called Hardcore Bar. The renowned exhaust specialist Hattech contributed a sporty exhaust system made of high-quality stainless steel.
Motorbike Huber GmbH R 18 Huabas First Edition.
Under the motto "Simply moi something completely different macha", the Motorrad Huber team around Michael Hauser had a lot of fun and joy at work and three days later the R 18 Huabas First Edition was on the original BMW spoked wheels with black rim rings. The rear, meanwhile, has changed significantly, presenting itself significantly slimmer and reduced thanks to a fender and individual seat made by Jacky's Garage. A Z-handlebar from Fehling ensures a cool seating position and an exhaust system from Dr. Jekill & Mr Hyde. Indicator lights from Kellermann and various milled BMW Motorrad machined parts round off the stylish conversion.
Procar Automobile GmbH & Co. KG R18 Bloody Sunrise.
After numerous BMW R 18s were initially converted into so-called "bad bikes", the team from Procar Automobile in Cologne, together with mechatronics technician Till Becker, wanted to go in the other direction and build a noble bike - with lots of chrome and polished surfaces as well as an exceptionally high-quality paint finish , which also includes the frame. The result is a chopper that, thanks to the work of Big Chief Custom Painting, is in the premium league in terms of paint quality. All in red with coarse metal flakes in the customizing style of the 1970s, supplemented by airbrush work with stenciled scale and line patterns, the R 18 Bloody Sunrise not only lives up to its name, but also looks an absolute eye-catcher. So it's no wonder that a total of around 250 hours of work went into the project, especially since the technology was also allowed to endure drastic changes.
Rick's Rad Design contributed the three-piece and polished wheels measuring 3,5 x 21 inches at the front and 8 x 18 inches at the rear, while Walzwerk supplied the front fender and is used as the rear fender for LMC Bikes' Hardline 2. Other stylish goodies of the R 18 Bloody Sunrise are the Wunderlich RockBob swing saddle, the Walzwerk exhaust system made of polished stainless steel and the handlebars specially designed by LMC Bikes in conjunction with 1 ¼ inch high risers. The high-end chopper is rounded off by a tank conversion with an integrated instrument, a headlight lowering system from KDF and 3-in-1 mini turn signals from Kellermann at the rear.
Auer Group GmbH R nineT Beemer.
The R nineT Beemer immediately catches the eye with its unusual color combination in the racing Gulf scheme of the 1960s and 1970s with matt blue and glossy orange and white. The conversion was planned and thought through by sales consultant Maximilian Michael Walden, implemented by the strong team around Bernd Wesle and Dario Gatto. In total, the crew invested around 20 hours in the bike and didn't skimp on high-quality ingredients. While the spoked wheels come from the series, Königherz made a seat including a hump upholstery made of leather and Alcantara with diamond quilting and double stitching.
At the exhaust specialist Hattech, meanwhile, they made a one-off production of a raised exhaust system. Other delicacies are the K&N air filter dummies, the reduced rear end with mini turn signals and side license plate holder as well as the handlebar end mirrors without mirror glass with integrated turn signals as well as the AC Schnitzer belly pan and the milled tank cap with BMW emblem. The well-deserved wage of around 20 hours of work: the neat custom bike was sold after just two days.
Becker-Tiemann Motorcycle Lage R nineT X.
A metallic blue helmet served as inspiration for the Becker Tiemann Motorrad team to paint this conversion. With the R nineT X, they wanted to show how an R nineT can be transformed into a genuine Enduro. Originally planned as an exhibition vehicle for the custom bike fair in Bad Salzuflen, the aim was to build a competitive enduro: Higher, softer and with as much spring travel as possible, but still good to drive on asphalt roads. For this, the team donated the complete list of protective parts for the R nineT from Wunderlich to the prospective enduro, implanted a longer spring strut from Wilbers and the fork tubes of a BMW F 850 GS with individually manufactured fork bridges and special brake caliper adapters.
Pirelli Skorpion STR tires were mounted on the original rims and lowered footrests, together with a seat with blue stitching, now ensure a seating position suitable for off-road use. A rear conversion by Wunderlich and a paint finish in blue metallic satin - matching the helmet mentioned at the beginning - round off the conversion together with rim decoration made of red-chrome-matt foil. Last but not least, all conversions - unless provided with a general operating permit or with an E-mark - were individually approved by the TÜV.
Cloppenburg GmbH R nineT Mighty NineT.
With the Mighty NineT, the Cloppenburg GmbH team took up classic BMW Motorrad design features and reinterpreted them. Ann-Kathrin Peterseim, Kevin Gehrt and the rest of the team worked on their custom bike for around 20 hours with great attention to detail. With the aim of bringing a roadster of the past that everyone can drive onto the road, the team relied on an R nineT Scrambler with cross-spoke wheels measuring 19 inches at the front and 17 inches at the rear. Linear Wilbers fork springs at the front and a Wilbers suspension strut type 640 Road at the rear lower the car by 25 mm, which reinforces the look of a BMW Boxer Roadster from days gone by. The original Scrambler seat was given a black leather upholstery by Unit Garage with decorative stitching and simple pipe stitching. Also from the Unit Garage comes the Scrambler rear silencer made of stainless steel, which is complemented by black-wrapped original manifolds.
The stainless steel covers for the intake manifold also come from the Unit Garage. A reach into the Rizoma shelf brought to light a conical handlebar, Spy-R bar-end mirror, Club indicator lights at the front and 3-in-1 indicator lights Club S at the rear, the license plate holder Outside and crash bars. Parts such as fork bridges, handlebar clamps, cylinder head covers, seat carriers, footrests, covers for the intake snorkel and the tank cap were given a matt black, finely structured powder coating. In terms of color, the Mighty NineT shines in the original BMW automobile color Flamenco Red Brilliant Effect Metallic, supplemented by a double hand lining and subsequent clear coat. The knee pads, borrowed from the R nineT /5, exude the roadster charm of days gone by.
Motorcycle Witzel R nineT Green Mile.
Volker and Steven Witzel put a total of 120 hours of work into the conversion of an R nineT into the Green Mile and thus into a so-called dirt bobber. Both of them benefited from their customizing experience from previous R 18 conversions. As the name already suggests, the custom bike is based on the film "The Green Mile" starring Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan aka John Coffey and is painted in British Racing Green. The team is convinced that the apparently overpowering masculine appearance of the film character Coffey is “in absolute contrast to the external appearance”, as is the case with the R nineT Green Mile.
The cinematic inspiration was not only implemented with green paint, but also with plenty of technical changes. The BMW Motorrad Option 719 milled parts packages 1 and 2 were used, a single seat with green decorative stitching from Baehr and RF Biketech fenders at the front and rear, supplemented there by integrated indicator and rear lights and a license plate holder on the side. A sonorous boxer sound is provided by an SP Cobra exhaust in conjunction with black ceramic-coated manifolds. In terms of good driving characteristics despite the rough profile, the team decided on tires with Continental TKC 80.
Zweiradwerke Vertriebs GmbH R nineT boxer champion.
With an orange paint finish and numerous lettering and stickers, the R nineT Boxermeister lives up to the motto "classic meets modern" with a good dose of inspiration from racing cars from the 1970s and 1980s, such as the BMW M1 Procar Jägermeister, which Kurt König raced in the 1982 German Racing Championship piloted. Inspired by this, Christopher Hagl and Robert Dojkic created the boxer champion in around 90 hours. Definitely sporty, of course. So they opted for golden wheels from AC Schnitzer in connection with Metzeler Racetec RR 190/55 ZR17 at the rear and 120/70 ZR17 at the front. On the other hand, the hump seat and the front fender were created in-house. An exhaust system from Jekill and Hyde ensures a sporty sound and the AC Schnitzer handlebar clip in conjunction with the BMW Motorrad Option 719 footrests provide a dynamic seating position - harmoniously complemented by BMW Motorrad cylinder head covers in the style of the old two-valve engines as well as a lamp mask and front spoiler from Ilmberger Carbon. Last but not least, the two enthusiasts donated the Boxermeister handlebar end turn signals from Motogadget, rear lights and a side license plate holder from Rizoma as well as spring elements from Öhlins.
The community can vote on the website below until December 11, 2022 and win at the same time. Because with the vote, the visitor not only helps his favorite to win, but also automatically lands himself in the lottery pot for the annual BMW R 18 competition. Photo credit: BMW
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