Very few folks would choose a mid-90s BMW F650 Funduro as a donor for a flat track-style {custom} construct, however Georg Godde reckons the concept has benefit. He runs the BMW specialist workshop Cafemoto in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, together with his partner-in-crime, Holger Maninger. And regardless that the Cafemoto portfolio largely options BMW boxers and Ok-series bikes, Georg has a delicate spot for older BMW singles.
Cafemoto’s final single-cylinder construct was a BMW G650 Xcountry avenue tracker, and Georg was eager to construct one other Rotax-powered Beemer. So when his son turned 18 this 12 months and will lastly step up from 125 cc bikes to greater machines, he talked himself into the challenge.
So why select the common-or-garden Funduro this time round? “There are a lot of really beautiful Honda Dominator conversions, and the BMW F650 has a similar frame design behind its fat and boring fairings,” Georg solutions. “It also has a better, liquid-cooled engine, with more torque and horsepower than the Honda.”
“There aren’t many custom F650s—and those that have been customized often have really bad proportions. And the price of the Funduro is really low—even compared to the BMW G650 series.”
Turning the bulbous BMW F650 Funduro into the zesty avenue tracker you see right here wasn’t precisely a stroll within the park although. Cafemoto’s first problem was the truth that the bike’s subframe is welded on to its foremost body, which limits how a lot modification is allowed underneath Germany’s uber-strict TÜV commonplace. The guys trimmed off as a lot as they might, then devised a plan to cover the remainder away.
“We decided to take a modified fiberglass flat track tail section with large side panels to hide the ugly rear frame away,” explains Georg. “To create a slim profile, we then customized a beautiful Yamaha DT400 gas tank to make it fit the BMW frame. It was not easy.”
Resisting the urge to easily zip-tie a generic quantity board to the entrance forks, Cafemoto formed a {custom} unit out of aluminum as a substitute. They then constructed a boxy mounting bracket that not solely pitches it ahead but in addition helps to tidy up the bike’s cabling and hosts the gauges. An LED projector pokes out the underside, with slim LED flip alerts sitting larger up.
Cafemoto swapped out the handlebars and grips however saved the OEM controls and switches. Out again, mixture taillight and switch sign LEDs flank a {custom} license plate bracket.
Next, Georg and Holger shifted their focus to the Funduro’s stance. A tried-and-tested suspension reducing package from Touratech helped them carry the journey top all the way down to the place they wished it, with progressive springs enhancing the journey high quality.
The BMW F650 Funduro wears 19F/17R wheels in inventory kind, however this construct known as for a extra balanced look. So Cafemoto re-laced the wheels with aluminum Akront rims, bumping the rear wheel as much as 18 inches, and spooned on Avon Trekrider tires. “We didn’t use a 19” rear wheel, as a result of there are only some tires in that measurement in the marketplace,” says Georg, “and those tires that you can get are not competitive for street use.”
A custom-made titanium exhaust from G.P.R. Exhaust Systems in Italy provides a thumper-worthy bark to the construct. Keen eyes will discover that the muffler now sits on the suitable of the bike as a substitute of the left—a deliberate transfer so as to add much more flat observe taste to the bike. The guys trimmed the bodywork to accommodate it, doing such a tidy job that it seems to be manufacturing facility.
Stealthier particulars embody a {custom} chain guard, a tidy entrance fender, and a beefy bash plate to fend off the bathe of stones that an 18-year-old is more likely to topic it to. Cafemoto additionally swapped out the chain and sprockets, going up a few tooth on the rear.
Since the gas tank got here from a Yamaha, Cafemoto determined to stay to Yamaha styling for the livery. The Funduro seems to be resplendent in period-correct Yamaha ‘Competition Yellow,’ with delicate tweaks to work the store’s title into the tank graphics. Matte gold powder-coating provides additional classic type to the wheels.
“Due to the color and the fact that it is really hard to recognize it as a transformed F650 Funduro, our project is named ‘Bumblebee,’ after the Transformer,” Georg quips. “Although it’s a really light street bike, it has the soul of a flat tracker.”
Not solely has Cafemoto confirmed that you would be able to flip the BMW F650 Funduro right into a avenue tracker, however they’ve given Georg’s child a a lot better runabout than something we owned at 18.
Cafemoto | Facebook | Images by Michael Larssen
Source: www.bikeexif.com