Running a {custom} motorbike workshop isn’t a simple racket, so we applaud anybody who can pull it off. Germany’s Crooked Motorcycles clearly has the proper stuff; this woodsy BMW boxer scrambler is their fiftieth launch.
Nicknamed ‘The Pathfinder,’ the bike has a particular place in Crooked’s coronary heart for multiple motive. Not solely does it mark a half-century of builds for the store, but it surely was commissioned by a returning buyer who already had two Crooked bikes in his storage. So the crew felt motivated to do the 1980-model BMW R100 justice.
It additionally wasn’t misplaced on them that {custom} BMW boxers are a dime a dozen. Their buyer wished a svelte scrambler that was rugged and sporty—one thing that may stand out, however nonetheless reduce a neat silhouette. “A challenge in a very oversaturated BMW market,” quips Crooked’s co-founder, Dominikus Braun.
For Dominikus, it boiled right down to creating “a mix between a fun machine and an art project.” That meant constructing a motorbike that their consumer would get pleasure from driving, but additionally utilizing it as a canvas to rejoice their success.
The actual fantastic thing about this BMW boxer scrambler is its minimalism. Crooked stripped the bike down and constructed it again up with all-new bodywork, slimming it down dramatically within the course of.
The itty-bitty gasoline tank got here from a Honda CB50; Crooked had used it on a earlier mission, and figured it will match the invoice right here. With the tank modified and put in, a leather-based and Alcantara seat was made to match its profile. Lower down, Crooked eliminated the BMW’s bolt-on subframe and welded in a shorter unit.
Custom shock mounts in the back of the subframe maintain new YSS shocks, whereas additionally internet hosting tiny LEDs that function flip indicators and taillights. Poking out from beneath the seat is a stubby muffler from Cobra, mounted on custom-made two-into-one headers. The underside of the seat has been formed to accommodate the muffler and lined with heat-shielding materials.
And in case you’re questioning if the rear wheel hits the muffler beneath load; it doesn’t. “I can already see the comments about the distance to the rear wheel,” says Dominikus wryly. “All I can say is that we’ve tested it with a rider weighing over 110 kg [242.5 lbs], without any tire contact.”
Moving to the entrance, Crooked rebuilt the OEM forks, shortening them by virtually an inch and putting in progressive springs within the course of. They additionally fabricated an aluminum fender and headlight nacelle, loosely fashioning the latter after classic enduro bikes. A punchy Highsider LED is tucked right into a flare housing out entrance.
A discreet Motogadget speedo lives behind the nacelle, embedded right into a tidy little dashboard plate. The handlebars are from Renthal, the switches, grips, and bar-end flip indicators are all Motogadget components, and the foot controls are from ABM.
Turning their consideration to the drivetrain, Crooked rebuilt the BMW’s timeless boxer motor and put in a pair of Mikuni flatslide carbs with Okay&N filters. They additionally rewired it round extra Motogadget parts for a neater format and prolonged the sump with a Siebenrock package for higher reliability.
A canopy was added the place the airbox used to take a seat, whereas the battery was relocated to a field simply behind the sump. The complete engine was tastefully completed in black, with polished fins and logos so as to add distinction.
Other particulars embrace color-matched adjustment dials on the YSS shocks and a singular ‘Artic’ Cerakote end on the exhaust. Continental TKC80 tires had been spooned on on the consumer’s request, including an additional dose of rugged type to this scrambler.
Crooked opted for a mossy inexperienced hue for the R100’s major paint job, then referred to as in frequent collaborator Chiko’s Pinstriping to adorn the tank with some travel-inspired art work. Chiko laid down two layers of sashaying stripes (certainly one of them ghosted), impressed by the bike’s ‘Pathfinder’ moniker.
“This underlines our artistic approach on this project,” says Dominikus, “combined with the search for the right way to get somewhere—regardless of whether it’s a winding pass or a small dirt road.”
It’s a succinct strategy to sum up not solely this construct however the 49 that preceded it too. Crooked Motorcycles has by no means sure themselves to anybody specific type of {custom} motorbike—and that leaves us excited for his or her subsequent 50 tasks.
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Source: www.bikeexif.com