If you’re planning a trip to North Africa, you need a bike that is absolutely bulletproof. Cafe Racer Dreams know how to take a motorcycle apart and rebuild it, and have made their name transforming everything from vintage Honda CBs to modern Triumph Scramblers. But for an impending trip to Morocco, CRD founder Pedro García has chosen a BMW GS.
So Café Racer Dreams’ 42nd build is a BMW R1100GS with a difference. Strong and reliable, the GS is the perfect bike for rocky roads and long hours in the saddle. But it’s not going to win any beauty contests, and there are a helluva lot of them around. So the CRD crew couldn’t resist adding a little magic to Pedro’s new ride.
His first stop was designer Sylvain Berneron, better known as Holographic Hammer. Berneron sketched out a makeover for the 1998-year machine, and CRD transformed the ink into metal.
The core of the bike is wisely unchanged, but the frame has been stripped back to the metal and refinished with the toughest black powdercoat CRD could find. The exhaust system and seat unit are bespoke, and the stock oil cooler has been relocated high up into the airstream—just above the Ducati Monster S2R headlight and behind the Motogadget instrument. Eagle eyes will notice that the front fender has been trimmed down in size, and Pedro has also installed a fresh set of Continental TKC80 rubber.
It’s a build that doesn’t compromise the famed ruggedness of the GS, but adds a dash of Spanish flair. Who says custom bikes have to be impractical?
Check out previous CRD builds in the Bike EXIF Archives, and keep up with CRD’s news on their Facebook page or website.
