I’ve always liked the look of BMW’s K-series motors. Simply because they’re boxy and when they first appeared, I thought they looked like something from Star Wars. The earlier R-series is well established as a café racer platform, but now the K-series is starting to gain favor. And this recent build from the Italian custom shop Abnormal Cycles shows what can be done with a little ingenuity. The base is a BMW K100, a one-liter longitudinal four with Bosch fuel injection—marking BMW’s first major departure from the boxer twin layout.
There’s around 90 hp on tap, a useful 20 hp increase over a Honda CB750, and Abnormal Cycles have kept the huge 22-liter tank too. Adding to the look are a custom exhaust system, new (and minimal) instrumentation and a classic round headlight. The front bikini fairing and side panelling have been removed, and a Ducati SportClassic-style seat unit fitted, upholstered in Alcantara fabric. It’s a simple and no doubt cost-effective conversion, but it works.
