Jérémie Duchampt is a dab hand at building slick café racers—a fact that he’s proven time and time again. The proprietor of France’s Jerem Motorcycles has leveled up in a big way with his latest project though. This carbon-clad BMW R100 café racer not only looks razor sharp, but it also boasts a slew of modern components and an utterly unique rear suspension system.
Jérémie knew from the outset that he’d have to pull out all the stops on this build. His client was the French boutique race car manufacturer Quarkus Automobiles, so whatever he came up with would have to be more haute couture than ready-to-wear.
Working from the inside out, Jerem Motorcycles refurbished the 1982-model BMW R100RT’s boxer motor and carbs, swapped the airbox for a carbon fiber battery box, and added carbon fiber cylinder head covers. The airhead now inhales through a pair of DNA pod filters, and exhales through custom exhaust headers that flow into a Yoshimura muffler under the seat.
All the wiring is fresh and now runs via a Motogadget control unit with a keyless ignition. A Lithium battery from Solise powers the system.
Jérémie moved to the chassis next, which is where things got a little crazy. This classic boxer now wears a smorgasbord of modern R nineT parts at both ends—starting with its upside-down forks, 17” front wheel, and twin Brembo disc brakes. A burly CNC-machined top yoke sits at the top of the forks, while a steering damper keeps things in check.
The nineT’s swingarm and final drive do duty out back, wrapped in a layer of carbon fiber, and connected to the classic drivetrain via a custom linkage. Jérémie also transplanted the nineT’s 17” rear wheel and single disc brake, then added a rear wheel hugger and a swingarm-mounted license plate bracket.
Keen eyes will notice the absence of a traditional rear shock. Instead, the R100’s rear end is suspended via a springless damper, with a series of carbon fiber leaf springs mounted underneath the bike. The system was designed by Quarkus, using carbon components from Motion Engineering and machined bits from USV racing
The carbon fiber theme carries through to the bodywork with unwavering commitment. The sleek front fairing is a work of art, perfectly encapsulating an LED headlight at the front, and flanking the fuel tank to create a cohesive design at the back. It even has the aero wings from a Ducati Panigale V4—which, although ineffective at the sort of speeds a 1980s boxer is capable of, look damn cool.
Not wanting to lose the classic R-series fuel tank shape, Jérémie simply wrapped the OEM unit in a layer of carbon fiber. The tail section is a full carbon fiber piece, perfectly shaped to hug the Yoshi muffler out back. The seat pad wears more padding than most café racers, with luxurious upholstery from Jerem Motorcycles’ go-to upholsterer, Yaya Brush Sellerie.
Subtle frame mods tie everything together; the subframe’s been trimmed and de-tabbed, and the fuel tank now sits a touch higher than before. A handmade carbon fiber belly pan adds another sporty touch.
Sitting behind the fairing are new clip-ons, fitted with Rizoma grips and Motogadget bar-end turn signals. Also present are Brembo master cylinders, push-button-style switches, and a custom dash that holds a pair of Daytona dials. Other add-ons include a Monza gas cap, Tarozzi rear-set controls, and Motogadget turn signals and taillights.
Too much carbon fiber can quickly look gaudy, but Jerem Motorcycles’ BMW R100 café racer manages to side-step that label with a host of tasteful finishes.
The carbon bits feature delicate gold pinstripes that cleverly flow from the fairing to the tank and onto the tail. White accents add contrast, with a hardy coat of gloss clear covering everything. Jérémie picked gold for the rims, black for the wheel hubs, and chrome for the spokes.
But the cleverest detail is the color that Jérémie picked for the frame. Rather than opt for a traditional black affair, he pivoted to a metallic gray epoxy finish. It’s a subtle detail, but it sets the rest of the livery off beautifully.
The gold touches earned the BMW the moniker ‘GoldenEye,’ named after the 1995 James Bond flick. We’re getting an edgy John Player Special vibe from it—especially with the JMQ motif on the fairing (which stands for Jerem Motorcycles Quarkus).
Either way, this immaculate BMW R100 café racer is solid proof that Jerem Motorcycles is at the top of its game.
