Let’s face it: custom motorcycles are eye candy. And the eye candy doesn’t get much better than this new build from Fuller Moto, which has sent our photoreceptors into overload.
It’s a BMW R75/6 inspired by the stunning livery of the stunt planes used by the Breitling Jet Team. And it’s got the mechanical upgrades to match the jaw-dropping looks.
The name is somewhat cryptic: ‘FMW N8/75.’
“I don’t normally like to name Fuller Moto vehicles with just numbers,” says Bryan, “but BMW does. So we’ve paid a little homage to their nomenclature.”
“N8 comes from the client’s name, Nate. He’s been a close friend for around 20 years now.” Nate owns a tech company, but he doesn’t only get his kicks from high-tech. His daily driver is a 1929 Model A roadster pickup.
A couple of years ago, Nate gave Bryan his R75 and free rein to do whatever he wanted. So Bryan worked on it during downtime in the shop, and the result is a stunning combination of old and new.
“Anyone who has built a bike for a friend knows it can be tough,” says Bryan. “You want to build the best bike possible, but don’t want to break the bank.
“There’s also pressure to get the design right: What if they don’t like the result? So these usually take a while to complete.”
Believe it or not, this R75/6 is the first airhead Bryan’s laid spanners on. Not that he needed much encouragement to tear it apart: “It rode like a pig. Slow, underpowered, not very good-looking, and leaky. But with lots of potential!”
The Fuller Moto crew started by cutting off everything behind the motor, and getting the bike squared and centered on the UniJig.
“I did an initial sketch, working with my buddy Nick Garfias,” says Bryan. They decided to stretch the swingarm two inches, and convert the BMW to a mono-shock setup. “Nate is a big fella at around 6’4” so it will fit him a bit more proportionally.”
A jig was made up to stretch the swingarm and add the chromoly tube, bungs, and plates necessary for the rear Fox shock to work properly. Luckily, Bryan knows a Fox engineer—who helped set the correct travel and linkage ratios.
The front end is even more performance-oriented: it’s from a Triumph Speed Triple, complete with Brembo brakes.
“By the time we machined a new stem, and brake adapters to make it all work, the cost was probably the same as buying something designed specifically for our machine,” says Bryan. “But hey, it looks different. And it works!”
Bryan’s left the iconic BMW tank alone, even though it’s huge. “That presents monstrous design problems trying to make a cafe racer that looks fast and light.”
So he’s raised the back of the tank nearly two inches, using rubber isolation mounts. The giant fuel filler assembly is an aftermarket unit for a kit airplane, and matches the aesthetics perfectly.
The tail section is hand-fabricated though, and built from three sections of 3003 H14 aluminum. It’s old school fabrication using a planishing hammer, a Lincoln TIG welder and a bead roller.
At the back of the tail is a ‘porthole’ from a 1950s Buick, repurposed with a modern LED light unit.
BMW engines are a law unto themselves, so Bryan sent the 1975-spec motor and gearbox to the airhead specialist Boxerworks.
They stripped the engine down to a bare block, ported and polished the heads, reworked the guides and seats, and fitted a dual plug system fired by a Dyna electronic igntion. Fueling is now handled by Mikuni 32mm flat slide carbs with aluminum stacks.
The paint scheme is lifted straight from Breitling’s Aero L-39 Albatros
jets: black, anthracite gray and metal gray. JDK laid down the silver base, Bryan laid out the graphics, and then Chastin Brand sprayed, gold leafed, and pinstriped the rest.
The vibrant seat echoes the yellow of the Breitling logos on the plane, and was upholstered by John Whitaker.
“It rides very ‘modern’ considering the 40-year-old power plant,” says Bryan. “It’s smooth both front and rear, starts awesome, and has great power. And of course the front end and brakes are state of the art.”
Not surprisingly, the owner Nate is very happy. “Some people spend money on art that hangs on the wall,” he tells us. “I prefer art that I can ride—and that’s exactly what this is.”
Fuller Moto website | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Matthew Jones
BUILD SHEET
Engine
Boxerworks in Watkinsville, GA
, completely rebuilt
New rings, cylinders honed
Custom ARP head studs
ARP 12-point stainless bolts throughout
Heads ported, polished, guides and seats reworked
Fitted with dual plug ignition system
Cast aluminum air cleaner block off cover
Mikuni 32mm Flat Slide Carbs with aluminum stacks
Dyna Electronic Ignition
Transmission
Reworked by Boxerworks for smoother shifting
Custom shift linkage by Bryan Heidt @FM
Polished rear cover
ARP 12-point stainless fasteners
Frame
Rear section cut off and Mono-Shock fitted
Custom Control mounts
New 1 1/8 “ 4130 Chromoly loop in the rear to mount the tail section and seat New 1 1/4” downtubes going from the seat area to the top of the swingarm mount
Front End
Brakes: Brembo from a 2012 Triumph Speed Triple with custom FM rotor adapter
Forks: 2012 Triumph Speed Triple
Triple Trees: Custom stem on 2012 Triumph Speed Triple
Handlebar: 2012 Triumph Speed Triple
Headlights: RetroFit Source LED with FM stainless mounts
Wheels and Tires
Front: Metzeler Lasertec 100/90-19 with 18” x 2” Triumph Tiger aluminum rim
Rear: Metzeler Lasertec 120/90-18 with 1” x 2.5” aluminum rim
Stainless spokes: Buchanan
Mono-Shock Setup
Swingarm: Stock lengthened 2” then custom fitting of Mono-Shock adapter with input from FOX Shox
Driveshaft then lengthened to fit. The rubber driveshaft boot flange had to be cut off and repositioned to get the higher angle to work properly
Shock: FOX AirShox
Brakes: stock rebuilt polished housing and custom hiem actuator rod
Custom stainless license plate mount by Bryan Heidt @FM
Exhaust
Stainless header pipes with crossover from aftermarket fitted with custom FM Magnaflow muffler designed and built by Bryan Heidt. Exhaust diameter 1.5”E
Bodywork
Stock Tank mounted 1.5” higher in the rear
Gas Cap: Aviation cap NOS
Tail section: custom .060 3003 H14 Aluminum by Fuller with a 50s Buick
Porthole trim piece turned into the bezel
LED tailight
Paint: Designed by Fuller then applied by JDK and Chastin Brand to mimic the Breitling Stunt Team colors
Seat: Yellow and Black vinyl by John Whitaker with FM Aluminum base
Wiring
Wes Hines wired @FM using American Autowire vintage braided wiring components
Electronic Ignition with Dyna Coils
Speedcell Lithium Battery