A K100 THIS BADASS
HAS A LONG STORY BEHIND IT
When I say this build took a long time, I really mean a LONG time... Because I bought my original 1990 BMW K100 RS from a retired man in Maastricht in November 2016. And with many ups and downs, the build was finished in August 2022. But it was all worth the wait.
SO AN, WHEN'S YOUR BMW K100 GONNA BE FINISHED?
The question all my friends have asked me time and again over the past five years. And for a very long time, I did not even know the answer myself. I just knew that this bike, the image I had in my head, was love at first sight. And despite all the ups and downs, I’m glad I’ve made it through.
One thing is for sure, it’s one thing to drive a motorcycle. It’s a whole other thing to build your own. Even I had to admit I came very close to selling it halfway through, I’ll get to that.
One thing I know for sure is that I was always meant to be a 2-wheel gal. I grew up across from an artist where we often played and got to be creative. She had a HUGE red and white Yamaha XT600 that was always parked in front of her house right across from ours. I don’t think I ever even sat on it, but it’s that bike I thought back to when I almost bought an XT600 myself.
MY FIRST BIKE
And yet, somehow, I started out with a Yamaha Diversion XJ600S in 2014 as my first bike. Which I peewee crashed in Belgium (of course that’s on tape) and traded for a 2012 Honda Nc700X. When I finally hit 24 and could go for my ‘big girl licence’ I traded that for a 2012 Ducati Multistrada Pikes Peak. And man, I was in LOVE with that bike. I even made it to the 2018 Ducatisti Integralisti calendar with that thing and no machine hits the twisties quite like it.
Unfortunately, due to some very complicated circumstances, I had to give it up. I chose the BMW over it and it’s a choice I stand by to this day. I’ve always had a knack for odd classics, like the 1980 VW Golf 1 convertible with double headlights that is nicknamed the strawberry basket. Or any mustang fastback from 65 to 67 really.
I purchased my BMW from a retired gentleman in November 2016. He was sad to see it go, but at the same time happy it would be granted a second life where it would be cherished this much. To this day we still stay in touch through the occasional email, and I want to drop by next season to have a coffee and talk about the bike that used to be his.
BUILDING MY BMW K100 CAFE RACER
The build itself had a lot of ups and downs. I moved four times in that period causing it to move further down my list of priorities. And then there is the fact that it disappeared for a year because the “mechanic” it was at casually stopped responding to me all together, faking his wife has a stroke… It took me a year to get my bike back.
When I finally managed to get it back, I dropped it off with the boys from Moto Adonis who helped me finally put my vision together. The bike I had designed all those years ago was truly formed within their workshop. I knew I wanted the Z17 custom BMW K100 rebel seat which I bought in 2016 combined with a USD, no clip-on, horizontal suspension, and the belly pan. But they helped me pick the right parts to make it happen and put it all together for me.
And in August of 2022, I could finally drive my dream bike for the first time in 5 years. In the meantime, I already bought a Transalp as well just for shits and giggles and to go abroad with as my K100 is definitely not legal in countries like Germany when it comes to the sound it produces. Since it growls like the absolute beast that it is while turning quite a few heads. Especially from older men that know look and then rubberneck back knowing full well what this machine looked like originally.
This is my BMW K100 café racer
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