But the boy sure could keep them running and the boy sure could ride the living hell out of them. Even when mirrors and other various body parts kept falling off, he’d just pop them back while he was underway and charge into the next turn very smoothly I might add. He could make a POS BMW go like stink while I wouldn’t want to ride it around a block. When I pointed out what I thought were potential BMW problems that needed attention, he’d just say something like, “They all do that” or “I don’t care, I got it cheap.”

But somewhere in there is a guy who’s enamored with German engineering even when it’s bad as long as it’s cheap.

 

   Then there’s a BMW like this totally re-imagined and extremely lovely café racer built by Johann Keyser of Moto Motivo in Raleigh, North Carolina, that could have been one of Mark’s many college boy rides. Moto Motivo specializes in startling yet wonderful transformations of new and old European bikes that look like they have owners with pretty deep pockets. Johann leaves no stone unturned when he does his re-imagining thing and the fine results speak for themselves.

 

   Johann basically started with a carcass of an old 1972 BMW R75/5 that definitely had seen better days. In case you have no idea what that it is, well, it’s a 750cc flat twin touring bike with moderately Grampy looks that didn’t turn a head unless it was to another BMW freak. An old coot’s bike, at least that’s the way it looked to me as a 22-year-old mechanic in a shop that also sold BMWs. About as far from cool as you could get. Johann’s got a bit more imagination than me and can see the cool where cool doesn’t exist.

 

    First up was pumping the 750cc mill to give it more cool and that involved dumping the tired engine for a later model R100S (1000cc) engine that was rebuilt from the inside out. Now that’s a good way to start a hop-up, the old mantra of bigger (and later) means better certainly applies here. Top it off with a set of R90S 40mm Dellorto carbs on freshly fabbed manifolds breathing through K&N filters and dump out the burnt mixture via Moto Motiva’s 2-into-1 stainless steel exhausts ceramic coated black and you’ve got a winner. As far as engine appearance goes, just getting rid of the old BMW cast air cleaner hump at the top/back of the engine cleaned things up a lot. Meanwhile, Johann’s judicious use of black on the upper part of the raw finish engine certainly slims up the old gal who was busy imitating a porpoise looks-wise in stock configuration. All hump makes for a lotta frump and that’s not the case anymore.

 

   Back at the ranch, Johann set about getting rid of the stuff I really hated like the stock forks which had about eight-inches of travel and seemed busy using every inch whether it was warranted or not. Soft, squishy and lotsa travel forks with no control is not a good combo on any bike. Johann rectified that by modifying a Ducati 900SS inverted front end along with its dual Brembo disc setup replacing the rather wonky BMW drum brake. He also re-laced a Ducati hub onto an alloy rim replacing the much heavier OEM steel rim and that’s the difference between running in work boots and running in of all things, running shoes. Light makes right.

 

   Out back, Johann really stepped things up by working around BMW’s driveshaft encrusted swingarm with twin shocks to a more modern monoshock setup. Again a Ducati donated some vital parts, in this case a 900SS monoshock which was lashed to a whole new structure atop the stock swingarm and onto the revised rear frame. Gone is the stodgy look and it’s replaced by good handling as well as good looks. Needless to say, there’s tons of open space that was once filled by Bavarian bits and pieces. Johann stuck with the stock rear drum brake which is kinda encased in the BMW differential and is pretty inconsequential considering the dual Brembos up front that want to murder any speed deemed unacceptable with a couple of fingers.

 

  After getting rid of any unnecessary tabs (and there were a lot of them now), Johann ditched the big battery box too. He then fabbed up a new tidy and tight subframe to hang the new tail section he made that also houses a tiny lithium battery among other bits. Perched atop the tail is possibly one of the tiniest running/stop lights ever that’s cute as a button because it’s the size of a button. The tank is a reworked BMW toaster tank that’s had its toaster removed leaving a clean, uncluttered fuel cell sporting a tock cap. The headlight is a stock BMW piece that looks just retro-peachy with gauges housed on top just like it did on its first Oktoberfest. Ducati clip-ons and new rearsets give up a taste of racy spice to an old touring bike that was more suited initially to a Vetter Windjammer or some other piece of touring ilk.

 

   The final piece of the pie was Johann’s choice of a clean and simple “Jack Cofano approved” white paintjob. When it came time for graphics, a black racing stripe down the middle of the bodywork was all that was needed to add some visual interest. But there is one other graphic bit that might not be so noticeable at first and it’s a pip. Johann discretely added his shop’s name to the whirling propeller BMW logo on the side of the tank and did a really nice version of BMW’s hot car division with the famous “M” logo followed by 100S. Nice touch Johann.

 

   With that little move, Johann created a BMW that if it was built back in the ‘70s just might have caught the eye of a 22-year-old mechanic instead of his constant derision. Even the fabled R90S has got nothing on this bike as far as I’m concerned. I think it might even be good enough to catch the eye of the GM of a Harley dealer in West Texas.

 

  If you’ve got a European inkling, check out Moto Motivo’s website at http://www.motomotivo.com/ or visit their Facebook page.