It doesn’t take only a sharp eye or a deft pair of fingers to construct an incredible {custom} motorbike—it takes each. One of the best {custom} motorbike builders are both multi-talented people, or they run groups that cowl all of the bases.
Jacek Mulak of Cardsharper Customs in Lublin, Poland is the entire bundle; brains and brawn. However he not too long ago determined to degree up, by collaborating with a multi-disciplinary designer to construct {custom} bikes underneath a brand new banner. This dishy BMW café racer is their first construct, and it’s a powerful debut.
Jacek’s companion on this endeavor is Michał Ćwiek, the multidisciplinary designer behind MOCNO Studio in Lublin. The 2 are collaborating as Morfen; Michał acts as lead designer and handles paint and finishes, whereas Jacek is Morfen’s mechanic and fabricator.
For his or her opening salvo, the duo handled Michał’s 1985 BMW R80RT to a critical glow-up. Dubbed ‘The Archer,’ the construct sports activities a sharper silhouette, an array of one-off elements, and a timeless livery. And in the event you take the time to look at it intently, you’ll uncover a handful of distinctive particulars that put it a reduce above your backyard selection BMW café racer.
Jacek tells us that he and Michał wished to play with conventional café racer components, however mix them in a approach that might create one thing trendy and aggressive. A giant a part of that was getting the stance inch-perfect—which the blokes achieved by fettling a bunch of little particulars to create a big effect.
First, staff Morfen shortened the entrance forks and swapped the R80’s side-mounted rear shock out for an extended unit. The R80’s quirky OEM wheels are nonetheless in play, however they’ve been redressed in contrasting finishes with delicate striping and branding. The vintage-style Shinko tires sport loud ‘Marfen’ logos to seize consideration.
Subsequent, Jacek raised the rear of the gasoline tank and fabricated a brand new chrome steel subframe. Fairly than go for a flat line from entrance to again, the subframe is gently stepped. However because the subframe rails run parallel to the underside fringe of the gasoline tank, the general design is as cohesive as it’s razor sharp.
Bookending the BMW’s gasoline tank are a bikini fairing and a compact tail part. The previous began out as an off-the-shelf piece, earlier than Jacek trimmed it to go well with the challenge and capped it with an orange windshield. The saddle and tail bump had been fabricated from scratch.
Equal consideration was given to the BMW’s energy plant. Swapping the unique airbox for a pair of pod filters is a standard mod on outdated boxers, however the space the place the airbox was is commonly wasted within the course of. Right here, Jacek constructed a field to deal with the ignition and a few of the digital components, then flanked it with two aluminum ‘radiators.’
The engine was judiciously completed in gloss black, with all the best bits polished so as to add some tasteful distinction. Customized-made badges adorn the first engine block, whereas underslung chrome steel exhaust headers terminate in modified aftermarket mufflers. The whole exhaust system has been ceramic coated; a welcomed various to black warmth wrap.
With the BMW’s bodily stance sorted, Michał had the arduous activity of crafting an appropriately good-looking paint job. He opted for a riff on British Racing Inexperienced, complemented by pinstripes that echo traditional R-series designs, with a twist. By including an indent within the pinstripes that sit on both facet of the tank, and including black areas to the bodywork, Michał managed to trim the down bike much more (visually, not less than).
The subframe was polished to match the highlights on the engine and wheels. However virtually every thing else was redone in black, utilizing a smorgasbord of end varieties.
Finer particulars embody a brand new higher triple clamp, a Daytona Velona speedo, and clip-on handlebars. Morfen tapped Highsider for the bike’s lights, switches, and grips, then wrapped the latter in leather-based. Beautiful custom-made tank roundels end off the construct in stylish trend.
Jacek and Michał clearly work effectively collectively—which is why this gained’t be the final time we see Morfen’s identify. The duo plans to construct extra {custom} bikes collectively, with a selected give attention to BMW café racers. We’ll be holding a detailed eye on them.
Cardsharper Customs | MOCNO Studio
