When a workshop focuses very tightly on one mannequin of motorcycle, it’s often a superb factor. They get to know what to switch, and what to go away alone. And the place to get the largest bang for the buck.
That’s the philosophy of the Brazilian store Retrorides by Lourenço. Based by brothers Gustavo and Rodrigo Lourenço and their father José, they’ve carved out a distinct segment constructing very sharp BMW Okay collection café racers—like this darkish and good-looking K100 RS.
The Lourenços are primarily based in a city a few hours away from the massive metropolis of São Paulo. Their firm is understood all through Brazil for its slick work on automobiles and vans, in addition to BMW bikes.
It’s apparent the place the fervour lies, although. “I’ve at all times been obsessive about the Okay collection,” Gustavo confesses. “The engines of those bikes fascinate me. I’ve achieved numerous tasks with them, however this time I needed to do one thing completely different.”
Sadly, José handed away in December—however he could be very happy to see the work his sons have achieved on this construct. Retrorides have at all times targeted on enhancing the strains of a motorcycle, and that’s precisely what occurred with this undertaking.
They’ve taken inspiration from the extra primary Nineteen Eighties fashions of the Okay collection, which have been ‘bare’ roadsters, however made a crucial change to the trickiest a part of the styling—the gas tank.
The unique tank had a distorted backside line, designed to accommodate the radiator. It seems affordable when all of the OEM bodywork is in place, however as quickly as you take away something, it resembles an remoted jigsaw piece.
“The ‘bare’ K100 had a small ‘radiator protector’ subsequent to the gasoline tank,” says Gustavo, “so we began the undertaking from this half. Probably the most troublesome job was to rework this piece into one thing to be admired, within the café racer type.”
After hours of design and several other discarded fashions, Retrorides hit on the answer: a flush-fitting panel with a grill that enhances the opposite strains of the tank.
After modeling the half in 3D, Retrorides manufactured it on their 3D printer utilizing carbon fiber, with the grille machined out of billet aluminum. It’s one of many neatest options we’ve seen, and immediately transforms the seems of the Okay collection.
There’s extra fashionable problem-solving to be discovered forward of the bars, with a brand new fairing that wraps round a round headlight. That is one other piece of 3D design and printing, and incorporates the enduring kidney grille from BMW automobiles. This grille can be CNC machined out of aluminum.
The restyle is accomplished with the brand new tail unit, which sits on a truncated subframe. The creases mimic the contours of the gasoline cap, and there’s a built-in LED taillight. To maintain issues even cleaner, Retrorides have flushed within the rear flip alerts as properly, that are created from clear acrylic. It’s but extra consideration to element that offers this K100 a clean and interesting visible circulation.
“At this level, the design was principally achieved,” says Gustavo. “So it was time to start out on the mechanical components and particulars.”
Stance is crucial, so the crew started with the wheels. They took a pair of 17-inch rims, completed them off in bronze, and adjusted the offset of the rear wheel to align it with the body. The tires chosen have been Heidenau K73s, an exceptionally grippy compound initially designed for supermotos.
New brake rotors have been CNC manufactured, and there are new four-piston calipers on the entrance. They’re connected to USD forks from a Honda 599/Hornet, that are grafted on utilizing new higher and decrease triple bushes created from CNC machined aluminum.
“With the handlebars, we determined to do one thing completely different,” says Gustavo. “We inverted the bars throughout the highest of the headlight nacelle.” The result’s good: there’s not one of the empty house you’d get with clip-ons.
CNC’d aluminum mirrors and discreet Motogadget flip alerts bookend the handlebars, and Retrorides additionally made a mount for a Motogadget Motoscope Mini speedo.
A lot heavier work is obvious on the again finish, notably a brand new subframe machined from aluminum. Following the strains of the gas tank, it’s anodized in black. It additionally hides a compact lithium battery and helps the brand new seat pad, which is upholstered in black leather-based with diamond-shaped seams.
Beneath is a brand new horizontal rear suspension setup, designed and bought by Retrorides and well-known within the customized Okay collection scene. Designed for monolever bikes and machined from a stable block of aluminum, it additionally ‘opens up’ the again finish visually.
The engine required little work: with round 90 hp on faucet, it’s acquired a lot sufficient grunt. A brand new stainless-steel exhaust system frees up the respiration although, and Retrorides have machined up 4 eye-catching velocity stacks on the consumption facet.
Refined gray BMW paint for the bodywork contrasts with the black finishes elsewhere, with additional pop coming from the bronze shade of the wheels and intakes.
All of it hangs collectively simply superbly, and that makes it among the finest Okay-series customs we’ve seen but. Gustavo and Rodrigo have achieved their father proud.
