BMW K1100 by Unikat

It’s always fun to receive an email from Grzegorz Korczak of Unikat Motorworks. Every time he surprises me with his wide variety of builds. Were some builders tend to have a preference for a certain brand or type, Grzegorz just works on all kinds of bikes. With a clear philosophy of his builds “1 of 1”, he tends and tries to create really unique, one of a kind machines. This time he took on a rather boring BMW K1100 LT police motor and turned it into this and I’m not sure how to label this bike:

Words by Unikat:

I remember as it was today – May, rainy morning, when Radek (the motorbike owner) delivered a police version of BMW K1100, production year 1999. The big, white, fairing evoked at our workshop extreme emotions, some of us wanted to get rid of it as quickly as possible, while others saw in it a white canvas, ready to be painted. With the stubbornness of the maniac, we played with an electrically-controlled deflector, changing its position all the time.

Radek, basically, gave us a free hand on this project… of course he had some requirements and objections, but he could not refuse an open head for novelty, change, and new solutions. We decided to build an one-person cafe racer with an aggressive look, which will be saturated with technical details. So, this is how we have accomplished it…

Of course, we started with removal of all the unnecessary stuffto see its true potential. Starting from the front, we have decided to mount the clip-ons. In order to achieve a minimalist look, we removed the original switches and levers (clutches and brake pumps) and replaced them with Motogadget’s m.switch mini buttons, clutch lever and radial brake pump by Daytona 675. We complemented the handlebar with indicator lights and mirrors from Rizoma. Large, square speedometers were replaced by the Motogadget Chronoclassic Black Edition tachometer.

Instead of the traditional headlight, we used two LED lenses that are fully homologated and give a unique technical design. At first glance, they give an impression of an unfinished project, but that was Grzesiek’s idea, who wanted to capture all the elements, originally hidden under the plastic. So now, you can easily see all the mechanical and construction parts of the K1100.

Much of the time we have devoted to locksmith works related to the modification of the sub-frame, so that we could use the rear fairing from the Kawasaki ZR550, as well as modifying the upper suspension shelf, custom chin fairing, exhaust system, footpegs, and many other components that made it possible to achieve the final effect.

The wheels also generated mixed feelings for some time. Design of the 90’s was fancied by some, while others wanted to replace them at all costs. However, Grzesiek, who was the designer of this motorcycle, decided to leave them, giving them an interesting color design. The BMW K1100 has a black finishing with purple accents that shine in with the daylight.

It is also worth mentioning, that the premiere of our cafe racer took place at the All Ride Moto Show 2017 in Prague, where custom workshops from all over Europe have presented their motorcycles.