Dakar History

Long before BMW gained popularity as the adventure motorcyclist weapon of choice, thanks to Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman’s escapades and their Long Way-series, BMW already had a reputation for building bullet-proof adventure bikes. It had everything to do with the company’s Dakar rally history, where it all started with the R80G/S back in 1980. BMW was a force to reckon with in the 1980’s all the way up until the end of the 1990s. The R80GS grew into the R100GS, which eventually transformed into the R1100GS; which was a completely different bike compared to the ones before.

Adventurers’ choice

When the R1100GS was first introduced back in 1994, it was a bit of an odd-looking machine, most notably because of the famous “beak”. Combined with BMW’s proprietary front Telelever suspension, it took a lot of people some time getting used to. Nevertheless, BMW built an extremely capable dual-sport machine, which took countless of travelers around the world. It was also extremely popular as a commuter and touring bike. There is a reason why you see so many BMW GS’s when you travel around in Europe. They’re comfortable, powerful, easy on fuel, reliable, and most of all, hassle-free. It doesn’t matter where you are in Europe, BMW can get you any spare part that you need, within 3 business days. And they’re usually faster than that.

Extraordinary

Which brings us to the topic at hand: the BMW R1100GS. Turning something as sacred as the a GS into something more aggressive and unique is not an easy feat. Luckily, we know a couple of guys who never back down from a challenge. As a matter of fact, Moto Adonis really do dare to do things differently. Like the Honda Monkey they built for Rusty Stitches. This particular BMW R1100 used to be owned by Job Leussink, co-founder of Moto Adonis. He sold it to a customer, who later decided that he wanted to have it built into something special and extraordinary. A sketch was made, and after approval, the angle-grinder was put to work.

The owner gave the craftsmen of Moto Adonis the full reigns and had only one hard condition: a flat bench. Achieving that on the GS meant removing the factory subframe and fabricating a new one from scratch. The seat was custom made by Miller Kustom Upholstery and finished in a luxurious brown leather. The fuel tank looks massive and is the centerpiece of this project. It’s a one-off unit built in-house by Moto Adonis. It’s big, bold, and makes the BMW look mean as hell. To complement the aggressive look, a custom 2-in-1 exhaust was fabricated by MAD exhausts, finished in a special black coating. A pair of custom-made fenders were built to match the rest of the bike. The original BMW wheels were retained and received a fresh coat of black paint and some aggressive Bridgestone rubbers.

Devil in the Details

It may not look that way at first, but there are a ton of details on this particular project. There’s the push-in screw fuel cap that looks very classy. The scrambler headlight, Biltwell grips, YSS shocks and small digital speedo courtesy of Acewell add just enough flavor to the mix. The steel braided brake lines ensure sufficient stopping power. All these parts work together really well. Combined with the blacked-out metal parts, green fuel tank, and brown leather seat, this BMW R1100GS has transformed into a real neck-turner. Hate it or love it, you most definitely won’t be able to keep your eyes off it!

Builder details:
Moto Adonis
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About the Author: Adnane Bensalah

Adnane Bensalah is a motorcycle enthusiast from the highest order. Ever since he swung his leg over a written-off Gilera Citta that he salvaged with his brother at the age of 13, his love for two-wheeled combustion engine powered vehicles has only grown. From that day on, riding and wrenching on motorcycles is all that he can think of. After pursuing a degree in aerospace engineering, Adnane ended up working for a major oil & gas company. This allowed him to travel all over the world and meet people from all walks of life. Adnane loves to interact with people and loves it even more to share his experiences. Adnane calls himself a “motorcyclist” instead of “biker”, because he thinks it sounds fancy. He has owned over a dozen of motorcycles in different categories, but his true passion lays with retro bikes, café racers and scramblers. Adnane’s philosophy is that any motorcycle can be considered perfect, it all depends on the size of your smile when you ride it. Having worked on many bikes himself, Adnane is a true autodidact and trained himself in being a mechanic. “Anybody can disassemble an engine, but to assemble it back again in working order, that’s what makes the difference.” Perhaps that is why he enjoys to write about bike builds and the people behind them. Adnane owns a Moto Guzzi V7 Special as a daily ride, a Royal Enfield Classic 500 that has been tuned to race.

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