The year is 1982 and the most expensive production line produced motorcycle you can buy is a top-spec BMW R100. And they weren’t just a little pricey, they were 15% more expensive than the next highest-priced bike on the market. So you would never have guessed back then, that in a generation’s time, people would be cutting them up on mass and turning them into customs. But what made the bike so good then, is exactly what makes this example so brilliant today, the sheer level of meticulous engineering to produce the perfect package. This makes perfect sense, as this Bavarian’s builder, Fiorello Galluzzo, is an electrical control system engineer, and he’s used all those smarts to turn a 1982 BMW R100 into a road rocket with a stunning retro racer livery.
Very often, someone’s occupation heavily influences the way they go about building a motorcycle and never has that been so true, than with this very build. By day Fio develops and supports mission critical IT systems that ensure the electricity gets from the grid to the end user. So, you have to figure that mistakes in his industry are heavily frowned upon and you simply must possess an unparalleled eye for the finer details. And boy does that shine through on this build, the donor might have been a mess, but the finished result leaves no stone unturned in designing and executing a boxer twin that really captures the ethos of German engineer.
The whole process began in Photoshop, uploading images of the bike and then making creative changes, superimposing parts and generally coming up with a digital representation of what the finished product should look like. Wanting to retain the stock wheels, the fabrication started at the front end, and with a lathe purchased, Fio was soon teaching himself to turn a set of hub adapters. This allowed him to bolt on a set of Hyosung GT650R forks, with modified triple clamps and the retention of the Korean bike’s 4-piston calipers. A set of wave pattern rotors, measuring 300mm, and originally intended for a Kawasaki SuperSport finish out the pointy end in fine style, especially with the addition of the BMW logos on the painted calipers.
The rear end required even more work to come up to Fio’s standard, and he designed and fabricated an all-new subframe, that was then welded to the original main frame for an OEM level of fit and finish. To craft the seat cowl, florist foam was first shaped and then used as a mould for the final fibreglass product, “I opted for a sloping flat back design for the cowl along the lines of the rear of the Ford GT40 or Porsche 917 Le Mans cars, instead of the common rounded back of classic cafe racers,” Fio tells us. The lines work brilliantly with the tank, but it made finding an off-the-shelf tail light all but impossible. So, custom items have been made using perspex and LEDs, and the whole unit features a quick-release mechanism to access the storage under the hump.
More custom fab work was needed to craft the fenders, and the front is picture perfect, beautifully following the lines of the tyre and forming a tight fit, while the rear hugger is all function and you’d barely know it was there. For the main fairing, Fio knew the look he wanted and sourced its creation to a third party, but this was a mistake, as what came back was seriously second-rate. But getting his hands dirty once again, he cut, bent and sculpted the piece to the stunning shape you see now and had a screen maker shape the clear perspex. Now all the bodywork could come off, and many hours were spent preparing it for paint before that iconic Gulf Oil Racing colour scheme was laid down.
But the quality fabrication work wasn’t done, the frame has been given one hell of a de-tabbing, with all of the stock brackets and mounts removed. “I then fabricated new sections welded into the frame to accommodate new foot controls and custom linkages to work with a much sportier riding position.” They not only look good but work sensationally well, operating a new Brembo master cylinder, while quality YSS rear shocks finish out the back end. Now the frame, swingarm, wheels and a host of other pieces could be sandblasted and thoroughly prepared for their own paintwork. Absolutely every surface is flawless, even the engine and gearbox look better than new, and Cerakote has been employed on some of those hard-wearing surfaces.
Speaking of that engine however, it has come in for a complete and total rebuild, as the entire thing was stripped, including the gearbox and final drive, before being pieced back together with all new seals and gaskets, as well as new cylinders, pistons, rings, bearings and a fresh oil pump. Initially, the engine ran on the stock Bing carbs which had been rebuilt, but to improve power and throttle response the BMW now sports a set of Mikuni VM38s with pod filters. The exhaust system is also all-new, and everything is absolutely perfect from the custom brackets to the full-length stainless steel system with reverse cone mufflers.
Of course, given Fio’s job, you’d expect the electrical system to be as good as it gets, and it is. “All wiring was done from scratch and routed discreetly to a MotoGadget M unit that lives under the fuel tank powered by a 12cell Lithium Ion battery under the engine cover above the gearbox where the original air box once was.” The Boxer twin also benefits from new coils, leads, regulator/rectifier, rebuilt alternator, and starter motor. Then the MotoGadget catalogue was given a serious workout to take care of the little items like the indicators, and there is even a push button incorporated into the steering stem nut. The quality of the build is first class, and that commitment to excellence and taking care of every detail, combined with a creative eye, produces a BMW R that truly stands out from the crowd.
[ Fiorello Galluzzo | Photography by Benjamin Azevedo ]