Photo: Lord Drake Customs
Models belonging to the old-school R lineup from BMW have been customized in countless ways, but certain projects still manage to stand out in one way or another. Whereas many builders will stick to the well-established molds out there, others don’t have a problem with reinventing the wheel to create something truly remarkable. Take, for instance, this shiny R 80 from Lord Drake Kustoms.
With facilities in both Miami and Malaga, Spain, the firm was established by one Fran Manen several years ago. They’ve delivered a steady stream of custom gems like this chromed BMW bobber over time, and their work never fails to impress. Let’s zoom right in on this head-turner and see what it’s all about, because the mods go a lot further than what we normally see on these types of machines.
As the R 80 was coming apart, most of its stock hardware aside from the engine and main frame was taken out of the equation. Then, Fran and his team sourced a pair of conventional Showa forks and had them installed via custom triple clamps, together with two metal sleeves covering their upper sections. It was tempting for Lord Drake Kustoms to use a springer setup at first, but they eventually chose the telescopic bits for practicality’s sake.
The front brake was beefed up with a new drilled disc and a sturdier caliper, so as to give the R 80 a good dose of additional stopping power. A custom fender is placed on brass mounting hardware in between the forks, and the front-end equipment is completed by a very stylish headlamp. In the cockpit, there is Motogadget instrumentation and a custom handlebar whose shape gives the impression of clip-ons.
Elegant leather grips, minimalistic switches, and bar-end turn signals are also present in that area, but there are no rear-view mirrors to speak of. Making our way southward, we come across a new fuel tank resembling that of a Benelli Mojave, topped with a handsome strap made of the same type of brown leather as the grips. Of course, the material was used for the saddle upholstery, as well.
Beneath the stunning bobber seat lies a bespoke rear fender, attached to the swingarm and flanked by fully-adjustable aftermarket shock absorbers. The swingarm also bears a custom license plate holder with integrated LED lighting. On the powertrain side of things, Lord Drake performed a comprehensive overhaul of the boxer-twin mill before adding some fresh breathing equipment.
Air flows in through premium pod filters, and the exhaust gases and channeled through bespoke pipework enveloped in drilled heat shields. An abundance of chrome and brass plating brings the transformation full circle, along with a nice bit of leatherwork where the OEM airbox had once been. In conclusion, we can probably all agree that Lord Drake Kustoms’ bobbed R 80 is phenomenal by every metric.
As the R 80 was coming apart, most of its stock hardware aside from the engine and main frame was taken out of the equation. Then, Fran and his team sourced a pair of conventional Showa forks and had them installed via custom triple clamps, together with two metal sleeves covering their upper sections. It was tempting for Lord Drake Kustoms to use a springer setup at first, but they eventually chose the telescopic bits for practicality’s sake.
The front brake was beefed up with a new drilled disc and a sturdier caliper, so as to give the R 80 a good dose of additional stopping power. A custom fender is placed on brass mounting hardware in between the forks, and the front-end equipment is completed by a very stylish headlamp. In the cockpit, there is Motogadget instrumentation and a custom handlebar whose shape gives the impression of clip-ons.
Elegant leather grips, minimalistic switches, and bar-end turn signals are also present in that area, but there are no rear-view mirrors to speak of. Making our way southward, we come across a new fuel tank resembling that of a Benelli Mojave, topped with a handsome strap made of the same type of brown leather as the grips. Of course, the material was used for the saddle upholstery, as well.
Beneath the stunning bobber seat lies a bespoke rear fender, attached to the swingarm and flanked by fully-adjustable aftermarket shock absorbers. The swingarm also bears a custom license plate holder with integrated LED lighting. On the powertrain side of things, Lord Drake performed a comprehensive overhaul of the boxer-twin mill before adding some fresh breathing equipment.
Air flows in through premium pod filters, and the exhaust gases and channeled through bespoke pipework enveloped in drilled heat shields. An abundance of chrome and brass plating brings the transformation full circle, along with a nice bit of leatherwork where the OEM airbox had once been. In conclusion, we can probably all agree that Lord Drake Kustoms’ bobbed R 80 is phenomenal by every metric.
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