WalzWerk Motorcycles is a name known to custom bike aficionados all over the world, with its history stretching as far back as 1990. The mastermind behind it goes by the name of Marcus Walz, and he’s what you might refer to as a man of many talents. Born in Heidelberg, West Germany in 1967, Marcus went on to establish his motorcycle customization venture at just 23-years-old.
He certainly didn’t predict how much success awaited down the road, and almost two decades of painstaking labor were required for it to be fully attained. At first, Herr Walz dealt solely with Harley-Davidsons, but he later expanded his interest to other marques, as well. Meanwhile, the shop we now know as WalzWerk scaled up its operations, gradually employing more people and never stopping to rest on its laurels.
What started as a humble one-man endeavor in a repurposed horse stable has eventually turned into the most prolific customization outfit on German soil. At present, the WalzWerk crew operates out of a massive 8,600-square-foot (800 sqm) facility in Hockenheim, with a clientele that includes figures like Kimi Raikkonen. He’s a cool dude from Finland who drives pretty well; maybe you’ve heard of him.
Jokes aside, Marcus and his team are obviously not playing around, but the frontman is now also a successful entrepreneur owning a hotel and multiple restaurants. We’re here to talk about custom motorcycles, though, more precisely the 1,000th project put together by these bike-modding connoisseurs. You have, indeed, read that correctly, and you aren’t the only one wondering if they ever sleep.
The WalzWerk squad tackled this build in 2022, with their starting point being a BMW R 100 RS from the model-year 1990. As the guys soon discovered, the airhead had in fact come off the assembly line around a month after Marcus founded the firm that bears his surname. Thus, it seemed like a matter of destiny for this old-school Beemer to find its way onto their workbench.
Photo: WalzWerk
Once it did, the experts took everything apart and deleted the stock subframe, both wheels, and all the original bodywork. The main frame was cleaned up, then sand-blasted, and ultimately stiffened with some clever welding. A new subframe got bolted onto the rear section, featuring built-in LED lighting and supporting a gorgeous seat from WalzWerk’s proprietary aftermarket range.
Right ahead of it lies the modified fuel tank of a Honda CB model from the seventies, with CNC-milled emblems displaying the workshop’s logo. The tank is draped in a light beige hue borrowed from Porsche’s vintage color palette, along with black pinstripes on the flanks and commemorative graphics up top. Completing the motorcycle’s attire is a repurposed Harley-Davidson front fairing, which encircles a yellow-tinted LED headlight.
Look closely, and you will also see minute aftermarket turn signals attached to the fairing. The R 100’s cockpit area bears fresh CNC-machined triple clamps, a Motogadget speedo, and clip-on handlebars. In turn, the clip-ons come equipped with Daytona grips and compact switches, as well as a pair of KustomTech control levers.
That just about does it for the hardware on the upper part of this machine, so let’s have a gander at what’s going on lower down. Gone are the BMW’s factory wheels, making room for custom 18-inch alternatives with black hubs, stainless-steel spokes, and shiny alloy rims. These new hoops wear Firestone Deluxe Champion rubber for visual appeal, but they can be swapped with a second wheel set sporting ContiRoadAttack tires from Continental.
For ample stopping power at the front, WalzWerk installed higher-spec brake rotors and calipers from their own parts catalog, mating them to modern Wunderkind lines. The rear end still carries the standard drum brake, but it’s been drilled to prevent things from getting too toasty.
Photo: WalzWerk
Rear-mounted foot pegs can be spotted a little further ahead, appropriately complementing the clip-ons found in the cockpit. In terms of suspension upgrades, the stock R 100 RS forks were shortened by approximately five inches (127 mm) and then fitted with progressive springs.
The lowers have been powder-coated black, while the upper portions received bespoke covers to beef them up cosmetically. As tasty as these modifications might be, the rear end is where the Germans really went to town. Seeking a more unique setup, WalzWerk got in touch with the folks over at Suspension Store – the official distributor of YSS goodies in the Netherlands.
The Dutch specialists came up with a billet aluminum linkage that employs an adjustable YSS shock absorber, both a stunning and highly functional arrangement we can’t get enough of. The Bavarian’s twin-cylinder boxer was blessed with an all-inclusive rebuild, gaining a brand-new camshaft, Dell’Orto carburetors, and a youthful electronic ignition in the process.
Items such as the valves and crank have also been revised, while the OEM exhaust got ditched in favor of a two-into-one replacement made of stainless-steel. With these items in place, the engine can produce a very respectable 85 hp, and this grunt pushes a curb weight of just 370 pounds (168 kg).
A bit of an artist himself, Silvian sees two- and four-wheeled machines as a form of art, especially restomods and custom rides. Oh, and if you come across a cafe racer article on our website, it’s most likely his doing. Full profile
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