One-Off BMW R 80 RT From WalzWerk May be Muted, But It’s Still an Absolute Stunner

Marcus and his squad have dealt with high-profile clients and regular Joes alike, with the BMW marque being their main area of expertise. A fair number of their builds are part of the Schizzo lineup, which sees the WalzWerk crew taking old-school airheads and reworking them with their own tasty formula. A Schizzo can either be a scrambler, cafe racer, roadster, or bobber, and the guys will make it look the part regardless of the chosen genre.

That being said, the specimen we’re about to look at hails from the roadster crowd, providing a perfect example of WalzWerk’s design direction. It all started with an R 80 RT Monolever from the model-year 1989, which was quickly put on the workbench and dismantled upon arrival at the shop. As always, the mods performed here are extensive and of the highest possible quality.

During the initial teardown, items like the stock subframe, wheels, and exhaust have all been eliminated, along with many other bits and pieces. The only factory bodywork part that remains here is the fuel tank, and the updated outfit is incredibly minimalistic. Before getting to the bike’s garments, the guys had its main framework sand-blasted and mated to an off-the-shelf subframe from their proprietary range.

Atop this new rear framework lies a stylish studded seat with room for one, while a slender but very practical fender can be spotted underneath. Its rearmost tip carries a circular LED taillight and a minimalistic license plate bracket, both parts you can order individually from the WalzWerk catalog. The suspension in that area has also received a big upgrade.

It comes in the form of a Black-T piggyback shock absorber from Touratech, featuring full adjustability so it can be tailored to each rider’s preference. The factory forks are still in play at the front, but they’ve been lowered by 130 millimeters (about 5.2 inches) and fitted with premium internals. In between the fork legs sits a custom mudguard, much shorter than the rear unit but still large enough to serve its purpose.

Held in place via custom billet aluminum triple clamps, the front suspension modules are embellished with new rubber gaiters and a pair of upper sleeves on the outside. The covers feature integrated turn signal assemblies, and they flank a bright LED headlamp fitted on custom brackets. Improved front-end stopping power was also on the menu, so WalzWerk had the calipers revamped and coupled with floating Brembo discs.

The upgraded brakes and suspension are sure to take the Beemer’s handling to the next level, making it as good as its appearance at the very least. In the unsprung sector, we’re greeted by a stunning set of laced hoops featuring stainless-steel spokes and lightweight rims enveloped in classy Shinko rubber. A secondary pair of wheels also comes with the bike, this time shod in Continental’s grippy ContiRoadAttack tires for more spirited riding.

Glance over at the cockpit area, and you’ll notice Motogadget instrumentation fronting a low-rise WalzWerk handlebar. The latter comes equipped with Biltwell grips, Motogadget switches, and adjustable control levers, but there are no mirrors to speak of. Marcus and his team would leave no stone unturned here, so they also went to town in the powertrain department.

For starters, the boxer-twin engine was extensively rebuilt inside out, and its capacity was increased all the way up to 1,000cc. Upgraded valves and a higher-spec camshaft also make an appearance, while the Bing carbs have been rebuilt and then topped with aftermarket pod filters. On the exhaust side of things, you’ll notice SC-Project plumbing replacing the stock pipes, with thermal coating to keep temperatures in check.

An elegant color scheme brings the transformation full circle, comprising a glossy coat of dark green on the fuel tank and matte-black elsewhere. The green hue was taken from Porsche’s color palette, and it's complemented by black-and-white BMW roundels containing the builder’s name. Understated though it may be, the paintwork used here is a perfect match for this elegant R 80 RT roadster.

The motorcycle experienced a considerable weight reduction following WalzWerk’s makeover, and it will now tip the scales at just 172 kilograms (379 pounds) with fluids. On the other hand, the engine’s peak power output figure grew to a much healthier 75 ponies, which is a 50 percent increase over the standard digits. Given its sexy looks and all the performance upgrades, this is one of the raddest custom airheads we’ve seen as of late!