HAMMER KRAFTRAD SILBERNE

Michael Hammer (please let his middle name start with a C) is owner and builder at Hammer Kraftrad in Northern Bavaria.  His slick BMW R80 Bobber featured here late last year and this time round it’s an R100RS that has received the Cafe treatment.  A buddy of Michael’s already owns a Hammer creation and was keen for another so they sourced a rolling restoration projection from a farmer near Stuttgart.  The bike ran OK so was ridden straight home to the workshop and stripped back to the bare frame.

Much chat had ensued about how this Cafe Racer should end up looking and a good degree of guidance came form the customer but as with all of Michael’s builds, the adventure of the process is what makes this the ultimate way of making a living.  He clearly has a feel for it as the bodywork is all fabricated in-house.  The front fairing was rolled and hammered into shape with scalloped sides to mimic those in the fuel tank sides.  Seems a pretty neat job from here.  The asymmetrically mounted Daytona digi-speedo looks smart and provides the dude at the TÜV centre (MOT in the UK) with another tick in a long list of boxes as the German route to road legality is a long one for custom bikes.

The tank is of undetermined Japanese origin, with sides persuaded into shape with many hours of hammering, crowned by a superbly engineered cap.  Have a browse of the build photos on the Hammer Kraftrad blog.  The tail section is also handcrafted, continuing the scalloped lines.  The dark brown leather seat is a particularly nice effort and looks like a decent place to spend some time, carving through Bavarian countryside.

The trick foot pegs are mounted further back which improves the balance of both looks and riding position, something often overlooked especially on BMW cafe builds.  Knees under your chin is never a good look.  New adjustable shocks firm up the strengthened rear end and mirror the quality of the rest of this build.

Overall Michael has achieved a cohesive, classy look with a splash of colour just bold enough to add character without masking the quality of the workmanship.  His workshop looks capable of producing plenty more builds so we’re sure to see the next one in The Shed before too long.  Keep an eye on his Facebook page for more info.

via The Bike Shed