It’s the middle of the week, which means Kevils Speed Shop must built another BMW by now. Ah, here we are, found one. Joking aside, Kev Hill must run a tight ship own there in Devon as the quality and quantity of bikes leaving his workshop would take some beating.
This 1980 R100RS is the third classically styled Beemer to receive the Kevils treatment. The first was commissioned by a clothing brand and the second by a private customer. Said customer, David, ordered a classic scrambler and paid a deposit, at which point Kev and the boys set to and built more or less what you see here. With somewhat less success they tried to reach David by all modern methods of communication but failed and after nearly eight months there was no choice but to sell the bike to someone else. Another existing customer snapped it up, before the inevitable happened; David called apologetically and had to order a second bike.
The aim was to make this version look like a production scrambler from the more simple, post-war period so parts from other marques have been seamlessly incorporated. Triumph USA spec high-rise and swept-back handlebars look meaner in black but really pile on the visual years; in an intentional way. Period switches and vintage style grips maintain the theme. The standard voltmeter in the headlight unit has been swapped-out for a Motogadget Tiny, with a white face to break up the black and keep things looking classily classic.
The mudgaurds have been painted gloss black with a white, twin pinstripe to match the fuel tank, before adding a retro number plate. The headlight with its continental yellow hue further belies the donor’s age.
Wire wheels make all the difference, replacing the giveaway modern cast mags. In this case the rims and spokes are powder coated black, with a pair of Continental TKC80s. The seat and detachable pillion pad are of course handmade, from quality brown leather, the latter fixes to a bespoke subframe that doubles as a luggage rack.
That retro number plate is perfect for confusing old people and scything through unruly pedestrians, I might fit one to my bike for dispatching iPhone engrossed idiots who insist on wandering into the road. Luckily for folk in David’s way the upswept Triumph silencers should provide fair warning.
As with all KSS builds, a complete and total strip down is carried out before replacing gaskets, seals and bearings; looking good stuck on the side of the road is a hard thing to pull off, so Kev makes sure his customers don’t have to try. In a similar vein, it’s rare for Kev to leave the standard Bing carbs in place as the Mikuni replacements are easier to set up, stay tuned for longer and offer crisper throttle response.
Thankfully this time David answered the phone, paid the bill and took delivery of his fine retro scrambler. From here it looks like it may well have been worth the extra wait. Check back here next week for another instalment from Kevils Speed Shop, no pressure Kev 
Professionally photographed by Focal Point studios Torbay
via The Bike Shed
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