Kevils. It is a word so synonymous with classy BMW builds that you can forget that it derived from a man’s name. Kevin Hill – Kev Hill – Kevils. That old linguistic technique of Portmanteau - the blending of two words to create a new one, like brunch or sexcapade. Now as is our netiquette I should get back to his latest bodacious machine named “El Toro” which was built for a Spanish aerospace worker named Alex.
“When Alex paid us a visit in Devon he knew exactly what he wanted.” Explains Kev, “Jota bars on a street tracker with twin megaphone silencers, Led hidden rear lights and indicators, distressed leather diamond stitched seating for two, a small bates headlamp, and definitely a silver tank.” But such is the automotive pornocopia that Kevin has created down in Devon that Alex’s carefully conceived design changed. As his eyes wandered they happened upon Kevin’s trusty rusty smart car “That’s what I want” he said. Thankfully they happened to have enough of the rust effect paint left over to satisfice.
A fairly craptacular 1982 BMW R80 was sourced as a starting point and work began. If you are a regular reader you will know by now that the team in Paignton do not spend a lot of time chillaxing under Kevin’s watch, anything fuglywas instantly binned and soon enough the donor had received the customary Kevil’s ground up restoration rebuild in which all components are either replaced or upgraded until the bike is as new.
There are various swapportunities within the Kevil’s build programme and Alex opted for a flat subframe with a rear loop and a short rear mudguard. The frame received graphite powder coating whilst the fork sliders were blacked out along with the spoked wheels. A two into one low level exhaust with twin raw steel megaphones was another swaptionthat will, in time, end up the same colour as the tank. This is a bike that will develop with age.
The Kevil’s Speed shop knowledgebase of the BMW is second to none, you will find no imagineering or guesstimationin this or any of their builds, just immaculate detailing. The Jota bars and small bates light are present just as requested along with the distressed diamond stitched seat. At the front of the seat is what Kev refers to as a “posing pouch” in which Alex can stash either change or his aviators, but for the purpose of this article I prefer to refer to it as a frocket (front pocket) and imagine it concealing a small croissandwich.
Alex’s work sees his time split between Manchester during the summer and Valencia during the winter, unsurprisingly it is Valencia where he is sending El Toro, just in time for Christmas, well which would you choose for a staycation? Kevin reports that Alex is Spanish through and through, however his Spanish Manchester (Spanglish) accent “is about as Spanish as straw donkeys and sombrero hats?”
It is yet another brilliant build to add to the Kevils Speed Shop fanzine page. It is their fourteenth build to feature on the Bikeshed in 2014, the only question that remains is whether they can go one better in 2015 and reach 15? We certainly look forward to finding out.
Apologies for all of the Portmanteau words – Goodbye! (god be with you).
via The Bike Shed
