The SMIDSY Bike Build Part 3: The Big Reveal!
Proudly supported by Maurice Blackburn
When Antique Motorcycles agreed to take on the task of turning a BMW K100 LT into a slick but safe café racer, they took on a big challenge. Building a custom is relatively easy, but building one that combines safety features with good looks is a whole new ball game.
The German Approach
As documented in past instalments, safety was the driving force behind the SMIDSY Bike Build, so a BMW was a logical choice as the base for this custom.
The actual unit selected, a 1986-model K100 LT tourer, came with an impressive list of safety features for its day, led by the Brembo brakes and Koni shocks, and don’t forget the rock-solid reliability of the BMW’s ‘flying brick’ engine.
Quite advanced for its day, the 987cc inline four engine featured fuel injection – a BMW first back then – so it and other high-end componentry was retained for the build, but certain elements were rebuilt or replaced as required.
Antique M/C also fitted an aftermarket stainless steel muffler that gives the bike a more audible engine note. While the “Sorry Mate, I Didn’t See You” excuse is regularly used by drivers involved in motorcycle accidents, “Sorry Mate, I Didn’t Hear You” gets trotted out almost as often, so a slightly louder exhaust will make this bike easier to be heard on the road.
Café Touches
As shown in the last instalment, the rearsets were in place. They were soon joined by the clip-on bars essential for any genuine café racer build. The bars and all controls are Rizoma units, supplied by BikeCraft.
While it’s a café racer, Antique M/C have made sure the riding position isn’t too radical, with the rearsets only a few inches back from standard and the clip-ons in their highest possible position while retaining the café racer look.
These, combined with other changes, ensure the riding position is still comfortable, and thus, safer.
The raised rear frame rails documented in Part 2, along with the custom seat unit with its distinctive ducktail hump allow a more ‘planted’ riding position. With more of the rider’s mass “over” the bike, rather than just perched on top of it, it’s safer.
The actual seat base was found online, while the seat itself is a one-off, made in-house by Antique Motorcycles.
You’ll notice, too, that Antique M/C went for conventional mirror placement for the build, rather than bar-end mirrors. Bar-ends may look cool, but they can compromise rear vision, especially when turning.
The addition of switchgear from a Suzuki Bandit 1200 means the controls are ones most modern riders will be familiar with, also contributing to the bike’s safety factor.
Clever Thinking
A touch that the Antique Motorcycles team are particularly happy with is the treatment of the top yoke. With the factory handlebars replaced with clip-ons, this left two big “holes” in the yoke where the bars are normally mounted. So rather than leave these empty, Antique M/C cleverly placed the ignition switch in one opening and a pair of USB ports in the other. It’s an inspired idea, keeping the top end of the bike clean, while allowing for the addition of a phone, or standalone GPS unit, for navigation.
The BMW instrumentation has been replaced with an Acewell 6654 compact gauge unit. This combines an analog tacho with a large digital speedometer. Importantly, this compact gauge unit also includes a large, programmable shift light and all the necessary warning lights, like oil, engine, temperature and low fuel.
This gauge unit also includes fuel and battery condition meters, a clock, gear position indicator, ambient temperature meter and two tripmeters in its large, easy-to-read LCD screen.
Antique M/C chose this unit for its incorporation of all the essentials needed for safe riding
Rolling Safety
The basic geometry of the K100 LT remains unchanged, so things like the front and rear suspension and wheels are all as they were made at the BMW factory. The crew at Antique M/C know the work that BMW’s engineers put into their bikes doesn’t need to be compromised by mucking about with things like steering angle and wheelbase modifications. Being shaft drive, the latter is difficult to achieve, anyway.
That being said, we are talking about a 30-year-old bike, so the forks were refurbished and seals replaced, with the same treatment applied to the Koni monoshock rear. Thanks to a number of replacement components, this is now essentially a completely new shock.
The original brake discs have been replaced with changeover units from Metal Gear in Queensland, with new brake pads and brake lines fitted, while new master cylinders from Rizoma have been incorporated at both ends to ensure the best and safest possible braking performance.
The factory alloy wheels were thoroughly checked over early in the build process and proved to be OK, so they were stripped and repainted, then sent to Pablo’s Motorcycle Tyres. Understanding the purpose of the SMIDSY Bike Build, Pablo’s fitted a set of Pirelli Sport Demon tyres, as they combine good grip with impressive wet-weather performance and long life for road riding.
Indian-Inspired Appearance.
In terms of the paint, inspiration came from the range of new Indian motorcycles that Antique M/C sells, specifically the colour scheme on the latest Indian Scout.
While the Scout uses a predominantly deep red colour scheme contrasted with black panels trimmed in gold, Antique decided to flip that, with black now the dominant colour, and red used for the detail panels on the tank and tail.
Wayne Hind from Custom Grafix in Braeside, VIC, handled the paint, with the standout element of his work being the rich, deep red that’s accented by a copper pearl finish.
Explaining his painting process, Wayne said that, after a high-build primer coat, the black base was laid down, then a copper pearl coat. Masking off pinstripes in this area, a silver base was applied to the contrast panels, then Candy Port Red.
The finishing touch was airbrushed black detailing around the pinstripes to give a 3D effect, followed by six coats of custom clear.
Using DNA Custom Paints exclusively for this project, Wayne said he’s really happy with the finished result, especially the deep texture achieved on the pinstripes and contrast panels.
Details, Details
As mentioned in Part 2 of this build, the headlight is from an Indian, specifically a current model Scout. It may look small in this application, but it’s a powerful unit, with a long, broad light beam.
At the back, the aftermarket tail light, made to suit a Harley, has been neatly incorporated into the ducktail, but is still large enough to be visible on the road, while being LED, it’s abundantly bright, too. LED lights were also chosen for the indicators at both ends.
You could say that the engine treatment is also Indian-inspired, with the polished head and bottom end covers mimicking the chrome engine trim found on American v-twin cruisers. That’s another clever touch and a reflection of Antique M/C’s attention to detail that they applied to all elements of this build.
Ride Ready
Shortly after Antique M/C completed this build, JUST BIKES took it out on the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride (DGR) in Melbourne. It lived up to all our expectations on that run, rode beautifully and drew plenty of attention from other ride participants, too. When the connection to Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, the SMIDSY campaign and the whole ‘safety first’ mantra behind the build was explained, all the DGR riders loved it and gave the idea a big thumbs up.
JUST BIKES will be taking the SMIDSY Bike to other shows and motorcycling events in the future, so look out for it when it lands at a bike event near you.
Maurice Blackburn lawyers extended a huge thanks to Antique Motorcycles, who made the idea of a safety custom bike a reality, as well as the following companies who provided parts or services for the project.
- Pablo’s Motorcycle Tyres
- BikeCraft
- Metal Gear
- Custom Grafix
- Motorcycle Transport Logistics
Johnny Gee from Antique Motorcycles would like to thank Wayne at Custom Grafix for the paint, and all his team in the Antique M/C workshop for the build, with a special mention for Rhys Norman, who was responsible for the project from conception through to completion.
Photos: Nik Epifanidis
