Japan and America might have the best-known motorcycle custom scenes, but Poland is here to tell you that its two-wheeled creative juices are flowing just fine.
And to prove it seven of BMW Motorrad Poland’s dealers have each unveiled a stunning custom bike based on BMW’s “Big Boxer” R 18 cruiser. To give you an idea of what they were starting with, here’s a picture of three different versions of the stock R 18 as they come from BMW (below).
Straight out of the box the retro-style R 18s have a custom vibe going on, but they also look like the perfect base for something wilder. Drop a comment below and let us know which BMW Mottorad dealer you think did the best job.
BMW R 18 Black Jack
Related: BMW’s R 18 Comes With A New “Big Boxer” Engine And Some Very Old Styling Cues
With a name like Black Jack, ZK Motors’ creation was never going to be painted in Pride colors, and even the donor bike’s contrasting chrome has been junked for a black lacquer alternative to give a much meaner look. Tiny, but fat 16-in wheels bring the bike closer to the ground and we love the shortened, matte-black exhaust.
BMW R 18 Isle of Man
Our next R 18 is named after the famous motorcycle road race, despite looking about as TT-ready as a Honda C90 cub. The build team says it draws inspiration from Georg Meier’s race-winning 1939 BMW RS 255 Kompressor, and Meier’s “49” race number is placed on each side below a map of the course. There are also three three-legged IOM logos on the engine, and the tank and side panels are painted in the same “Isle of Man” green available to BMW M4 buyers.
BMW R 18 Liberty
Liberty Motors Piaseczno teamed up with world-renowned custom bike builder, Pawel Stachura to create this brilliant blend of old and new motorcycle styles that features 18-in rear, and 21-in front, three-piece wheels, CNC-machined cylinder head covers and a round speedo recessed in the tank. Who needs chrome when matte black looks this good?
BMW R 18 Roadster
Apparently inspired by 1920s and 1930s auto engineering, this mutant combines a cafe racer-style seat hump, 1970s superbike bikini fairing and even has a BMW double-kidney grille on the front fender. There’s so much going on here it makes us think of the “AnyCar” bitsas George Barris created to help an American bank publicize its car loans in the early 1970s. Well, we guess the whole point of customization is to stand out.
BMW R 18 Roar
This dealer set out to recreate some of the magic of the 2019 R 18 Concept, the BMW show bike that paved the way for the current production model, by slimming down the rear end by fitting a shorter fender, traditional sprung saddle and a chopped exhaust that presumably inspired the name.
BMW R 18 Speedy Gonzales
Named after the speedy Mexican rodent from the racist 1960s cartoons, though presumably only because elephants aren’t native to Central America, this eye-catching custom’s defining features are its airbrushed paintwork, ape-hanger handlebars and a set of exhaust pipes that look like chrome-plated fence posts strapped them to the side of the bike.
BMW R 18 The Great Wave
Battling the Liberty machine for top honours in our book, The Great Wave’s inspiration comes from Japanese bobber bikes. The tank is decorated with Japanese-style artwork and features faux patina to give it an aged look, and we love the combination of flat bars, ducktail rear fender and copper detailing. Now, where did we put those selvedge jeans?
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