Some custom shops have a knack for building motorcycles that are clean enough to pass for factory specials. But this BMW boxer from the Estonian powerhouse Renard Speed Shop takes things up a notch. Not only does it look like some sort of restored off-road racing prototype, but it was also pieced together from leftover parts.
Most of what you see here, including the 1979-model R80/7 donor, was dug out of Renard’s workshop, and modded to fit together. That’s right: this one’s a bitsa.
Despite how tidy it is, Renard built this scrambler as a practical ride for navigating the many forests around their ‘hood. And if you’re picking up shades of the BMWs that participated in the International Six Days Trials, you’d be right—that’s where the inspiration came from.
Renard first overhauled and cleaned the R80/7’s 42-year-old motor, then mated it to the four-speed gearbox from an older /5. It’s a robust build with the airbox still in play, but the stainless steel exhaust system is new. The crew fabricated it from scratch—from the two-into-one headers all the way to the one-off muffler.
Most of the scalped parts on this build come from a vintage CZ motocrosser of unspecified designation. Renard adapted the CZ triples to fit the BMW, then mashed up the CZ’s fork legs with the BMW’s fork stanchions and internals. Other CZ bits include the 21” front wheel, its drum brake, and its intriguing rear shocks.
Renard kept the BMW’s stock 18” rear wheel, but extended the swingarm to match the length of the new shocks.
The R80’s bodywork is a mix of custom-made and salvaged bits. The fuel tank is another CZ find (no surprises there); Renard widened its tunnel to fit the bike’s frame, then made an ‘analog’ fuel gauge for it. The seat’s custom—built on an aluminum pan, and upholstered with a piece of distressed vinyl that was lying around the shop.
The team modified the BMW’s subframe, then added a rear rack that was scalped off another bike. The tool roll is old stock from Renard’s own apparel and gear shop. The fenders were ordered from the Italian company Parafanghi Bastia, and the yellow number boards are all hand-made aluminum parts.
Up top are old motocross handlebars, with new grips and a Tommaselli throttle that was gathering dust. Renard produce and sell their own switchgear; a CNC-machined assembly with laser-etched icons on the buttons. The switches here are a new, more compact version, that the crew will add to their catalog soon.
There’s a Motogadget speedo hiding behind the front number board, and a set of Oberon bar-end mirrors, cleverly mounted under the bars instead.
The headlight’s an off-the-shelf part, mounted on modified Honda XBR brackets, and flanked by a pair of LED turn signals. Lower down is a pair of BMW R nineT Scrambler foot pegs.
Renard’s trials-style BMW is tied together with a host of small and considered details. The right number board’s shaped to wrap around the muffler, while the left has a cut out for the kick-start lever. And the team even modified the back of the front fender for extra clearance against the exhaust header.
A warm grey livery keeps things classy, along with double black pinstripes and a pair of BMW roundels on the tank. It’s just the sort of high-class finish that we’ve come to expect from Renard—and the overall effect transcends its origins by a country mile.
Renard Speed Shop | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Kalle Veesaar
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