More Root Beer, Please: DubStyle’s Yamaha RD400 street tracker

The weekend is just about here, so what better way to celebrate than with a spicy two-stroke street tracker? This wild Yamaha RD400 is the work of Garett Wilson out of Colorado, USA—and it’s as refreshing as a root beer float on a hot day.

Operating as DubStyle Designs, Garett has a knack for building flat track-inspired bikes created for street riding shenanigans. He’s also been quoted as saying that he likes “vans with side pipes, boat flake paint jobs, and girls with feathered bangs.” That’s why everything that rolls out of his workshop not only looks like it would be a hoot to ride, but typically has a hot-rodded paint job to match.

This 1977-model Yamaha RD400 street tracker is no different, even though Garett’s initial plan for it was way different. “I traded my KTM 250SX for it about nine years ago,” he tells us, “after I shredded my knee and realized that with a wife, kids, and mortgage, I should maybe stop racing motocross.”

“I originally thought I would build a bike that me and my wife could take on date nights. I worked on it a little in between other builds I was working on, making a new subframe and seat for a passenger, and putting on GSX-R forks and some 19F/18R Excel wheels with cruiser tires. But I came to the realization that it was never going to be comfortable for the two of us, and stripped it back apart.”

The project stalled until the start of this year when Garett decided to drag it back onto the workbench and give it the quintessential DubStyle treatment. With the Handbuilt Show in Austin acting as a deadline, he got to work.

Garett based the design of his RD400 loosely on the iconic Champion-framed flat trackers of the 70s. That meant sourcing a fiberglass Champion tail section and fabricating a new subframe with the perfect kick at the back. But before the tailpiece and frame could meet, a few adjustments had to be made.

For starters, Garett modified the side of the tailpiece to interface neatly with the Yamaha’s OEM oil tank, and even added a tidy little cutout for the dipstick. Next, he hacked and re-shaped the tail bump to accommodate an LED strip taillight. (The bike’s important electrical bits are hiding under there too.)

A custom saddle sits up top, featuring a rather groovy stitching pattern, courtesy of Brian Kugler. A repurposed aluminum fuel tank from a 1970s Yamaha YZ400 enduro sits in front of it; an inspired choice that matches the rest of the layout beautifully.

Moving to the RD400’s running gear, Garett ditched the GSX-R forks for a set of right-side-up Yamaha R6 units. An aluminum swingarm from a 1970s Kawaski sits out back, hooked up to a pair of Fox shocks.

The stunning 7-spoke Morris-style wheels are also vintage Kawasaki items. Garett had to machine new carriers for the brake rotors and rear sprocket, before equipping the bike with Brembo calipers and Galfer discs. Given the pick-and-mix nature of the build, even smaller parts like the caliper mounts had to be machined from scratch.

The exhaust system is another cut-and-paste affair. Garett started by recycling a dinged-up Factory Pipe system—which included repairing the one ding that was too serious to live with. Then he hacked off the silencers and welded on a pair of FMF cans.

“I didn’t want to spend the big bucks on new pipes (yet),” he quips.

A custom-made number board sits up front, hosting a pair of rectangular headlights. Other changes include Renthal bars and grips, and upgraded pegs and foot controls. In between the big ticket items are countless bespoke parts; Garett credits Jake Shellito for helping him machine them in time for the Handbuilt Show.

In true DubStyle fashion, Garett picked a retro-fabulous livery to push his Yamaha RD400 street tracker over the finish line. Whitey’s Paint Shop laid down the root beer flake base and red, orange, and yellow graphics, while NeCo Customs tackled the myriad Cerakote finishes.

The only thing that makes us happier than knowing that there’s one more classic RD400 tearing up the streets, is that it looks this good. Now if only Garett would hand us the keys, our weekend would be perfect.

DubStyle Designs | Instagram | Images by Garett Wilson, with thanks to IMI Motorsports Complex

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The All-New BMW M5 is an Amazing Sedan – World Premiere

Dear readers, here we have the all-new BMW M5! Read more information below about the stunning specifications of this stunning sedan, the BMW M5.

Yesterday, June 26, 2024, BMW released the next generation of the M5, which is one of the most famous cars that represents performance and luxury. This new model inherits the legacy and takes the sports sedan to a new level that has not been seen before.

The 2025 BMW M5 has impressive acceleration due to its high-performance engines ( one 4.4-liter V8 engine and one electric motor ), stunning technology, and exquisite design.

Having its roots since 1975, the high-performance sports sedan is at the starting point of its seventh generation. Also, the well-known executive model from BMW M GmbH has been added with an electrified drive system for the first time.

The M HYBRID system gives the all-new 2025 BMW M5 a full power of 535 kW/727 hp and a maximum system torque of 1,000 Nm. The combined fuel consumption is 1,7–1,6 l/100 km and 25,5–25,0 kWh/100 km, according to WLTP. That’s a low fuel consumption for a high-performance sedan of 700+ hp.

The new BMW M5 is powered by a high-revving V8 engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology and an electric motor. Also, the power transmission is carried out through an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with an M xDrive all-wheel drive.

The new BMW M5 accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in only 3.5 seconds. It’s a great performance for a sedan! This is a true beast, right? Let’s talk about this great monster’s design, dynamics, and other specs…

Dynamics and Design

The dynamics of power delivery and emotionally charged driving sensation provided by the new BMW M5 are complemented by a new take on the M design language.

The car features a more aggressive wheel arch and side skirt extensions, a muscular front apron, and unique model-specific surfacing at the C pillar, which includes an embossed ‘M5’ badge for the Hofmeister Kink to enhance the muscular look of the car than the BMW 5 Series sedan.

At the same time, an unusually large number of surfaces in body color provide a puristic look and stylish hints at the car’s outstanding dynamics.

Thus, the exterior appearance, like the luxurious interior that can be optionally equipped with M elements, emphasizes the complex nature of the new BMW M5. It is very confident and composed due to the availability of immense power at all times.

This rather plays a silent role during the comfortable, electric-only commute, but comes into its own as the ‘M’ sporty sedan character shows its claws during longer drives, and is unleashed during the track day sessions.

The M HYBRID system, power transmission, and chassis technology optimized for the car’s characteristics provide longitudinal and transverse dynamics of the new BMW M5 that are unsurpassed in this class. With this similar high flexibility, the new BMW M5 classifies as the new generation of M performance.

The new BMW M5 will be officially unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England in July 2024 and production will be at BMW Group Plant Dingolfing starting the same month. The worldwide market launch of the new BMW M5 will begin in November 2024; the new BMW M5 Touring will be launched simultaneously. Therefore, the key regions of sales for the high-performance sedan are North America and Europe.

Interior Design & Features

The new BMW M5 is equipped with a sporty interior, M-specific elements, a BMW curved display, and a refined touch. It’s a great place to drive such a beast!

Along with the M-specific control panel on the center console, the new BMW M5 has a sports car-inspired dashboard, a new flat-bottomed M leather steering wheel with integrated M buttons that are backlit, M multifunction seats with electrical adjustments, and the BMW Curved Display, which, like the standard BMW Head-Up Display, has M-specific content. Standard BMW Live Cockpit Professional also includes BMW Maps with navigation and the function of Augmented View on the control display.

An enhanced version of BMW iDrive comes as standard in the new BMW M5. It is based on BMW Operating System 8 as the framework of the system and is intended for touch control and natural speech control.

The digital technology now also comprises controls for climate control functions. Temperature, seat ventilation, air circulation intensity, and, if activated, the heating of the steering wheel can be set through a separate item in the lower layer of the control display, or by voice commands.

The standard Merino leather trim is also used for the interior and contributes to the car’s exclusive interior design along with the BMW Interaction Bar, four-zone climate control, heated front seats, and ambient lighting with M-specific interior lighting including Welcome Animation and the panoramic glass sunroof.

Standard specifications for that new BMW M5 also include the Bowers & Wilkins Surround Sound System, wireless charging tray, Comfort Access, alarm system, automatic boot opener, and more great features.

Some of the items that are listed in the options include the M Carbon exterior package, Alcantara headliner, steering wheel heater, active seat ventilation, and a trailer tow hitch.

Moreover, as for the new BMW M5, model-specific BMW M Performance Parts will also be provided. The options include M Performance forged light-alloy wheels and body parts manufactured using carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic.

Performance

The M HYBRID system of the new BMW M5 is a rear-wheel drive intelligent system which combines a 4.4-liter V8 engine and one electric motor at the rear axle.
The V8 engine with a classical high-revving character is supplemented by an electric motor with the performance tailored for the BMW M5 and connected to the eight-speed M Steptronic transmission.

The combustion engine has M TwinPower Turbo technology, Cross-bank exhaust manifold, and oil separation with a separate pipe. The power output stands at 430 kW (585 hp) and the torque is at its peak at 750 Nm (553 lb-ft). The maximum output of electric motor is 145 kW (197 hp). It has a nominal torque of 280 Nm or 206 lb-ft of torque but the pre-gearing stage allows the effective torque that reaches the input of the transmission to be increased to 450 Nm or 332 lb-ft.

The setup of the internal combustion engine and electric motor is not different from the one used in the BMW M Hybrid V8 race car. Thanks to the electric motor that can provide its power on demand and the intelligent management of the interaction between the combustion engine and the electric motor, the M HYBRID system is always ready to answer the movements made on the accelerator pedal.

Crisp linearity is a characteristic typical of BMW M models and here it is delivered in its best form. The eight-cylinder engine can reach its redline at 7,200 rpm because the new BMW M5 offers its driver the feeling of constant power increase in the higher zones for both load and revolutions. The standard top speed is 250 km/h, although the limiter can be set to 305 km/h with the addition of the M Driver’s Package option. Does this sound good, huh?

With its sports exhaust system, the new BMW M5 takes the performance experience into a new dimension with a holistic and emotionally appealing sound design. It has electrically controlled, fully variable flaps and two pairs of dual tailpipes that are typical of other M models; both sets have 100-millimeter trims in black chrome.

The sound accompaniment to the power delivery of the electric motor is BMW IconicSounds Electric. This M-specific electric drive sound delivers suitable reactions to the movements of the accelerator when the car is running in electric mode. It also consists of the appropriate drive system setup and produces a captivating sound to accompany the addition of more electric power to the V8 engine’s output.

Do you like the new BMW M5?

Write your opinion about this ultra-performance M-powered sedan from BMW in the comment below.

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Source: https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/global/article/detail/T0443252EN/the-all-new-bmw-m5

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This Yamaha TRX850 restomod by HB-Custom is a trellis-framed treat

The Yamaha TRX850 is one of our favorite motorcycling anomalies. It was built in the mid-90s, when Japanese marques tried to corner the European market by injecting Italian flair into their sportbikes. The TRX850’s trellis frame, tri-spoke wheels, and sculpted fuel tank felt distinctly Ducati—but its parallel twin motor and angular tail section gave away its Japanese heritage.

Although it didn’t quite set the market ablaze when it launched, the Yamaha TRX850 eventually found its niche in the secondhand market in an ‘if you know, you know’ sort of way. Old enough to be considered a bonafide classic, it offers a fun ride and endless 90s swagger, for not too much money.

Those qualities also make the TRX a great candidate for customization—or, as Holger Breuer has so expertly demonstrated with his latest project, a great candidate for tasteful restomod.

As the ‘HB’ in Germany’s HB-Custom, most of Holger’s projects are full-on custom jobs. But the owner of this 1996-model Yamaha TRX850 had owned the bike for a number of years and was more keen on restoring it than tearing it apart. That said, there were a few areas that he felt should be improved, starting with the TRX850’s chunky rear end.

Holger ditched all the rear plastics, then hacked off the end of the subframe and fabricated a new loop. Next, he hand-shaped an elegant café racer-style tailpiece out of aluminum. It sits neatly atop the Yamaha’s frame, extending forward to form a harmonious junction with the fuel tank.

The TRX850’s original tank, fairing, and front fender remain in play, as per the client’s request. Holger swapped the OEM windshield out for a tinted item from MRA Racing, and traded the bulky turn signals for slimmer LED units. The rear signals are mounted to a new tail tidy bracket, with a Highsider LED taillight Frenched into the tail bump.

Despite the lack of major aesthetic changes, Holger still had his work cut out for him. “The motorcycle was dismantled down to the last screw and reconditioned,” he tells us. “I realized, for the first time, that a restoration takes longer than a custom bike.”

Getting original Yamaha parts for the bike proved to be easy enough at least. Holger refurbished the OEM wheels, forks, and brakes, upgrading the latter with braided stainless steel hoses. A new YSS shock now props up the rear.

Holger also kept the stock controls, switches, and dashboard, but swapped out the battery for a smaller Lithium-ion unit. It now lives under the tail bump, along with the bike’s other vital electrical bits.

As a testament to Yamaha’s reliability, the TRX850’s 28-year-old motor needed nothing more than a service to keep it ticking over. Holger modified the exhaust headers to flow into a pair of Storm mufflers that are shorter and lighter than the original cans, and tuned the carbs to optimize the bike’s performance.

Holger had total freedom when it came to the bike’s color scheme. Since his client is a massive Yamaha fan, he took inspiration from classic FZR paint jobs to concoct a livery that, while it isn’t technically an original Yamaha design, certainly feels period-correct.

While we’ve seen wilder builds from HB-Custom, we applaud the restraint shown on this project. The proportions are perfect, the graphics are sublime, and the balance of old and new parts is perfect. If we had a Yamaha TRX850 in the garage right now, we’d be hard-pressed not to follow the same formula.

HB-Custom | Instagram | Images by Emayat Wahab

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Svelte Savage: A skeletal Ducati 750 SS from The Netherlands

The Ducati 750 SS is criminally underrated as a candidate for customization. Sure, the oft-maligned Supersport is unlikely to win any beauty contests, and its 748 cc L-twin motor manages a barely adequate 64 hp. But it also weighs a paltry 183 kilos [403 pounds], comes with decent suspension and Brembo brakes, and has a suitably Italian trellis frame lurking beneath its podgy fairings.

It’s the iconic Ducati trellis frame that attracted Chiel Nipius to the 750 SS in the first place—that, and the fact that his friend was selling one for just the right amount of money.

Based in The Netherlands, Chiel is the creative force behind the custom shop Nius Moto, launched just two years ago. Now in his mid-20s, Chiel got his start working at Arjan van den Boom’s shop, Ironwood Custom Motorcycles. He’s been flying solo since leaving there—and so far, he’s impressed at every turn.

The idea behind this particular project was to showcase Chiel’s skillset, and to have something to take to custom bike shows, before eventually selling it and moving on to the next build. “I wanted to create a naked race bike with a bit of streetfighter spirit,” he tells us. “I bought the Ducati because I wanted to build something with a more modern vibe than the vintage Hondas I’ve done.”

Chiel adds that the 2002-model donor bike was in fairly good condition—but that didn’t stop him from binning almost all of its plastic bodywork. The deeply contoured 750 SS fuel tank managed to survive the cull, but it was liberated of its rubber tummy pad.

With no client backing the project, Chiel also had to be sensible about the budget. So big-ticket items like the Ducati’s wheels, Brembo brake calipers, Marzocchi forks, and Sachs shock were all stripped, refurbished, and refinished. There’s fresh paint on the brake calipers and dark anthracite powder coating on the wheels and rear shock spring.

Chiel also upgraded the braking system with new pads and hoses, and shod the wheels with Pirelli Diablo Corsa tires. Likewise, the engine was treated to new coatings—but no major internal upgrades. Chiel simply deleted the airbox and wedged in a pair of foam filters.

The idea here, he tells us, was to put the focus on fabrication rather than “crazy new parts.” And nowhere is that approach more apparent than on the 750’s brutally elegant exhaust system. Pie-cut stainless steel headers snake their way around the engine, before crossing one another and exiting in a pair of high-mounted aftermarket mufflers.

The cans flank a bespoke subframe, sporting a tight trellis pattern that complements the Ducati’s main frame beautifully. Skeletal in nature, it includes an integrated seat support that suspends the saddle behind the tank. “The stance is quite radical,” Chiel admits, “but it is definitely rideable.”

Between the lack of any fairings and the exposed tail section design, Chiel was left with a lot of exposed wiring on his hands. So he repackaged the wiring, and then fabricated a series of steel covers to hide everything away. Painted black, they sit just below the fuel tank, and underneath the seat pan.

The rear box also hosts a Highsider LED taillight, while the custom-made license plate bracket that extends out from underneath the seat wears Motogadget turn signals and a Koso plate light. A handmade rear wheel hugger sits lower down, bolted directly to the swingarm.

At the opposite end of the Supersport, Chiel fabricated a bracket that bolts to both yokes, designed to hold the handmade front nacelle, a Highsider LED, and Motogadget turn signals. It also serves as a neat way to keep the front cables tidy. A Daytona dash does duty behind it, with Barracuda grips adorning the OEM clip-ons.

A neat aluminum front fender adds a final handmade touch, held in place by custom bracketry. “I wanted to make a new aluminum fuel tank too,” says Chiel, “but I wasn’t ready for it yet. That will come in future projects.”

Chiel’s Ducati 750 SS café racer is finished in a simple, yet highly impactful, color scheme. The grey hue on the bodywork comes from Porsche’s catalog, while the frame is powder coated with a bronze metal-flake effect. Tidy upholstery with an automotive-inspired stitching pattern covers the seat.

A little svelte and a little savage, this Supersport is a testament to Chiel’s imagination—and his workshop chops. Now somebody please buy it, so that he can get cracking on his next hit.

Nius Moto Instagram | Images by Paul van Mondfrans Lindén

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Build, Exhibit, Race, Win: The Malle Mile Custom Build Challenge

The Malle Mile is a weekend of riotous motorcycle shenanigans, put on by our friends at Malle London. It also turns ten this year—so, to celebrate, Malle is launching the Malle Mile Custom Build Challenge.

The Malle Mile’s whole vibe is what organizers Robert Nightingale and Jonny Cazzola refer to as “inappropriate motorcycle racing.” Modern, pure-bred race bikes are frowned upon—instead, the dusty courses of the Mile are packed to the brim with vintage, rare, hand-built, and downright silly machines. It’s a ton of fun for riders and spectators alike, and well worth adding to your calendar of must-attend moto events.

Hosted at the centuries-old Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire, about 100 miles outside of London, the Mile makes use of every available inch of the 6,000-acre estate. That includes not only the sprawling lawns that host the glamping and camping areas, and the myriad dirt trails, but also the broad driveway that leads up to the main castle gate.

Here, custom motorcycles that are exhibited in the Mile’s ‘Art of Machine’ tent are pitted against each other in the ‘Art of Sprint’ race. It’s a frenetic flurry of interesting machines and one of the rare custom shows where the bikes on display leave their stands to be ridden in anger.

Custom builders that have graced the ‘Art of Machine’ with their presence in the past include BobC, 10 ’til 12, Foundry [above], deBolex, Rough Crafts, Bad Winners [below], and more. Outside of the ‘official’ exhibition, the Mile is also a great place to spot random custom motorcycles in the wild; that’s where we found Tim Cumper’s three-wheeled BMW Boxer.

This year at the Malle Mile, Malle is taking the ‘Art of Machine’ up a notch (or 10). They’ve turned it into a full-blown custom motorcycle build challenge and a concourse exhibition, with winners chosen (and prizes awarded) in various categories.

The overall winner gets the grand prize of a paid commission to customize a Royal Enfield Shotgun 650, which will travel to various shows before returning to the builder, while other prizes include a spot on The Great Malle Rally 2025 and a cash prize of £2,500. On Saturday night at the Mile, after the concourse exhibition, all entrants will be invited to race their custom machines down Grimsthorpe’s main drag.

Malle has cherry-picked an esteemed jury that includes custom builders, photographers, and media. Bike EXIF is proud to to form part of that jury, alongside the ever-dapper Paul d’Orleans from The Vintagent, deBolex Motorcycles, Ziggy Moto, Royal Enfield, and top automotive and motorcycle photographer, Amy Shore.

We won’t be attending the Malle Mile in person this year, but will instead be watching the proceedings from a distance—and featuring the bikes that are displayed right here on Bike EXIF. We’ll also be choosing a ‘Bike EXIF Community Pick’ from the finalists, which we’ll select by gauging our audience’s response to the final selection of customs, both here and on our social media channels.

The contest is open to any motorcycles that can be considered custom, handmade, rare, or classic. And, as is customary for the Malle Mile, the wilder and more inappropriate the bike is, the better.

To enter, head over to Malle London’s website and punch in your details, along with a photo of your machine (if it’s not finished yet, a work-in-progress shot or concept sketch will do). Malle will select the finalists, which will then exhibit and race their motorcycles at the Malle Mile, from the 18th to the 21st of July, 2024.

There’s just one month to go, so get wrenching!

The Malle Mile Build Challenge | Malle London | Images by Wes Reyneke

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Midnight Racer: A custom 1979 BMW R80 by Foundry Motorcycle

Elegance is a word easily ascribed to beautiful, often delicate, objects. But when you can assign it to a purposeful and muscular motorcycle, you know you’re looking at the work of a master craftsman. Tom Simpson of Foundry Motorcycle has certainly earned that accolade over the years, and this 1979 BMW R80 showcases the peak of his skill.

The path of this sublime machine, monikered ‘Midnight Racer,’ has been anything but serene though. A shop project over eight years in the making, the BMW R80 all too often found itself pushed to one side as client commissions took precedence. Then last year, with completion finally on the horizon, the build was interrupted once more.

Tom was informed the rent on his den of over 12 years, was to increase by thirty percent overnight. With new digs to source, multiple project motorcycles, and an entire workshop’s worth of equipment to relocate, it’s fair to say that Midnight Racer has triumphed against adversity.

The actual genesis of the build stretches back even further, to when Tom offered the tank from a Moto Guzzi 1100 Sport to the frame of an ongoing airhead project. That machine would go on to become the Foundry ‘Silver Racer,’ a machine to which Midnight Racer owes significant lineage. But the ideas and lines sparked by the sight of that Italian tank sat atop the Bavarian frame persisted, and Tom needed another crack at it.

“Not to upset the purists, but the donor bike was immaculate,” Tom tells us, as he casts his mind back to the beginning of the project. He also assures us that all the stock bits he removed went to good homes; a mammoth task in itself, considering how little of the standard machine remains.

The first part that Tom set about, was that distinctly Jetsons-like exhaust. “I had an idea to make the exit look like a Jet turbine from the 1950s,” he explains. “And that’s the trouble with a shop project—once I’ve thought of doing something a certain way, I can’t not do it!”

With the lines of the exhaust coming together, Tom returned to the Moto Guzzi fuel tank. Substantial reshaping was required to navigate the R80 frame, but plenty of space was also realized to accommodate and hide away all the electrical necessities.

With the significantly shallower side profile of the tank revealing far more of the boxer engine, Tom wanted to celebrate the motor by keeping the wiring as clean as possible. The reg/rec was relocated to the spine of the frame, while Dyna mini coils were hidden in the timing chest cover, from which four vents were milled out to help regulate heat. The result is an almost impossibly minimalist cabling configuration.

The unsightly rubber airbox that normally sits toward the back of the BMW R80 engine was also discarded. The top cover was then extended four inches to meet the Weber DCOE twin-choke carb, which sits proudly at the culmination of Tom’s custom intakes.

At the extremities of the engine, those gloriously Art Deco rocker covers were created by welding additional plates to the existing covers, before the flowing geometric lines were machined in. Smooth, top-hat-shaped pins lock down the covers in place of the standard nuts. A luxurious coat of bronze Cerakote covers the entire power unit.

Moving outward, Tom shortened and polished the forks, before calling Rich Chanter at Wheels in Motion to lace 19” Morad rims to the freshly painted hubs. At the rear, Tom tips his hat to one of his favorite builds, the Lucky Cat Sprint Beemer, as the inspiration for the hub’s machined-out triangles—the brake shoes and polished springs peeking between the breaks in the midnight blue. (That hue, present throughout the machine, has become something of a Foundry signature, finding its way onto multiple builds in recent years.)

The cast headlight is all Tom’s handiwork. As his shop name suggests, Tom previously worked as a blacksmith, and forging his own parts is an ever-present aspect of his builds. But having run out of scrap to smelt, Tom needed a new source. Now, when he visits his preferred suspension partner, Quantum Suspension, he leaves with the contents of their aluminum scrap bin, along with his springs of choice.

The fat, clean yokes were made to Tom’s design, perfectly complementing the fork-mounted remote reservoirs for the Hel Performance braking upgrades. While at it, Tom converted the rear brake to cable over rod actuation, rebuilt the gearbox, and converted the clutch to hydraulic (a task he casually describes as “good fun”).

The Tarozzi adjustable clip-ons and foot controls are amongst Tom’s favorite off-the-shelf parts, which he then, predictably, modifies further. The rearsets mount into eccentric adjusters within the frame, allowing for a 360-degree rotation of positions. At a lofty 6’4”, Tom appreciates more than most the aches of an ill-fitting machine, and prefers to provide a rider triangle that’s tailorable to all body types.

Nestled between and behind those footrests you will notice more avant-garde design. The finned battery box was inspired by the underbody diffusers of high-performance race cars, translated with Foundry’s signature style.

And what a signature style it is. Like the finest in the game, Foundry creates an aesthetic you could attribute to their shop even if all logos were obscured from view. It’s a heady mix of mid-century and art-deco cues, mixed with a retro-futuristic vibe—and Midnight Racer wears it well.

Tom had one last hurdle to jump over before his BMW R80 finally made its debut at this year’s Bike Shed Show. He notes, with a shake of his head, how the fuel filler cap was still a solid block of material less than 24 hours before the doors were set to open. But after eight long years in the making, the final push was well worth it.

It’s yet another stunning machine from the Foundry workshop—which will be opening to the public from its new location very soon.

Foundry Motorcycle | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Thomas Kettlety

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