Their style is unmistakable, their work of the highest quality and few other workshops have had as big an impact on the scene as Germany’s Diamond Atelier. But things have been a little quiet the last few years from the Munich-based motorcycles masters, as the company has undergone a leadership change and restructure. In case you’ve forgotten, this is an outfit with three top-ten finishes in our Pipeburn Bike of the Year competition, including winning in 2016. Their past catalogue is filled with a host of crazy customs, but for their return, they’re going back to their roots with a brilliant boxer BMW. And this beautiful build known as ‘MK One’ isn’t just great in its styling, it packs a powerhouse engine like very few other BMW Rs before it.
“For this build the new team has drawn inspiration from past milestones of the brand in naming their newest model. The first part of the name “MK” is a reference to Diamond Ateliers’ arguably most enhanced and iconic BMW 2V bike yet, the Mark II EVO. The ‘One’ on the other hand is a tribute to the first ever bike of Diamond Atelier, the DA#1. With its characteristic BMW air-cooled boxer engine, the minimalistic design and special features.” But a tip of the cap by DA isn’t like some average Beatles tribute band with second rate sound quality, everything about this bike is designed and finished to be better than the original in every single way.
That all starts with the donor, the original was based around a BMW R80RT Monolever, while this build goes for the bigger and more technologically advanced BMW R100R Paralever. Internet forums are full of debates over these two different swingarms and their pros and cons, but the ‘four link’ like Para, which maintains a constant contact patch with the road, is a must when you want to pack this much power into a shaft-driven Boxer BMW. And while the bikes of Diamond Atelier have never lacked performance, this current example that lays down a whopping 90bhp and freight train like 110Nm@4600rpm is like few others before it.
To achieve these sorts of numbers from an air-cooled engine that was still reliable for the street, meant absolutely no stone could be left unturned. The capacity of the engine is punched out to 1070cc with a set of high-compression forged pistons, which use an F1 derived coating to reduce friction. To get those high-comp slugs spinning up quickly, the entire lower end has been carefully lightened and balanced to within an inch of its life. An engine is essentially an air pump, so to make the power you need the flow and a custom ground camshaft benefits from completely rebuilt heads, with expert porting and polishing.
Next, the crew teamed up with “carburettor specialist “Mr. Mikuni” Stephen Topham and created a top adjusted carburettor setup, that is fed by fresh and clean air through huge open K&N air filters.” There is just no way the stock Bings would be able to feed this sort of power and flow the fuel demanded by such a large capacity and compression engine.
To get the gases flowing out the other side, a sweet but simple 2 into 1 header setup has been ceramic coated to contain the heat, before finishing out of a stunning stainless steel muffler. Finally, before the bike was strapped to the dyno, a high-performance alternator and programmable ignition were fitted to dial it all in.
Just the engine alone looks stunning, beautifully finished in black, with filed fins and cases you could eat off. But it’s the bodywork that truly stuns, and their signature up-swept tail unit is a work of art. “The fuel tank and rear are painted in a unique shade of Grey, while the stripes and wheel hubs in BMW Sapphire Black create a subtle accent with a glittering accent in sunlight. The unique feature in the world of motorcycles and clear signature feature of Diamond Atelier can be admired on the fork bridge of the Mark One: a genuine high-purity 0.17-carat diamond set in sterling silver.”
Yep, the boys definitely bring the bling and that diamond encrusted bridge sits atop another special bit of metal, in the form of the fully CNC’d billet alloy triple clamps. These host a pair of modern sport bike 43mm adjustable forks, which have been lowered and rebuilt to suit the application, before being finished in black.
At the rear end, and planting the tyre to deliver the power to the ground, is a custom built Wilbers 640 Night Line shock. The braking doesn’t let the team down either, and massive 6-pot calipers clamp the huge twin-disc front end. The rims are the signature setup of 17in front and rear, with the Metzeler Racetec K3 rubber measuring 120 at the front and a fat 160 at the rear.
Such an incredible bike wouldn’t be much chop if it was uncomfortable and unreliable. So, to suit their Scottish client, the clip-ons and rearsets are tailor made to suit and Brembo masters provide excellent feel. The wiring loom is a work of art, you basically don’t see any of the components outside of the 3 in 1 Kellermann taillight combo, the slick Motogadget dash and that yellow lensed JW-Speaker LED headlight, which comes with an integrated cornering light; which is another tip of the cap to the original. “Of course, all the inner electronics are state-of-the-art with features such as a Bluetooth connection and keyless go.”
It is quite simply a hugely impressive build and pushes the standards for BMW R performance to all new levels, and with this opening salvo, who can imagine what’s next from the motorcycle jewellers at Diamond Atelier.
[ Diamond Atelier ]