The ‘modern classic’ motorcycle is booming business, and it’s hard to think of a manufacturer that hasn’t tried to cash in on the trend. Triumph has arguably led the pack, but the good folks at BMW Motorrad aren’t too far behind with their lineup of retro-styled modern motorcycles belonging to their ‘Heritage’ range. In 2014, they made their first entry into the sector with the BMW R nineT, and although it has been highly successful, their older R series machines, which left showrooms decades earlier, remain far more popular among the custom crowd. But did BMW miss a trick? Could they have entered the modern classic scene more than 15 years earlier? Well, the answer is yes! And to prove the point, Nikolay Yazykov of Moto Iz Evro has built his second ‘Sperm Whale’, a BMW that packs all the modern punch of an R1100RT, with the undeniable classic beauty of an R100.
OK, let’s deal with that name first! “I make these motorcycles in a small series. The name Sperm Whale was born when I put covers on the motor. If you look closely at the engine, you can see the Sperm Whale’s forehead in front; the cylinders are fins. The tail is the rear gearbox. You just need to squint your eyes and everything becomes visible. Thanks for your attention,” Nikolay smiles. But like many artists who come up with weird and wacky names, it is his creation that really does the talking. And it’s his use of the R1100 that makes so much sense: more power and torque than the older R100, similar weight, much more advanced electronics, superior handling, and a whole lot more.
The oil-cooled, four-valve boxers of the R1100 series could run nearly a 12-second quarter mile; they just always looked awful, then and now. So, with everyone loving modern BMW tech but wanting that classic R series look, Nikolay has done what should have been obvious to the Bavarians all along, he’s combined the two. But, as simple as this motorcycle may appear, and as obvious as the conversion seems, it’s no straightforward task. Having combined these bikes before, however, Nikolay is a master.
The first step is to deal with the suspension, as the front end of the modern R uses a Telelever suspension setup, which looks particularly ugly when fully exposed. The pivoting arm, inboard shock, and all the other Telelever components are removed, leaving just the traditional headstock. Then, with some clever machining, Nikolay is able to drop a conventional set of K100 forks in, which have been completely rebuilt for the task and lowered internally by 40mm. To make the rear match, and having retained the K wheel at the front, a rear K wheel was found and making this part of the conversion a breeze, it simply bolts up.
The next step in the conversion is what puts many people off or where some cut corners. You see, the R1100 has no backbone, so there’s no place for a traditional tank or even a seat. To rectify the problem, an entire backbone and rear subframe are manufactured in-house at Moto Iz Evro. Nikolay feels most people don’t build this section strong enough, so he uses 30mm tubing with extra bracing for the entire front end. The rear is a classically styled subframe, made from 25mm tubing, which is more than enough to hold the rider’s weight, as the rear mono-shock bolts to the original frame and adds no further stress.
Now the tank conversion can take place, and it’s this that totally transforms the look of the bike into a modern R100. But, again, you can’t simply throw an old tank over that new backbone, as the dimensions would be off anyway. “We scanned the original tank from the R100 and printed a copy on a 3D printer. We tried it on our motorcycle and saw that it was too small, then we printed a 10% larger tank, but it turned out to be out of proportion. I had to do 5% more than the original one. It seemed perfect to me, so next we made a plastic matrix and created a copy of this tank.”
To turn it all into a functional object, an aluminium fuel cell is then fabricated for the underside, which holds plenty of fuel and is also home to the fuel pump and regulator for the EFI. “I also did some work on the engine. I moved the original generator or rather I removed it and put it on another motorcycle. The layout is similar to the R100. The main thing is that it’s reliable and works! I cast the covers of the engine out of aluminium, actually, old BMW K1100 wheels.” So now, our master has even given the four-valve boxer engine the look of the old R series air-cooled motors, and to add some more horsepower, he’s added some pod filters and a pair of slash-cut, free-flowing pipes.
The remainder of the build is about getting those classic R100 looks to really take over the visuals, and a friend of the shop has done a brilliant job upholstering the two-step leather seat. The paint for the tank is laid down in one classic colour, with some fleck for pop, and a set of genuine BMW badges really captures the look. The lighting package could easily be from the ‘70s, and the minimalist vibe runs through to the controls, everything you need and nothing you don’t. Wanting to give this machine a scrambler style, the chunky tyres provide that utilitarian functionality, while gaiters and a custom fender keep the bike clean. To say it’s a clever conversion is an understatement, Nikolay has one-upped the Germans, and in design, that is never an easy task.
[ Moto Iz Evro | Photography by Dmitry Media ]