Robin Ludwig, the visible head of Rind Performance, returns to make us participate in one of his last works. We talk about this beautiful and minimalist BMW R80 Cafe Racerto which they have affectionately baptized with the nickname of “Little Bavarian”, in tribute to the Porsche 550 Spyder of 1955 by James Dean, whom he himself called “Little Bastard.” Interestingly, he would end up losing his controls that same year after impacting frontally against another car.
BMW R80 Cafe Racer in detail
With the very clear ideas about what I was looking for in this project, Robin Ludwig, also known in social networks as Mr. Ludolf, took a BMW R80rt of 84 as a basis from which to start the process of creating the BMW R80 Cafe Racer. Subsequently, he imagined how the motorcycle would pilot Dean in those years, always keeping his taste for cars.
So he designed a fiberglass fairing, emulating the legendary forms of that Porsche 550 Spyder, owned by the US actor, also adding a color scheme and various details that are directly inspired by the decoration that the German sports car looked. All this combined with a improved cycle part where we find, among others:
- Modified subchassis
- “Porsche” GSX-R brakes
- Front inverted fork
- Rear shock absorber yss
- Radial tires, etc.
In addition, a cylinder kit was included to raise the cubic to 1,000 CC, considerably improving the original performance of the model. Other components that make up the silhouette and equipment of the BMW R80 Cafe Racer are, for example, a pair of sports semimaners, artisanal exhaust system, retro -style lighting, GFK front loaded or a ropered of the red leather seat that puts the touch of color to the set.
When Bike Bound team asks Ludwig about his inspiration to build this motorcycle, he alleges: “Like all my motorcycles, I built it for me. As I am passionate about the Porsche brand and I liked James Dean and its design, I decided to design a BMW that, somehow, reflect some characteristics of the “little bastard.” And a BMW would probably be the best basis for this, with its simple lines and its boxer engine. ”
About how it pilot, add: “The” little bastard “is conducted with extreme softness and precision. With its improved 1000 cc engine, it also has enough power to wear a number. ”
He concludes referring to what makes him most proud of this project: “What I am proud is one of the many things they have in common. And a Porsche motorcycle would probably have seen it that way at that time, if they had built it. Purist and without unnecessary details. “
