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There are 62 years of motorcycle engineering and development between the oldest and youngest bikes in this month's custom roundup. Despite that, all three would look right at home alongside one another.
First off the block is a tastefully modified BMW R25 from Phoenix, Arizona. It's followed closely by another Bavarian from the 1980s that's been reimagined in Tasmania, Australia. Lastly, we have a motorcycle commissioned by the late Bobby Haas that was recently completed in his honor at a Las Vegas workshop.
WYLD Garage BMW R25
Nathan Shew formed WYLD Garage (Instagram) in 2016 as a passion project and creative outlet. WYLD is an acronym for "What You Love Doing," which in his case is designing and building bespoke cars and motorcycles. This path eventually led to him experimenting with R series BMWs and, as a result, WYLD developed two of their own custom variants based on these bikes, which they offer to customers.
To keep their work fresh, Nathan and the team at WYLD also like to build a single bespoke bike each year for one lucky customer. One such project was The Dean, named after James Dean, which is based on a rare 1951 BMW R25.
The BMW R25 was the company's second post-war model. The R25 was built around an upright 247 cc single-cylinder engine that delivered power to the rear wheel via a shaft drive. The bike also featured innovative plunger-style rear suspension that was normally only fitted to the brand's twin-cylinder models. The R25 donor for this project was purchased from Blue Moon Cycles in Norcross, Georgia, which specializes in unique and nostalgic motorcycles.
Nathan won't take credit for the design of this bike, since it's based on a photo the customer provided. The original was built by Thornton Hundred Motorcycles in the United Kingdom, but with this version, WYLD set out to elevate Thorton's design using some of their own unique design touches.
"We provided this build with custom rims to mate to the original BMW hubs. We also fitted the upgraded, custom upholstered seat and retro-fitted an improved seat spring," says Nathan. "The bike also features custom handlebars and controls and an upgraded electrical system from six-volt to 12-volt to modernize the electronics."
To complete the wheels, the WYLD team wrapped the wider hoops in vintage-look Shinko rubber. The battery is housed in a bespoke leather satchel under the seat and there's a side-mounted license plate bracket with a vintage-style brake lamp sitting alongside the rear wheel. The hand-painted pinstripes on the fuel tank are synonymous with classic Bavarians and special attention has been paid to the engine, which has been meticulously polished by hand.
On the inside, the engine's been completely overhauled with the help of the team at Vintage Beemer Parts, who supplied both the parts and knowledge to complete the task. A custom pie-cut exhaust and slash-cut baffle add the finishing performance touch, along with making a striking visual statement.
They say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery and this R25 is the proof. It certainly isn't the most practical custom you'll ever see, but there's no denying this is one very good-looking motorcycle.
Atomic Contraptions Ultraleicht BMW R65
Someone wiser than me once said, "It's the details that matter," but it doesn't take a genius to realize that this custom BMW R65 is something special. Conceptualized and crafted by Tasmanian custom motorcycle builder Andrew Knott, aka Atomic Contraptions (Instagram), it's a hat tip to BMW's aeronautic past.
Nicknamed Ultraleicht, the 1986 BMW R65 wears a plethora of custom-made components. To create them, Andrew used materials commonly found on aircraft and spent over 700 hours realizing his vision.
The two materials Andrew relied heavily on for this build are ones commonly found on light aircraft. The first is aluminium, which he's made extensive use of. Andrew's alloy work included the build of the bikini fairing, hand and foot controls, mirrors, fender, and headlight bucket. The clip-on bars and triple tree came courtesy of Cognito Moto and, despite looking like an original R65 item, the fuel tank is a reproduction shaped from alloy by the Thai workshop Omega Racer.
The second material Andrew has used is a timber native to his island home of Tasmania. "I like to incorporate timber wherever I sensibly can, depending on how sensible you think wood is on a motorcycle!" Andrew jokes. "This bike features what we call Tasmanian Oak, which is technically three different species of Eucalyptus grown down here, but all three have the same basic features."
Andrew's inspiration for the use of wood came from the propellers of vintage aircraft. To create them, he laminated pieces of timber together before carving them out by hand. The stand-out piece is the tail, which sits on a custom-built subframe. Incorporated into the design are inlaid aluminum and Perspex details with the latter doubling as the bike's brake light and turn signals. The unique design also features a hollowed-out center that helps keep its weight down. Accompanying the seat is a wooden cover for the engine's airbox, the handlebar grips, foot control grips, and the inlaid details on the snowflake rims.
"There weren't any real performance upgrades, as such. That wasn’t the intent of the build," says Andrew, but the 648 cc airhead has undergone a full rebuild to get it running and looking like new. Those in the know will note that the carbs have been installed back to front. This was an intentional decision by Andrew since he likes the look of the throttle mechanism. Other details that add to the appearance of the engine include turned brass velocity stacks that were once bells and the custom-made stainless steel exhausts.
Despite the lack of engine work, this R65's performance benefits from a big drop in weight. Additionally, Andrew made handling upgrades by fitting BMW K1100 brakes, lowering and rebuilding the original fork, and fitting an IKON rear shock. Andrew's Ultraleicht has also been completely rewired using a Motogadget M-unit Blue and accompanying switchgear.
The star of this build is the one-of-a-kind Atomic Contraptions speedometer. "The speedo housing and face was custom made and welded into an off-the-shelf headlight bucket with custom mounts," Andrew explains. "The backlight is color-changing and it'll light up red if there's low oil, green when the bike is in neutral, yellow for oil and neutral at the same time, and white in all other conditions." Topping off the slick design is a flip-up faceplate that can be lifted to reveal an analog trip meter and odometer.
To finish things off, Andrew spent many hours grinding manufacturing seams and imperfections off the carbs, triples, frame, and engine. In his words, all that work has helped to "make everything feel smooth and aerodynamic." The finished bike is without a doubt one of the best-looking R65s I've ever seen and for those who may be interested in owning such a motorcycle, he's currently hoping to sell it.
Sosa Metalworks Toxtli for the Haas Museum
Few individuals have had as big an impact on the motorcycle scene in such a short time as the collector Robert (Bobby) Haas. In 2018 Bobby, opened the Haas Moto Museum (Instagram) in Dallas. The museum showcases Bobby's personal motorcycle collection, which consists of more than 230 rare, collectible, and custom motorcycles. Sadly, in 2021 Bobby passed unexpectedly, but his legacy lives on, thanks to his partner and museum director Stacey Mayfield.
Bobby commissioned the majority of the custom motorcycles on display at the Haas Museum. Amongst the builders he chose to work with was Christian Sosa of the Las Vegas-based Sosa Metalworks (Instagram). At the time of Bobby's passing, Christian was in the throes of completing one such project, which he recently unveiled and delivered to the museum for exhibition.
Christian built this motorcycle with the help of his brother, Roberto, and almost everything you see, aside from the motor, they made from scratch. Named Toxtli, the Aztec word for rabbit, it was built around a 1924 600 cc Douglas motor. For this project, the second he had commissioned from Sosa Metalworks, Bobby gave Christian complete creative freedom.
"Bobby told me to do what my heart desires without limitations. So I did just that and pushed myself as hard as possible to see what I was capable of," says Christian. "The concept was something I've always been into, a gentleman's racer. It's what I consider to be a motorcycle with both speed and style."
"The engine is a race motor, as designated by the x in the stamped number," he points out. "I bought it from an old man who had purchased it off his neighbor's widowed wife. Apparently, he used to race and this was in a batch of spare motors he had."
Mated to the 600 cc twin is a 1958 Triumph transmission that's operated via a hand shifter. The hardtail chassis it all sits within is a one-off Sosa Metalworks design that's been built from half-inch steel plate. After cutting out the flat pieces, Christian painstakingly sculpted each one by hand before welding everything together and grinding the seams smooth. To complement the frame, he also put together a matching set of girder forks with an integrated handlebar.
Behind the bike's alloy wheel covers are Triumph AMR 500 Supercharger rims that have been wrapped in classic Firestone Champion Deluxe rubber. Stopping power comes from retrofit drum brakes. A horizontally mounted seat spring hidden beneath the fuel tank soaks up rear-end bumps.
To further accentuate the bike's streamlined appearance, Christian integrated the tank into the chassis, as opposed to being perched on it. Hand-formed from aluminium sheet, the tank performs three duties. Part of the right half of the tank assembly contains the oil while the filler on the left accepts the fuel. Peering inside the opening at the front of the tank reveals the air intake.
"When Bobby passed away, he left this bike, along with the one I did before, to me as a final gift. He always joked and said that the motorcycles we built always belonged to us and that he just paid us to keep them clean and maintained," says Christian. "This bike is everything it is because of Bobby. I am a better builder because of him."
Finished using techniques that complement the patina of the 100-year-old engine, Christian's creation is a rolling work of art. The Sosa Metalworks Toxtli is a fitting swan song for Bobby's commissioned projects, and although he never got to see it, I've no doubt he'd be enamored by the outcome.
