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Bolt 32 Is a Radical Cafe Racer Transformation of the 1997 BMW R100 RS

Whereas the American custom motorcycle landscape is dominated by Harley rebuilds, the European one is flooded with old BMWs taken to design heights Motorrad never envisioned.
1997 BMW R100 RS Bolt 32 16 photos
Photo: Bolt
1997 BMW R100 RS Bolt 321997 BMW R100 RS Bolt 321997 BMW R100 RS Bolt 321997 BMW R100 RS Bolt 321997 BMW R100 RS Bolt 321997 BMW R100 RS Bolt 321997 BMW R100 RS Bolt 321997 BMW R100 RS Bolt 321997 BMW R100 RS Bolt 321997 BMW R100 RS Bolt 321997 BMW R100 RS Bolt 321997 BMW R100 RS Bolt 321997 BMW R100 RS Bolt 321997 BMW R100 RS Bolt 321997 BMW R100 RS Bolt 32
There are a number of specialized shops on the old continent that have made a living over the past few years from taking old Bimmers and turning them into extreme builds, like French Blitz or Austrian Vagabund. Another such shop, and an active one at that, is Spanish Bolt.

The garage has been in business for a while, and they already have over 30 custom bikes in their portfolio, based on Yamahas, Hondas, and even Ducatis. But their favorite manufacturer remains BMW, and particularly the R100 RS.

The R100 bloodline was born in 1976 and exited the scene in 1996 as the bike maker’s last line of motorcycles powered by air-cooled engines. That’s a long time to be in production, and that in turn means there are plenty of these motorcycles still around, worthy of a second chance.

The one in the gallery above is Bolt’s build number 32, and it is based in a 1977 R100. The motorcycle is nothing like its former self.

Sporting the front axle from a BMW K100, Brembo brakes up front with oversized discs, and riding on Avon tires over BMW wheels, the 32 is a radical cafe racer, at least compared to what the bikes used to be back in the day – you can hit this link and check out the slide comparison available on Bolt’s website.

The motorcycle has not changed much mechanically, as it still packs the original engine. Yet the builders took that apart too, and tinkered with it in what they describe as “almost titanic mechanical work.”

We are not being told how much the build cost, or who ended up owning it once it was completed.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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