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Luckily for us, the standard is pretty high when it comes to their custom built motorcycles, and the BMW you see here today is no exception. Built on behalf of Bartek Prokopowicz, a Polish movie director and lifelong petrolhead, Grzegorz Korczak decided to do something different this time. What started out as a standard BMW R80 police style motorcycle, has been transformed into a cafe racer styled tracker. What makes this 1978 BMW even more special is the treatment all surface areas were given to get a very distinct look. Take a closer look and you’ll see what we mean. Some parts look a bit rusty, and maybe even a bit rough and dirty. Make no mistake, this was done on purpose, through a series of rigorous processes, to achieve this unique, patina look. As if this BMW was built a long time ago. Very cheeky!

It’s clear that this BMW R80 is meant to look a bit rough and used, but that’s just one part of the story. Underneath the surface, everything was redesigned. Let’s start with the most notable changes, like the rear subframe. Or rather, the lack thereof. We see that on top of the minimalistic subframe a beautifully stitches single seat is resting. It almost looks as if it is floating. Some of the worlds’ smallest LED brake and indicator lights can be found underneath the seat.

To keep a clean look, the battery had to be relocated somewhere less obvious; underneath the bike. A custom battery bracket was fabricated to allow for the relocation. This gives the BMW a clean look. The engine and air intake has been kept stock for a change, and we love that! Everything was done to ensure the 800cc boxer is up to snuff, thanks to a thorough inspection and service. At the front the suspension was upgraded to YSS springs and received a pair of fork gaiters. A set of YSS fully adjustable twin shocks take care of business at the rear.

But there is more! Although the rest of the front looks stock, most isn’t. First there is the Motogadget speedo, that looks a lot smaller than the factory cockpit. A black aluminium handlebar replaced the stock steel unit. The handlebar grips have been wrapped with leather, and at the end of them, a pair of Motogadget bar-end indicators have been mounted. A classic oversize black round headlight adds to the distinguished look. The custom short fenders, the blacked out exhaust headers, and the twin brushed end cans all add to the classiness of this R80. No wonder it took almost a year to complete this project!

In the end, UNIKAT managed to create yet another timeless looking custom motorcycle. It’s hard to imagine that they built another bike simultaneous to this project. And yet, they did just that! Stay tuned for more, here on BikeBrewers.

Photo credit: UNIKAT

Builder details:
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Regular guests
It may look as if UNIKAT have a subscription on our platform. Nothing of the sort, but the Polish team just keeps on churning out pure art that we simply cannot ingnore.
This time it is a 2001 Moto Guzzi California 1100, which was transformed from a nice bike to a ‘living room worthy’ object of desire.

Take apart and rebuild
The motorcycle has been completely restored and rebuilt, with nothing more than the wheels, the beautiful engine and part of the frame remaining from the original design. According to our Eastern European friends “such a dramatic rebuild requires a massive amount of time and UNIQUE skills”. We second that motion, after all ‘UNIKAT’ is Polish for unique and you have to live up to that promise.

Director’s chair
The owner, Pawel, was very much involved in the project. It is not very often that BikeBrewers get such elaborate insights from the clients themselves. Here’s what he has to say: “My adventure with motorcycles began when my grandfather gave me a light green mini motorbike. It was a life-turning moment for me and something that made me feel special. Already then, I was very much drawn to personalize this small moped, of course everything was done using whatever materials were available to me, so I applied stickers, wraps, painted lettering on the tires, trimmed the fenders.

In the following years the passion developed with more motorcycles, i.e., Simson, Yamaha and Honda the crowning moment of which being when I finally parked a Harley Davidson in my garage.

For a few years I’ve been watching how motorcycles are customized all over the world, and already then, I knew that I would like to build such a motorcycle, but the possibilities and number of available places in Poland were limited. I could not make up my mind, and I wanted this project to be unique, stunning design-wise but also in terms of technical solutions. I wanted it to be professionally executed by a team of professionals.

I once read that there is a place in Wrocław that is quickly gaining recognition because of the projects it puts out of its garage.
When I arrived at their doorstep, I met the team, Grzegorz, Michał and I knew that this is a place full of passion, professionalism — and this is how we’ll build a brilliant project.”

Teamwork
The modifications were done under the watchful eyes of Tomasz (mechanic) and Grzegorz (designer) with the bike’s charismatic owner Paweł in his Director’s Chair.

Grzegorz: “In order to achieve the perfect look and beautiful lines of the café racer, we completely changed the geometry and design of the original frame. This required us to shorten the front suspension and use new rear shocks from Bitubo, for which we made new mounts. To complete the look, two fairings (front and rear) were made from scratch by our mate Tomasz.”

Continuing: “The use of a new accessory fuel tank was also linked to the modification of the frame by making new mounts. Since this Moto Guzzi model features a fuel injection system, we had to use an external pressure regulator and redo the whole fuel system.”
As the team were using a custom pressure regulator as mentioned above, they were able to modify the intake and exhaust system. The factory air-box was ditched in favor of a pair of K&N performance cone fitters. Out went the original exhaust to make room for minimalist slash cut tail pipes, which combined with the Guzzi V-twin, produce a unique sound!

Café racer in true style
As befits a true flesh-and-blood café racer, clip-on handlebars were mounted. These new handlebars, along with the changed frame geometry forced the Polish outfit to relocate the rider’s footpegs. As the original ones were completely unusable, a decision was made to use a set from a sports bike with a racing pedigree.

All switches on the handlebars were replaced to go for a clean and minimalistic design. Buttons and turn signals in the handlebars are from Motogadget. A new Motoscope Tiny speedometer, a LED headlamp concealed in the fairing, and a full LED rear lamp dictated creating nearly a full new wiring harness, powered by a battery that currently sits under the swingarm in a box which was custom made for this purpose.

The engine, including the transmission, did not require a complete overhaul and tuning. A proper paint job to make it shine was enough.
Wheels are from the legendary Borrani company, completed with thicker stainless-steel spokes. With such magnificent objects you obviously need a new set of tires .

Most of the parts have been polished or mirror-finished, including the wheels, front and rear suspension, valve covers, exhaust system, handlebars, triple clamps and swingarm, as well as a number of other small components. All bolts were re-galvanized or were replaced with new ones.

The bodywork, front and rear fairing were perfectly painted by Marcin, creating a coherent whole with polished and chrome-plated elements.
The entire project was finished off with a warm touch of leather elements, such as the upholstery on the seat, the construction of which was made by us from scratch, and hand-wrapped handles.

The owners perspective
Being heavily involved with the project the BikeBrewers team was interested to hear his reaction to the end result.
Pawel: “We talked a lot about the technical possibilities, aspects of working with older motorcycles, what should be included in such a project and where it needs to be included to make it unique in every way possible.
We agreed that we want to choose a motorcycle that would be an excellent base and the potential to be unique, and here it is — the Moto Guzzi California 1100.

Was it worth it? For all intents and purposes, the design was great, but it was the execution that knocked me off my feet. Perfection and pure design in every element. The motorcycle impresses with its light, simple, yet detailed design, as well as with the technical solutions.

If we can call anyone artists in the custom scene it is undoubtedly the crew of Unikat Motorworks. I am incredibly happy with the end result and the roads in Poland have just gotten a bit more beautiful with this Moto Guzzi gracing them with its presence.”

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This time Grzegorz Korczak, the man behind Unikat, got his hands on a 2021 Triumph Bonneville Bobber. I know, I know, this looks like a different kind of bobber. Truth be told, there are different definitions of what makes a bobber, a bobber. There are European and American style bobber, there are also Japanese style bobbers. Regardless of the different styling exercises, one thing that they all have in common is the fact that they appear to be minimalistic. In a way, you could look at this like this: what a café racer is to a road bike, a bobber is to a cruiser. Same rules apply: get rid of all unnecessary parts to reduce the weight, and make the bike look as simple as possible.

Coming back to Unikat’s Triumph Bonneville Bobber, which has been name “K18”, we see that a number of stylish mods have been made to the original. No doubt did the original Bobber look great, but what Unikat did here takes the stock bike to a whole other level.

The original bobber wheels have been replaced with a pair of lightweight, black Takasago Excel 17” rims with stainless steel spokes. What’s interesting about the wheels is that they have adopted the BARTubeless system; transforming them into tubeless wheels. The rims have been wrapped by a pair of sticky Pirelli Dunlop Mutant tires.

The rear fender had been completely removed, while the front fender got a nice trim job and received a distinguished Unikat 1-of1 logo, kind of like an easter-egg, waiting to be discovered. Staying at the front, we can also see that the speedo and the headlamp have both been lowered for a sportier stance. There’s a set of Motogadget bar-end indicators, which have been combined with a set of bar-end mirrors. The handlebar grips have received a nice leather wrap treatment. Womet Tech supplied the sporty clutch and brake levers. A pair of fork gaiters keep the front fork clean and mean.

Moving a bit more backwards to the fuel tank, we spot a beautifully milled, gold anodized fuel filler cap. Underneath the fuel tank, the original factory airbox has been removed and a pair of free flow air filet, curtousy of K&N have been placed to take care of the breathing. The ‘faux-carburetor’ injection covers have been treated to the 1-of-1 logo treatment too. Underneath the engine, a stainless-steel exhaust system, in combination with Unikat’s very own in-house built exhaust pipes, ensure that the combustion gases leave the engine in an effective and dramatic manner.

A lot of work has been put in cleaning up this bike by hiding as much of the wiring as possible. Part of that is the Hi-sider 3-in-1 taillight, that have built in indicators and license plate holder, and is in fact completely road-legal. The special thing about is, is that it is integrated into the single-seat. The finish of this Triumph in a gorgeous dark green color in combination with glossy black, with all the little gold-colored details really distinguishes this build from any other Bobber we have seen so far.

Builder details:
UNIKAT Motorworks
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The bike is so nice, they made it more than twice!

Polish Powerhouse
If you have just tuned in to BikeBrewers, here’s short summary of who we are dealing with. UNIKAT is a motorcycle customizing workshop in Wrocław, Poland and is specialized mainly in café racer and scrambler style motorcycles. It was established to combine the passions for speed and visual arts. As you may find in some of our earlier posts, the founder of UNIKAT, Grzegorz Korczak, is actually a cinematographer, OSCAR nominated (you know, Hollywood!) special effects director, and visual artist whose work has been exhibited in some of Poland’s most prestigious museums. Since 2013 he’s been using his skills to create some of the most visually and aesthetically pleasing motorcycles we have ever seen.

Good start!
The base bikes for these builds are the most powerful Triumph modern classics to date. In 2020 Thruxton RS is an adrenaline factory disguised as a classic motorcycle. Each piece of the bike is of superior quality. The engine is powerful, it has great stopping power, and the suspension is top notch. The first three Thruxton RS’s delivered to Poland went straight to UNIKAT! The new respective owners wanted a personalized motorcycle; they came to the right spot.

But not good enough!
Although Triumph did an incredible job manufacturing the new Thruxton, there are still some things that could be better. This is inherent to anything that is mass produced – fact. Then there are the things that make your head itch. For instance: an excess of silver painted plasti…ahum parts. That was the first point of order for Grzegorz. The second point were the large indicators. Too bulky. Third, the massive factory fitted tail light. Good to illuminate in dark rainy weather. An eye-sore for the enthusiast. Despite these points, the most important thing that needed to be addressed was the sound; too soft for a machine with this level of riding characteristics.

Uncorking the Triumphs
Modern exhaust emission and noise standards are so strict that all factory motorcycles sound like a moped. Don’t get us wrong, we are not preaching for superloud exhausts that wake up the neighbors and make kids cry. However, part of the riding experience has always been sound for us, and these Thruxtons deserve to be heard. It is probably the only thing these three bikes have in common, that’s it.

3 Flavours
Different owners have different tastes. One owner was convinced that he wanted his bike to look aggressive and cheeky; “The motorcycle must be matte black with red accents.” The second owned wanted something rather sporty but elegant – “glossy metallic deep black combined with golden elements!” To Grzegorz’s delight, both of them also opted for the tubeless Kineo wire-spoke wheels. Fitted with a set of Heidenau sticky rain tires, that also happen to perform excellent in dry condition, and in combination with the lower rotating mass, the handling has been seriously improved. Owner number three on the other hand, wanted his motorcycle to look “as vintage as possible”. Starting with old-school tires, and finishing with a top-fairing as a nod to the classic racers of yesteryear. Golden pinstripes, leather grips and classic diamonds on the upholstery are another retro details.

Perfecting imperfections
Building these bikes took more work than meets the eye. For instance, in order to remove the entire exhaust of the RS, you have to dismantle the lower sway of the frame. Sandblasting of the each part and getting the paint job just right proved to be a tedious and time-consuming job. Not that Grzegorz complained, it’s just that there is no room for error. Especially since any imperfections will pop out in matte black. More than a few times parts have been sent back for sandblasting and painting. Details make the difference!

Bling Bling
The easiest task was probably the assembly of the fairing, which is a one piece uni. The LED indicators and brushed steel bar-end mirrors are just a few of the fine details we like on these builds. Another detail are the handcrafted leather grips with threads in the color of the upholstery, which has become something of a UNIKAT trademark. The rear of the bike looks scary thanks to two LED tail lights. They are, allegedly, the smallest tail lights in the world, and they are EU approved (DOT in the US). The black and gold RS received a gold-colored DID chain. The red RS is equipped with a Bitubo suspension set; custom made to the riders’ specs. A great piece of accessory are the quality levers, provided by Poland’s own Womettech.

All three Thruxton are full of hidden Easter-eggs; little details that you may not notice at first, but the more you look at the bikes, the more you find. UNIKAT has done an exceptional job creating these three seemingly identical Thruxton RS’s. Although they look the same, they really are individually unique in many ways.

Builder details:
UNIKAT Motorworks
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Words by Unikat:

I remember as it was today – May, rainy morning, when Radek (the motorbike owner) delivered a police version of BMW K1100, production year 1999. The big, white, fairing evoked at our workshop extreme emotions, some of us wanted to get rid of it as quickly as possible, while others saw in it a white canvas, ready to be painted. With the stubbornness of the maniac, we played with an electrically-controlled deflector, changing its position all the time.

Radek, basically, gave us a free hand on this project… of course he had some requirements and objections, but he could not refuse an open head for novelty, change, and new solutions. We decided to build an one-person cafe racer with an aggressive look, which will be saturated with technical details. So, this is how we have accomplished it…

Of course, we started with removal of all the unnecessary stuffto see its true potential. Starting from the front, we have decided to mount the clip-ons. In order to achieve a minimalist look, we removed the original switches and levers (clutches and brake pumps) and replaced them with Motogadget’s m.switch mini buttons, clutch lever and radial brake pump by Daytona 675. We complemented the handlebar with indicator lights and mirrors from Rizoma. Large, square speedometers were replaced by the Motogadget Chronoclassic Black Edition tachometer.

Instead of the traditional headlight, we used two LED lenses that are fully homologated and give a unique technical design. At first glance, they give an impression of an unfinished project, but that was Grzesiek’s idea, who wanted to capture all the elements, originally hidden under the plastic. So now, you can easily see all the mechanical and construction parts of the K1100.

Much of the time we have devoted to locksmith works related to the modification of the sub-frame, so that we could use the rear fairing from the Kawasaki ZR550, as well as modifying the upper suspension shelf, custom chin fairing, exhaust system, footpegs, and many other components that made it possible to achieve the final effect.

The wheels also generated mixed feelings for some time. Design of the 90’s was fancied by some, while others wanted to replace them at all costs. However, Grzesiek, who was the designer of this motorcycle, decided to leave them, giving them an interesting color design. The BMW K1100 has a black finishing with purple accents that shine in with the daylight.

It is also worth mentioning, that the premiere of our cafe racer took place at the All Ride Moto Show 2017 in Prague, where custom workshops from all over Europe have presented their motorcycles.

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Grzegorz Korczak of Unikat Motorworks keeps surprising me with his extreme variety of builds. Were some builders tend to have a preference for a certain brand or type, Grzegorz just works on all kinds of bikes. With a clear philosophy of his builds “1 of 1”, he tends and tries to create really unique, one of a kind machines. This Triumph Bonneville Brat is a commissioned build for one of his customers who exactly knew what he wanted: a truly amazing and unique motorcycle with character. Owner of the brand new Triumph Bonneville SE was Michał, a modern and very confident man who likes the good things, or even better, good stuff in the world. Being also a very critical, the design phase was one of the hardest parts in this build. Grzegorz: “Never before have so many visualizations ended up in a trash. We have created more than 20 different versions, but none of them appealed to Michał in 100%. Luckily, we finally hit the 10.”

When they finally decided the outlines of the bike, Michał decided to exchange the aluminum cast wheels. The choice fell on a set of beautiful Kineo spoked, tubeless wheels, where for the back wheel, they chose the widest option offered by the manufacturer of the Bonneville (size 5.50). The wheels got a set of Heidenau Rain supermoto tires to add a bit more aggressiveness to the bike.

Rest of the words by Unikat:

Our work began with the preparation of a new subframe, the relocation of the rear footrests and the seat, which will be ideal for the so-called, one and a half persons. Why such an unusual seat size? Thanks to this treatment we have gained the lightness of a single person motorcycle not limiting Michał to lone rides.

The next step was to give the rider a suitable position on the motorcycle, which was in line with Michał’s expectations. For this, we have chosen Fehling handlebars and Ohlins STX36P Blackline ultra lightweight shock absorbers with full adjustment. The whole is complemented by perfectly formed seat, leather upholstery is stitched with a gold thread, and footrests straight from the Italian factory Rizoma.

At this stage, we were fully aware that we are building this unique machine. That is why we could not afford any compromises. We have decided to use the Motogadget subassemblies… we used, among other things, an electronic Motoscope mini speedometer, m.blaze disc turn signals and m.rear 75 mirrors – mounted on the handlebars and a proximity m.lock switch.  To emphasize the minimalist look of the handlebars, we mounted two m.switch mini switches, completing the rest of black parts from the Rizoma (clutch and brake handle and brake fluid tank). We also bought Motogadget soft grips, but they did not last long on a motorcycle – so, we replaced them with more comfortable and pleasant to touch leather ones made by us.

To finish up, we added the Highsider Atlanta LED lamp to our handcrafted mount, fitting in with the modern look of Triumph. It is known not since today that motorcycles rebuilt by the UNIKAT are unique … and this time we did not disappoint! M.S.O 1/1 is roaring with a sports gurgle out of two exhaust pipes, and a good eye will see the flames of the burning mixture.

All of the parts and accessories mentioned above are not only beautiful but also extremely lightweight (even aluminum front fender), so we slimmed this motorcycle down by about 15 kg.

Now it is time to share the riding experience. The entire team of UNIKAT wiped their eyes in surprise when after test drives we unanimously stated that Triumph was incredibly dynamic and rides like on rails. It can be boldly said that muscular and tuned Triumph M.S.O. is head and shoulder above his factory made brother. We hope that the new motorcycle will serve Michał well, and it will contribute to the beginning of a beautiful motorcycle passion.

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It may sound a bit arrogant, but I think that I “discovered” the work of the Polish Unikat Motorworks. A few years ago, when I was searching the web for custom builds and builders, I stumbled upon the work of Grzegorz Korczak, which immediately impressed me. I was pretty amazed that other sites never published his work so I decided to do it. It was this Honda CB550 I’m talking about. His work soon got more attention and his bikes got featured all over the interwebs. So I was glad that I got these pictures in my inbox with the latest build: the “Great Gatsby”; the latest build based on a Honda XBR500.

The Honda XBR500 is a direct response to Yamaha’s SR500. Just as Yamaha’s machine, the XBR500 is powered by a single cylinder engine pushing out a pretty 44 horses. The engine was taken from the XR500 and has its valves arranged radially in the so-called “Radial Four-Valve Combustion Chamber” setup. Since the engine has two exhaust valves at a different location, the engine has two different exhausts, which some people may think of it as a twin cylinder.

The funny thing about the XBR500 is that back in 1985, Honda released it’s very own stock cafe racer the legendary Honda GB500TT. Which, in addition to the XBR, had a solo seat with hump, laced wheels, clip ons and racy striping. And today we have Unikat’s interpretation of the Honda XBR500 Cafe Racer. The pictures I got from Grzegorz are the first rough photo’s, I hope to receive more info about the bike soon…

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Today I got an e-mail of Grzegorz Korczak from Unikat (thanks buddy!) with a bunch of pictures of his recent finished project: a custom Yamaha SR125 Scrambler named “Clockwork Orange”. We know Grzegorz from an earlier feature here on the blog, a cool Honda CB550 SL Custom.

Just like the Honda, this Yamaha is full of high quality, hand fabricated parts with an amazing eye for detail.

Words from Grzegorz:

We removed old paint from frame by hand wire brush and after that we used transparent powder coating. Brand new drivetrain, oil, filters and the lightest motorcyle battery in the world from Shorai– to make ride very fast. We also used enduro style aluminum handlebar with Bitwell grips to make better feeling and comfortable. Because safety is very important for UNIKAT, we choose Hindenau tires and huge drilled brake disc.

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The shortest month of the year is behind us, days here in Holland are getting longer, the sun becomes stronger and we can almost take out our rides without freezing off… For this month we’ve also made a selection of, in our opinion, the best custom motorcycles around the web.

This month we see have selected a great Aussie Honda CX500, a Triumph Bonneville from Italy, a German Yamaha XJR1300, a surprisingly clean Honda CB550 from Poland and a small but beautifil Kawasaki Estrella 250 from Indonesia.

Honda CX500 Café Racer by PopBang Classics

As you know, we’ve selected Sacha Lakic’s CX500 Café Racer as the best custom motorcycle of 2015. We think this bike will remain one of the best custom CX’s in a long time. But this creation of PopBang Classics, from Australia is very, very beautiful. Justin, the creator of this machine has a great eye for detail and perfection. We sure keep an eye on his workshop! [read more]

Triumph Bonneville Custom by Rustom

Building a café racer can be done in a lot of different ways, but a lot of designs look a lot like each other. Mattia and Roberto from Rustom Custom in Italy wanted to create a real unique, one off bike. And we can be short in this one: they succeeded. Very well. [read more]

Yamaha XJR1300 Café Racer by Motorrad Klein

Awesome project within the Yamaha Yard Built project and Yamaha’s “Faster Son’s” philosophy; a Yamaha XJR1300 Café Racer by the German builders of Motorrad Klein. [read more]

Honda CB550 Café Racer by Unikat Motorcycles

A surprise from Poland: a high detailed Honda CB550 Café Racer by Unikat Motorcycles. Built for one of their clients with only one task description: build me a café racer and use some leather of an old Mercedes SL. [read more]

Kawasaki Estrella 250 Café Racer by Studio Motor

The Kawasaki Estrella 250 is a small and pretty unknown machine here in Europe, and normally a typical bike to get from A to B. Donny Ariyanto from Studio Motor had a great idea for this bike and turned it into a good looking machine! [read more]

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