A retro-style superbike for the track…
The BMW S1000RR was introduced in 2008 — a 999cc sportbike designed to compete in World Superbike…and compete it did. In the 2010 FIM Superstock 1000 Championship — the “Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday” class where bikes remain close to showroom stock — the S1000RR won all but one race, and the bike went into commercial production that same year. The current machine weighs 450 pounds wet, with 199 horsepower on tap — a two-wheeled weapon in the hands of a skilled rider.
Enter Chi-hyun Kim of South Korea’s Crazy Garage, who focuses on custom bikes that don’t just look good, but perform well on the track and in the twisties:
“The concept of the shop is mainly that of making bikes that can be enjoyed on the race circuit or winding roads… I enjoy riding on the circuit with custom bikes…”
Last year, we featured Crazy Garage’s 833 Street Tracker, built to compete in amateur road races at Korea International Circuit (KIC), about 400 kilometers south of Seoul. Now Kim is back with this custom BMW S1000RR, built for a customer who, like Kim, loves 80s-style bikes and wanted a high-performance track weapon with the outward appearance of an old endurance racer. The result is RR#11 (RetroRacer #11), a retro-style track bike. Below, we get the full story on the build.
RetroRacer #11: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
I am Chi-hyun Kim, who runs Crazy Garage in Korea. This workshop has been open about 12 years now. The concept of the shop is mainly that of making bikes that can be enjoyed on the race circuit or winding roads. But we also make choppers and simple scramblers…
I enjoy riding on the circuit with custom bikes… I do not customize only specific genres.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?
2017 BMW S1000RR
• Why was this bike built?
I started this work at the request of a client.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
My client and I like ’80s style bikes. He owned the S1000RR already. We agreed to make a high-performance bike with an outward appearance of the old Endurance racer design…
• What custom work was done to the bike?
The bike was running on the circuit, so all the basic parts had been replaced: forged wheels, Brembo brake systems, Bitubo suspension, Rapid Bike sub-commander…etc
So we focused on the exterior and the setting. I made FRP body covers and brackets. And a high gloss custom painting and a powder painting. For the silencer, we used a semi-ordered racefit product.
Relocating the radiator parts was the most difficult. Because I had to use the genuine radiator…
• Does the bike have a nickname?
RR#11. RetroRacer #11
• How would you classify this bike?
Well, to classify, retro-style trackbike?
Lovely great looking bike ?
This is brilliant! The owner probably gets better wind protection from the old school fairing, too.
Is it juste me or ?
http://www.bikeexif.com/bmw-s-1000-rr
Of course the elephant in the room is that massive 2007 swingarm.