BMW R100RS “D’Artagnan” by Unik Edition

The BMW R100 was the last of the legendary airheads, a 980cc air-cooled boxer twin that’s been known to do 200,000 miles and more. The RS was the sport touring version, sporting aerodynamic bodywork by designer Hans Muth and capable of cruising at 100mph autobahn speeds for hours on end. Today, the fairings on these models are often trashed, but the underlying machine still has tons of potential.

Enter our friends at Unik Edition Custom Motorcycles, based in Lisbon, Portugal. Since their first build in 2016, Tiago, Luis, and the rest of the crew have been making a name for themselves in Europe, the States, and the rest of the world. Today, they have a storefront in the Moscavide neighborhood of Lisbon, with their workshop in the rear, where they work on their custom commissioned builds.

This 1982 BMW R100 is owned by their friend and customer Frederico, who had a clear vision of what he wanted from the build:

“A motorcycle for everyday use, with LED lighting, improved performance, comfortable two-seater, and…keep the classic look.”

Frederico’s contributions ended up being crucial, and Tiago says this was one of the most fun builds they’ve done. Dubbed “D’Artagnan,” the end result is a BMW R100 “brat” that combines classic styling cues and a big boxer heart — reminiscent of the gentlemanly sword-fighter and duelist from Alexandre Dumas’s The Three Musketeers.

Below, we get the full story on this build from Tiago Gonçalves of Unik Edition, along with some stunning photos from photographer Soraia Pinto.

BMW R100 Brat: Builder Interview

• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?

BMW R100RS, 1982.

• Why was this bike built?

It all started when customer Frederico came to Unik Edition, with a BMW R100RS in a final stage of restoration but in need of a lot of love. Frederico had very clear ideas about what he dreamed of. On the one hand, we had a motorcycle for everyday use, with LED light, improved cycling, comfortable two-seater, and on the other, keep the classic look. Above all it was a fun build. The owner could collaborate on many parts of the motorcycle and in some his contribution was crucial. In Unik Edition we accept that in this “Dream come true” process there are really no rules! Each new build is a joyride!

• What custom work was done to the bike?

New sub-frame, new seat, paint jobs, seat, new fenders, complete new electrics.

• Does the bike have a nickname?

D’Artagnan. Customer nickname.

• How would you classify this bike?

Brat Style.

• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

The harmony of the lines. The sub-frame makes the bike shorter and more modern. The transformation between the original model that reached our shop and the current one. We also like the classic models, so when we make these custom designs it is also very important for us to improve not only aesthetics but also performance — we like to think that we improved something.