A Supermoto-inspired Boxer from Rind Performance…
Back in 2019, we featured a BMW R100R “Flatbanger” from a young German tuner/builder named Robin Ludwig, who operates under the name Rind Performance. Robin had customized 13 bikes in the past four years, including both Japanese and German machines, and also lends his handiwork to some trick four-wheeled builds, including a 630-hp turbocharged BMW E30 M3, Honda S2000, and Audi S1 Quattro.
As we’ve admitted in the past, the plethora of custom BMW airhead builds in the last decade makes it doubly tough for one of these German boxers to stand out from the crowd. But Robin’s R100 “Flatbanger” build immediately struck us as something we hadn’t seen before — a performance-oriented airhead that took its inspiration less from the custom scene than from the world of supermoto and Super Hooligan flat track racing, which pits heavyweight multi-cylinder street bikes on dirt ovals.
Recently, Robin got in touch with the next evolution of this build, the Flatbanger 2.0:
“Basically the style has remained the same as the first Flatbanger, it was only implemented in a more extreme way.”
His aim was to push the limits of the bike’s handling and performance a step further:
“The aim of the revision was to keep the boxer’s charm and to improve the chassis again so that the motorcycle not only looks extreme, but also handles extremely well and is manageable at speed.”
Robin says the most complex element was adapting the R1150 rear swingarm and mono-shock, which required a wealth of custom CNC-cut parts. The Flatbanger 2.0 is also running upside-down forks, Brembo brakes, carbon covers, and trick Dymag magnesium rims. In a hat tip to Robin’s performance car builds, the rear one has a custom insert modeled after a BBS automotive wheel and labeled “BBQ” — after all, Rind is German for “beef.”
The engine’s compression was raised and it was fitted with 40mm Mikuni flat-slide carbs. Robin says the finished bike handles incredibly well for a BMW boxer, and sounds damn good as well:
“Rides like a lowered supermoto, but with a sound like a Harley V-twin.”
Below, we talk to Robin for a few more details about his new Flatbanger.
BMW R100 Supermoto: Builder Interview
• What’s the make, model, and year of the donor bike?
BMW R100R, 1997.
• Why was this bike built?
Only for myself, out of love for BMW boxers. And to see what’s possible.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
Inspired by Flat Track, Supermoto, and Roland Sands Super Hooligan Racing.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
A lot. Everything on the bike is actually modified: wheels, frame, suspension fork, tank, engine…
Basically the style has remained the same as the first Flatbanger, it was only implemented in a more extreme way.
The most complex was the rear swing arm and the central shock absorber. The rear frame construction was completely converted to a central spring of the R1150 with the help of various CNC parts, including the rim and swing arm. The front fork was replaced by a USD fork, including a Dymag magnesium rim and Brembo monoblock M4 brake calipers.
The aim of the revision was to keep the boxer’s charm and to improve the chassis again so that the motorcycle not only looks extreme, but also handles extremely well and is manageable at speed.
So you feel like you’re sitting on a competitive flat tracker machine — only difference, the two thick cylinders under the knees.
• Does the bike have a nickname?
FlatBanger 2.0.
• Can you tell us what it’s like to ride this bike?
Rides like a lowered supermoto, but with a sound like a Harley V-twin.
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
The proportions, BBQ Disc wheel and the exhaust.
Follow the Builder
- Robin Ludwig: @mr.ludolf
- Rind Performance: @rindperformance
Fantastica
Spectacular! Most visually striking part is the short seat with the abbreviated rear fender: never seen this style before, and it looks dope.
Video, please!