Fast Brick: BMW “K1 Racer 1.2”

BMW K100 by Lord Drake Kustoms… 

In recent years, the BMW K100 has become an unlikely favorite among bike-builders all over the world. Dubbed the “Flying Brick” for the boxy engine design, the K100 was BMW Motorrad’s first attempt to build a modern four-cylinder bike to supplant the old flat-twin “airhead” engine and rival the multi-cylinder machines coming out of Japan.

However, BMW has a penchant for doing things their own way, and the K100 was a case in point. The engine was turned on its side in the frame, with the crank on the right and head on the left. While the bike was clad in fairings in factory trim, today’s builders like to strip off the bodywork to reveal the boxy, even Brutalist machine underneath the plastic.

However, many of these K100 customs begin to look and feel the same, as builders iterate the same designs over and over again. So we were happy to see something fresh land in our inbox from our old friend Francisco Alí Manen of Lord Drake Kustoms.

LDK has recently released the second build in their K1 Racer series, the BMW K1 Racer 1.2, and it’s a departure from the majority of K100 currently in the scene.

“A customized motorcycle with a very sporty air that breaks the styles used to transform motorcycles such as the BMW K100.”

Fran and his team stripped down the K100 donor in their Málaga workshop and got to work creating a bike that would be elegant, aggressive, and unique. The bike is now running an inverted fork and OEM wheels with new brake calipers, discs, and tires.

A V-Rod front headlight was installed, and the original subframe was cut off and replaced with a custom-built one complete with a superbike tail and custom-upholstered saddle. The rear shock is a WP unit and the bike is sporting a handcrafted stainless steel sound that “gives a brutal sound” according to LDK.

Motogadget bar-end indicators and 3-in-1 rear lights help the bike cut safely through traffic, and the paint is inspired by the Martini racing livery, brightly strung against a graphite gray background.

All in all, this is one trick Flying Brick — a kind of modernized “M” edition of the beloved K100.

Build Sheet

• MOTORCYCLE: BMW K100
• CYLINDER CAPACITY: 1000 cc
• FORK: Inverted
• REAR SUSPENSION: WP Shock
• TANK: Modified original
• SUBFRAME: Handcrafted
• SEAT: Handmade and upholstered
• EXHAUSTS: Modified collector and tail
• FRONT WHEEL: Mag
• REAR WHEEL: Mag
• LIGHTING: Front headlight with support, turn signals and rear light
• SPEEDOMETER: Relocation of speedometer and indicator panel.
• OTHER WORK: painting, powder coating, graphics, grips, footpeg modification, etc.

Follow Lord Drake Kustoms

Website: www.lorddrakekustoms.com
Instagram: @lorddrakekustoms
Facebook: @lorddrakekustoms
Youtube: LDK TV

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