Freeing the Beast: BMW R1100GS Scrambler

Carbon-Clad Adventure Scrambler from Himora Motors…

The BMW R1100GS was the company’s mid-90s evolution of the Geländesport adventure-touring series. It featured a 1085cc air/oil-cooled boxer twin with about 80 bhp and 72 foot-pounds of torque, along with the somewhat awkward-looking Paralever/Telelever suspension design to minimize fork dive under braking and shaft-drive “jacking” during acceleration. It was big, expensive, and not very attractive, but the GS1100 was the bike for two-wheeled globe-trotters.

“If you had to bet the house and kids on a motorcycle to get to Timbuktoo and back again (and show you a good time en route) the R1100GS would be it.” –MCN

Recently, we featured Touratech’s Rambler 1200 prototype, which aimed to show what could be achieved when a 2017 R1200GS LC was stripped down for more intense enduro riding. Our new friend Kay Riemann (@fuelrider) of Germany’s Himora Motors went back even farther, opting to transform a 32-year-old R1100GS.

“This BMW R1100GS from 1994 was to show how far we can bring an ugly GS from the 90s…showing also that the 90s bikes from BMW can be a cool base to build something.”

Kay, who’s a former industrial designer and current web designer, has quite the motoring pedigree behind him. His family’s company was the first to produce custom truck bodies during the German economic boom, and his grandfather spent time customizing and modifying his own Horex motorcycle. His father, Bernd, who works alongside him on the bikes, spent his spare time manufacturing parts for Simson mopeds and motorcycles. Kay himself started to Himora about ten years ago.

“HIMORA stands for “HIstorisches MOtorRAd” (Historic Motorcycle).”

With this GS build, Kay put his old industrial design skills to work. He molded the bodywork designs out of clay, 3D-scanned these into the computer, then 3D-printed molds for shaping the bodywork out of carbon fiber. The crashbars were then custom-built to match the lines of the carbon body panels — trick!

Kay worked alongside his father, Bernd, and together they put around 900 man-hours (!) into the build. Other highlights include a full Motogadget electronics suite — which includes switches, instrumentation, turn signals, and more — as well as a custom seat and luggage racks.

Nearly every component on the bike was painted or powder-coated: engine, frame, swingarm, wheels, etc. Meanwhile, a 2-into-1 Cobra Exhaust system helped open up the old Boxer twin.

“It’s awesome. The new exhaust lets the bike breath so well, it feels like it’s finally free now ;-)”

Kay aptly nicknamed this old GS1100 “The Beast.” We don’t have a weight figure on the final build, unfortunately, but we’re sure it’s many, many pounds lighter with the stripped-down style and carbon bodywork. There’s nothing better than seeing a family work together over two wheels, especially when it’s carrying on a tradition, and we look forward to seeing what more rolls out of the Himora Motors workshop.

Below is our full interview with Kay about the build, and you can follow him and the workshop at @fuelrider and @himora_motors.

BMW GS1100 Scrambler: Builder Interview

• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.

I’ve been riding motorcycles since I was 15 (now 27 years old), and my dad is always riding and working on his bike. In 2012 I bought my first project bike, an old Kawasaki KZ550 to build a café racer. Since then I’ve built 1-2 bikes per year under the brand name Himora Motors.

Most of my bikes are just fun projects from my mind or for friends, and some bikes I built for clients. The BMW R1100GS from 1994 was to show how far we can bring an ugly GS from the 90s. I am former industrial designer and now web designer, so I try to go one step more in the design.

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

BMW R1100 GS from 1994.

• Why was this bike built?

Personal idea and promotion, to show that also the 90s bikes from BMW can be a cool base to build something.

• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

To make it more aggressive, sporty, and ready for off-road fun.

• What custom work was done to the bike?

A lot =) … The whole design was defined with clay and 3D-scanned to 3D-print molds. The bodywork was made by us out of carbon fiber. New crashbars were built from scratch to match the lines of the new bodywork.

Painted or powder-coated the motor, swingarm, frame, rims, and every other part. Full Cobra 2-into-1 exhaust. Full electronics suite was added from Motogadget (speedo, turn signals, switches, m.unit, etc.). New custom seats and racks for a small luggage system, and more.