Sunset Runner: BMW F650 Funduro

’99 BMW F650 Funduro “Sunset Runner” by BCK Motorcycles…  

Strange as it may seem, the BMW F650 Funduro, powered not by a boxer-twin but a four-valve dual-plug Rotax single, was destined to become one of BMW Motorrad’s most successful models. Some 50,000 of the original models were produced in partnership with Rotax and Aprilia in the 1990s. 

“The F650 is a revelation, and not just because it’s the first single-cylinder BMW since the 1960s, and the first bike in the German firm’s 70-year history to have chain rather than shaft final drive. More importantly it’s the first BMW to be built not in Germany at all, but in Italy using components from Austria, Italy and Japan. Radical stuff indeed, for a firm with such a conservative image. For BMW the F650 is an important bike, representing as it does a serious effort to break into a totally new sector of the market with an entry-level machine…”

Though some BMW purists scoffed at the collaborative pedigree of the bike, the Funduro soon proved itself a success both in the showroom and on streets and trails around the world, earning a reputation as an adventure-ready workhorse. 

Our buddy Yann of BCK Motorcycles, who once managed a WSBK team, has become something of a modern “Funduro Whisperer.” His original F650 “Dezert Runner” has inspired builds around the world, and he’s designed a number of parts directly for the model.

“A Funduro does not appeal at first glance but, with some well-chosen accessories, you can make it a visually updated machine without having in any way impaired its natural qualities. Plus, you save money compared to a new bike and then have a budget for your next trip.” -Yann

Dezert Runner: BMW F650 GS Funduro by BCKustoms

Though Yann is an expert on this model, this would be his most challenging Funduro project to date. That’s because it arrived in his workshop in no fewer than 14 boxes, along with a mountain of new parts and sand inside the frame’s oil reservoir. However, Yann persevered, managing to sort out the whole intricate puzzle and create the rally-inspired “Sunset Runner” you see here.

Major upgrades and/or modifications include sandblasted and powder-coated frame, 5mm aluminum skidplate, scratch-built crashbars, custom windscreen with adjustable height, rear luggage rack, NCW Workshop saddle (“which gives complete satisfaction on long trips as well as off-road”), reinforced chainguard, new forks, and a waterproof navigation mount with USB socket and voltmeter.

Other highlights wider footpegs, fatbars, short levers, handguards, articulating mirrors, LED lighting, auxiliary spotlights, braided brake hoses, Heidenau K60 tires, Mosko Moto luggage set, and a lighter weight exhaust silencer that “sheds the dead donkey’s weight of the original.” Then there’s the sunset-inspired livery, which looks retro and timeless at the same time. 

The result is a proven platform that looks much better and more modern than the outdated original, and is much more well-equipped for adventure. Yann is transitioning from one-off client projects to building series of bikes, like his forthcoming DR125 adventure builds. Make sure to keep an eye on this workshop on Instagram or Facebook.

Below is our full interview with Yann about the build, with many more details and information. 

BMW Funduro: Builder Interview

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

What have I not already said in the introduction of the presentation of the different projects that I had the pleasure of seeing shown to everyone through BikeBound? For 15 years, I have had the opportunity to design and show some achievements that have, for some, somehow marked the web of their passage.

Exiting the bobber years from the beginnings in 2010, I built the first Flat Track machines in 2014, including the first true Hooligan Sportster built in Europe. Covid had a beneficial effect of making us take a step back and refocus our attention on what matters most.

If I believe in the evolution of the usage of motorcycle projects, I will say that a large majority of bikers have turned to adventure, especially for my generation who still have in mind the first live broadcasts of the Paris-Dakar starts from the Eiffel Tower. The notion of superheroes for my child’s eyes was then redefined.

To make it short, locked up in front of my Funduro behind closed doors, my rally inspiration expressed itself as best it could with the only parts available at the workshop, having access to nothing during the lockdown. Only this particular motorcycle will match with its release context, but also with the expectations of many owners of the model finding nothing to make it ‘something pretty’.

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

This beauty is a 1999 BMW F650 Funduro with its reliable Rotax engine, one of the last built in Austria, as the next year production moved to China, where all BMW engines are now built. The funniest thing is this old Rotax model is now being built in China to equip some 650 Voge models — proof that this precise Austrian roots model isn’t finished taking adventurers on trails worldwide.

• Why was this bike built? 

At the start, I got in touch with Antoine, a young Belgian biker who decided to start a Funduro project by himself, inspired by the first ones I did. I’m not stingy with advice on social networks and I try to encourage as best as possible the people who contact me and who wish to carry out a complete project after themselves.

It’s just also that a minimum of method and tooling are required to successfully complete this first adventure, since that’s indeed what it is in the end. In fact, Antoine found himself a bit lost after the first steps of restoration when the machine was scattered in his garage.

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

My first Funduro has continued to appear on the web, showing already after three years, several developments such as the adoption of larger wheels, the simplification of its dashboard, the realization of crash-bars, or even the replacement of the original plastic engine skid plate by an aluminum element worthy of its name.

So naturally, the “Dezert Runner” (with a Z in reference to the local skate shop, Dezert Point, which showcases some of my bikes in store) remains the inspiration for many Funduro projects around the world. To date, I count no less than a dozen replicas of the original version V1.0 with its blue and red stripes. From New Zealand to Mexico, from Denmark to La Reunion, it’s almost a plebiscite! Why then look for inspiration elsewhere?

• What custom work was done to the bike?

Like all the Funduros that come to the workshop, I start from scratch for a proper restoration of all the elements starting with the sandblasting and powder coating of the entire chassis.

Already at this step, this project proved more complicated. The motorcycle arrived at the workshop in 14 different boxes, a mountain of new parts ordered by the owner, and a first stage of frame processing that was sloppy, with sand in the oil tank of the frame, inside the fork sleeves, and more.

Once a new fork was found and the inside of the oil tank of the frame was cleaned and checked with an endoscopic camera, the reassembly could be resumed. The puzzle was incredible, especially since it wasn’t me who had done the dismantling, grouped the different parts in batches, and ensured the proper marking of the different packages.

Once the reassembly process had begun, all the distinctive signs of the workshop’s ADV projects came together: the wide footrests, the “oversize” handlebar, the short levers, the hand protections, the waterproof navigation support with a USB power socket that also acts as a voltmeter, a pair of articulating mirrors, and the integral LED lighting, including the addition of auxiliary spotlights. I also added a new rear panel for support of the light and license plate, and a stainless steel silencer that sheds the dead donkey’s weight of the original. With that, we will, I think, have listed the essentials. I certainly forget some.

Add to that the complete pack of exclusive BCK accessories, including the 5mm aluminum engine skid plate with its extension on the center stand, the homemade crash bars, the high screen with adjustable height (of proprietary design and manufacture), the new rear luggage rack, and the reinforced chain protection, and you get a machine ready for any adventure project, even in very hostile environments.

I would be remiss if I did not mention, once again, the excellent saddlery work done by Nikau from NCW Workshop. He applied the recipe that we developed together and which gives complete satisfaction on long trips as well as off-road with increased holding between the legs.

Exit also the original brake hoses, which were replaced by braided aircraft-type elements. The instrumentation panel also benefits from a technological upgrade, and the engine paint has received particular attention with a shade that can no longer be trendy added to the engine cases, just like the paint on the brake calipers — turned black and highlighted with the Italian manufacturer’s logo in red.

Complete body paint, powdering of rims, restoration of the original stainless steel collector, what did I forget?

• Does the bike have a nickname?

As a new member of the BCK Motorcycles ADV family, this project is now a Runner and his unmistakable color set gives him the obvious nickname of “Sunset Runner.”

• Can you tell us what it’s like to ride this bike?

At the risk of disappointing folks, this bike is still very much like the original in terms of dynamic qualities. We kept the original wheel sizes — 19”/17” — and the chassis did not undergo any modification except the adoption of a new YSS shock and the complete rebuilding of the fork.

In fact, apart from the improved braking with the adoption of braided hoses and the Heidenau K60 tires, which guarantee optimal grip on all terrains and in all circumstances, the maneuverability, versatility, and endurance of the Funduro that made its reputation have been preserved.

This model, despite its somewhat outdated design, is a workhorse that will take you everywhere without ever weakening. So yes, a Funduro does not appeal at first glance but, with some well-chosen accessories, you can make it a visually updated machine without having in any way impaired its natural qualities. Plus, you save money compared to a new bike and then have a budget for your next trip.

Certainly, with its 48 hp, its power is just that of a Tenere 700 restricted for France A2 licenses. But you keep the unwavering engine reliability and torque of the much appreciated single cylinder.

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

There are two main points about this project that make me proud:

First of all, there was this gigantic puzzle that ended up being reassembled again, not without difficulty and the help of all the exploded views available on the web to omit nothing. Usually, you dismantle the elements by sub-groups in a stainless steel tray, you store each part in order of disassembly to proceed in reverse for the assembly without risking forgetting any washer. For this project, it was necessary to be very imaginative to trace the origin of each screw, wheel, ball, gasket, spring, and ensure that the accounting was correct before redistributing the items towards each subset. Suffice to say that I will never again take on a project that’s already been dismantled by someone else.

There is also a second point, which is the final packaging with the whole realization, by hand, of all the specific accessories, and the full realization of the project proposed on screen to Antoine. The livery I’d reserved for myself because I found it incredible. The sunset-style gradient bands have this timeless effect that crosses eras without failing. The flipping is just crazy. If you add, as here to the project, a set of Mosko Moto luggage with matching colors, the machine is a total success.

• Is there anyone you’d like to thank?

Special Thanks to all locals helpers and craftsmen who I’m working with:

Engine rebuild and upgrade to come with Master Gougou, IOMTT racing wizard
Upholstery by the only Nikau, The Man at @NCW_Workshop
Best custom paint from airbrush world know artist and master builder @kriss.kcppeintre.9
Stainless welding Master @jefracfrac at @t2xc.creation
Sandblasting and powdercoating at SARL LE PAGE

And big thanks to the companies who helped me to give that project a go:
The best motorcycle luggage from Mosko Moto with that orange-black Reckless 40L set, including a stinger 22-liter bag and a pair of auxiliary pouches to offer the maximum storage.
All lubricants by @iponelube
All lubricants and fluids including the Road Trip Kit on the rear rack by @iponelube
Rear shock from @ysseurope
Restoration products issued by @wd40_france
All finishing products from @noline.france
Chains and sprockets from @supersprox

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