I couldn't wait, building my own.

[OU812]

I know what my R will do in the turns. The old adage:"Races are won in the turns". I want to SPANK them in the straights also!

[Ian]

i love your work - espically the pipes, they look unreal.

[OU812]

Now that I got the top picture to come in,it is REALLY looking like a bike I would like to have in my garage. The CL tank with the stance of a R1150, and THE pipes, It's SWEET!

[ECB]

I have the R1150R. Where can I get the pistons,head work, and cams? The Harley guys give me crap about no way to get more HP out of my R.

Pistons came from:

http://www.bbpower.de/

They also offer high-lift cams, but I'll likely be sticking with R1100S cams.

Engine assembly and other work to the block is being done by Mike at Beemer Boneyard ( http://www.beemerboneyard.com ). Mike has been instrumental in finding the vast majority of the other BMW parts being used, as well as in final assembly. Great guy to work with.

[ECB]

i love your work - espically the pipes, they look unreal.

Thanks!

I can't wait to hear how it sounds... that's the "big reveal" for me. What I put together, between the high-flow catalytic converter and and muffler tips, was based on experience and instinct... which is a fancy way of saying "shooting from the hip". Let's hope my hip-aim is good!

[Ves]

Nice.

It actually reminds me of a V-max.

[OU812]

Thanks for the info on the High performance parts.

[ECB]

Assembly update:

http://picasaweb.google.com/robert.levi ... t_C_061207

[ECB]

Yes, almost a year later... just a few more things to sort out - instrument wiring integration, throttle body synching, a few little fasteners that have gone missing.

Frankly, I am most pleasantly surprised by the sound. It has a "dirty" sound like an Italian bike. More aggressive and louder than the typical beemer, but not unacceptably so. Will post vids when the TBs are synched.

click the link for all pics:

http://www.robertlevinson.com/Project_C ... index.html

[OU812]

What can I say...B E A U T I F U L!

[celticus]

Too much! The good Too Much! Congrats
Mark

[Skippy]

The bike is lookking great. I remember I've seen it a long time ago on I think Pelican forum but love the way it turned out. Great job and nice to see a custom bemmer for a change.

[ECB]

Thanks! You probably saw it on chromeheads.org, that's the only other place I've posted about it.

- Rob

[deilenberger]

Having seen it in person (that's me bending over in the 'stitch, sticking my nose up the right side intake prolly).. the photos don't do it justice. Paint job is simply amazing.. as is the pipe work on the exhaust, and the mating of the S rear-end-drive-paralever assembly to the chromehead engine.

[ECB]

Yet a few more months have dragged by, but I am glad to say that in all major respects, she's DONE. D-U-N.

Mike @ MG Cycles in NJ did an amazing job working out the electronic glitches and interfacing old harness to updated instrument/lighting harness and sorting out the ABS, along with a long list of other sorting. Trust a professional, it's more efficient than doing your own work if your time is short.

John @ DynoTune in CT did the final PowerCommander tuning on their dyno. The bike starts, idles, runs part and full throttle without a hiccup. Excellent job.

So I had my first ride yesterday, a short one just to get it from my warehouse to my house.

Wow. How much fun is a high-compression motor? Lots and lots. If I were selling this motor commercially, I would advertise it as "This motor hates you." It barks, snorts, crackles, rumbles, and bellows like it is insulted you would dare sully the bike's seat with your presence. It is strong. Strong in a big-displacement race motor way (and I say this as a person who has racecars!). The high compression aspect is amusing and predictable... when you shut it off, it just stops instantly. Likewise, it fires on the first cycle.

It's not like a Japanese sportbike that scares you at 9K rpm when the front wheel gets light... on this bike, the front wheel gets light at 4K rpm. That's surprising in that the bike is longer and at least 100+ lbs heavier than the typical R1 (and add that I am at least 100+ lbs heavier than the typical R1 rider!). Honestly, I haven't worked my way up to full throttle except briefly in the mid-range, it's somewhat intimidating.

I am thrilled with the HyperPro suspension. Good suspension is always worth the money, and this one lives up to that... it handles great while still being very comfortable. The folks at HyperPro were great to work with, they customized the parts to match the specific chassis changes and rider weight. Even with the adjustments not fine-tuned (I haven't done anything), it's just about spot-on.

Was a 3-year project worthwhile? Depends on how you look at it. I could have bought a new K1200S for less money and ridden it right away. Most people would say that's the smarter thing to do, and it's hard to disagree. So what do I have instead? Something a little more unique, built exactly the way I want it, and a truckload of experience. Cost-wise, it was not much different than making payments on a new bike as costs were paid as they arose. I'm free and clear with my "new" custom bike. I suppose it's mostly a matter of whether you have the patience.

I will post some more pics and video, but not for a couple of weeks, I am in the middle of moving right now and have zero free time.

- Rob

[WildBlue]

Holy crap, NICE WORK!

[sweatmark]

Has BMW Motorrad credited you appropriately as inspiration for the new Lo Rider concept?

Your selection of OE components is a strong interpretation along the same theme of sporting machine.

Nicely done.

[ECB]

Sumbitch... I hadn't even seen that.

Eerily similar, isn't it?

- Rob

[g4string]

was this you inspiration???? http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/354/1560/ ... -Look.aspx


BTW, nice job!! It looks killer!

[ECB]

Considering mine was started in 2005... perhaps the inspiration was the other way?