BMW R80/7 Dark Matter Spices Up the Airhead Recipe With Delicious Bobber Flavors

Dubbed Dark Matter, this startling airhead bobber is what happens when a talented guy like Adam decides to really push himself. It all started with a BMW R80/7 from the model-year 1984, but getting it to look even half as good as it does today was a lot easier said than done. The donor bike was a neglected barn-find covered in tons of rust, with an engine which hadn’t been started in several years.

Merely getting this thing to start would be a real challenge, which was perfectly fine because that’s what Adam was after. Commissioned by a guy named Matt, the project saw every part of this classic BMW either refurbished, upgraded, or replaced altogether. Once the R80 had arrived on UM’s doorstep and was taken apart, the first port of call was its weary boxer-twin engine.

Adam performed an all-inclusive overhaul to get it up and running again, and he raised its displacement to a very healthy 1,000cc in the process. Graphite-forged pistons, Nikasil-coated cylinders, and stainless-steel pushrod tubes also came into the picture as the powerplant was being rebuilt. All these upgrades raise the airhead’s total output to 59 ponies and 53 pound-feet (72 Nm) of torque, while offering a smoother delivery throughout the powerband.

What’s more, the engine’s compression ratio is now rated at 9.5:1, and its grunt gets channeled to the rear wheel by way of a refurbished transmission. Adam obviously wasn’t going to let it get away without some fresh breathing equipment, which comprises a pair of aftermarket pod filters and a bespoke exhaust system. The pipework ends in slash-cut silencers right beneath the engine, equipped with internal baffles to keep decibel levels within acceptable parameters.

On the outside, the R80’s twin-cylinder boxer got wrapped in a layer of black powder coating, but its cooling fins were sanded back to raw alloy for contrast. Moving on to the chassis, Untitled did away with the stock subframe, welded on a custom alternative in its stead, and gave the entire framework the same powder-coating treatment applied to the boxer-twin mill.

A handsome bobber-style seat made its way onto the new subframe, upholstered in standard black leather on the sides and suede up top. Although it’s not pictured here, Adam came up with a removable setup for a pillion saddle, too, enabling Matt to ride two-up with his missus while staying true to the bobber theme. The main seat is flanked by dual-function LEDs acting as both taillights and turn signals.

Lower down, we see a custom-built fender mounted on stainless-steel brackets, and its rearmost tip holds a compact license plate bracket. The front fender has also been swapped with a smaller handmade unit, but the original R80 fuel tank remained in place following the Untitled treatment. In terms of suspension upgrades, the project’s author used CNC-machined triple clamps to fit a Triumph Speed Triple’s inverted forks up north.

At the opposite end, the entire structure is perched on modern shock absorbers from Hagon’s range. Whereas the rear drum brake was kept and refurbished, the motorcycle’s front end is now equipped with Beringer discs and the premium Brembo calipers of a Triumph Thruxton. Once the wheels had been powder-coated black, Adam cloaked their rims in retro-looking Heidenau K34 rubber fore and aft.

He revised the electronics with things like fresh wiring and a Motogadget control unit, while replacing all the front-end lighting hardware with LED componentry. A bright headlamp keeps the way ahead nice and lit, accompanied by a yellow-tinted auxiliary light that sits atop the crash bar on the right-hand side. The cockpit area bears a Renthal handlebar placed right behind a Motogadget Chronoclassic speedo.

In addition, the handlebar is outfitted with adjustable control levers, underslung mirrors, and bar-end blinkers. Billet aluminum foot pegs round out the Dark Matter’s ergonomics, and the final piece of the puzzle is the subdued colorway laid over the gas tank and fenders. The paint job was outsourced to Image Design Custom for the best possible result.

A faded teal hue has been used as the base color, then topped with white pinstripes on each side of the fuel tank. The BMW R80/7 Dark Matter from Untitled is a thrilling display of neo-retro charm, but it becomes even more intriguing when you consider the pitiful state this Beemer used to be in. At the hands of builders like Adam Kay, even an old pile of rust can morph into something extraordinary!