Photo: Der
If Kylo Ren was a custom motorcycle, this would be it.
In 2012, an ambitious workshop named Mandrill Garage was born in the Chinese capital of Beijing. To this day, the workshop amassed an impressive selection of breathtaking custom two-wheelers that’ll have just about any rider truly awestruck. As I was browsing their portfolio, I ran into a drool-worthy work of bespoke art, based on a 1976 model in BMW’s R90/6 range.
The donor is brought to life by an ungodly four-stroke boxer-twin powerplant, with a fierce displacement of 898cc and two valves per cylinder. At approximately 6,500 revs, this monstrous piece of air-cooled machinery will gladly produce up to 60 hp, along with 53 pound-feet (73 Nm) of crushing torque at 5,500 rpm. A five-speed transmission channels the engine’s force to a shaft final drive.
As to Mandrill’s custom creature, the build incorporates an assortment of modern components that’ll have it behave like a marvel and look pretty damn sexy while doing it. For starters, a Ducati 1098’s forks and brake modules were transplanted onto the R90/6. To hold the new front end in place, a CNC milled triple clamp was also installed.
On the opposite end, suspension duties are handled by a one-off swingarm single modern shock absorber, while stopping power is supplied by a fresh brake rotor and a Brembo caliper. The standard subframe was discarded to make room for a loop-style counterpart.
To achieve the desired riding stance, the Mandrill team proceeded to equip a pair of clip-on handlebars and rear-mounted foot pegs. The clip-ons wear Motogadget bar-end turn signals and aftermarket switches from Estonia’s Renard Speed Shop. Additionally, a Motogadget M-unit is tasked with running the bike’s rewired electrics.
Lastly, the boxer-twin behemoth was thoroughly restored using new bearings and gaskets. Its cylinders and carburetors were completely refurbished, the latter receiving top-grade velocity stacks. To top it all off, a bespoke exhaust system was added, consisting of carbon fiber tips and titanium mufflers.
Oh, and don’t even get me started on that groovy color scheme, okay? To be frank, I could stare at this graceful entity for minutes on end!
The donor is brought to life by an ungodly four-stroke boxer-twin powerplant, with a fierce displacement of 898cc and two valves per cylinder. At approximately 6,500 revs, this monstrous piece of air-cooled machinery will gladly produce up to 60 hp, along with 53 pound-feet (73 Nm) of crushing torque at 5,500 rpm. A five-speed transmission channels the engine’s force to a shaft final drive.
As to Mandrill’s custom creature, the build incorporates an assortment of modern components that’ll have it behave like a marvel and look pretty damn sexy while doing it. For starters, a Ducati 1098’s forks and brake modules were transplanted onto the R90/6. To hold the new front end in place, a CNC milled triple clamp was also installed.
On the opposite end, suspension duties are handled by a one-off swingarm single modern shock absorber, while stopping power is supplied by a fresh brake rotor and a Brembo caliper. The standard subframe was discarded to make room for a loop-style counterpart.
To achieve the desired riding stance, the Mandrill team proceeded to equip a pair of clip-on handlebars and rear-mounted foot pegs. The clip-ons wear Motogadget bar-end turn signals and aftermarket switches from Estonia’s Renard Speed Shop. Additionally, a Motogadget M-unit is tasked with running the bike’s rewired electrics.
Lastly, the boxer-twin behemoth was thoroughly restored using new bearings and gaskets. Its cylinders and carburetors were completely refurbished, the latter receiving top-grade velocity stacks. To top it all off, a bespoke exhaust system was added, consisting of carbon fiber tips and titanium mufflers.
Oh, and don’t even get me started on that groovy color scheme, okay? To be frank, I could stare at this graceful entity for minutes on end!
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