Jaw-Dropping Custom BMW R65 Cafe Racer Is Absolutely Bonkers on Every Level

He now operates as Gas&Retro (G&R) in a small town right outside Ljubljana, and the breathtaking cafe racer shown above is a perfect demonstration of what he’s able to accomplish. The project’s basis was a BMW R65 from the model-year 1983, but Ziga didn’t just cut and paste the common, often overused design trends we’re accustomed to seeing on caffeinated airheads.

On the contrary, he built something that would have no problem standing out in a sea of R-series customs! It all started a few years ago, with Sir Petek becoming a brand ambassador for Flex Tools and quickly befriending the head of the company’s Slovenian branch, Bostjan Vidrajz. The guy fell in love with a bespoke Beemer that Ziga had previously put together, eventually deciding to go ahead and commission an airhead project himself.

With the R65 delivered to the Gas&Retro shop in Notranje Gorice, Petek did away with the stock bodywork in its entirety. As a matter of fact, just about everything aside from the main frame and boxer-twin engine got ditched, leaving G&R’s mastermind with a blank canvas ripe for customization. The first step involved the fabrication of a new outfit from scratch.

Aluminum was Ziga’s material of choice, and the central component of his attire is a gorgeous fuel tank topped with a flush-mounted filler cap. The said tank is fronted by a cafe-style bikini fairing, while a sporty fender can be spotted lower down. Handmade side panels occupy the flanks, seamlessly flowing outward with the boxer engine’s cylinders toward the bottom.

In doing so, they create a pair of winglets that look seriously rad, with additional plates bolted above for some bonus eye candy. An aggressive belly pan was placed beneath the motorcycle’s powerplant, and its rear end received a fresh subframe to support the svelte tail section made by Ziga. Besides the superb bodywork, this R65 is also embellished with several forged carbon fiber add-ons.

The plates we’ve mentioned earlier are a few of them, though Gas&Retro also fitted airbox and valve covers made of the same material. However, the star of the show is the MotoGP-inspired wing mounted right below the front fairing – overkill in terms of aerodynamics, but a very nice addition from a cosmetic standpoint. Speaking of nice additions, the receiver module of a keyless ignition was integrated into one of the carbon winglets on the right.

For lighting, Ziga installed a premium Koso headlamp at the front and a vertical LED strip at the other end, along with tiny aftermarket blinkers all-round. He went to town in the cockpit area, too, with things like Brembo control levers, TRW clip-ons, and a Tommaselli throttle. In addition, Motogadget supplied the switchgear, bar-end mirrors, and stylish grips, as well as a compact digital dial that keeps visual bulk at a minimum.

An Alcantara saddle was placed right behind the fuel tank to complete the bike’s new overalls, and the whole shebang rides on laced aftermarket hoops. Their rims are wrapped in Phantom Sportscomp tires from Pirelli’s catalog, while stopping power is now summoned by drilled Moto-Master discs, Brembo calipers, and Goodridge brake lines. Unsurprisingly, the suspension mods are just as extensive as those found in the footwear sector.

Petek replaced the standard swingarm with the single-sided unit of a later BMW GS model, then he finished off the rear end with a top-shelf YSS monoshock. Up north, he used custom triple clamps to attach a set of inverted Showa forks, which had once belonged to a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R. As you would expect, Ziga’s work is no less impressive on the powertrain side of things.

The Beemer’s air-cooled mill got subjected to a revitalizing makeover, gaining youthful valves complete with replacement springs and bearings. Furthermore, its capacity was boosted to a healthier 890cc, and the stock Bing carburetors made way for Mikuni substitutes that breathe through velocity stacks. A pie-cut exhaust system also makes an appearance, snaking its way back to dual aftermarket silencers right below the tail.

Lastly, the intricate paint job came courtesy of Matej Mrzlikar from MM Auto. A Brooklyn Grey hue was picked out of Motorrad’s very own color palette and applied to the motorcycle’s bodywork, with red highlights popping up in various other places. Matej painted a neat honeycomb graphic atop the fuel tank, and it features BMW’s unmistakable motorsport colors. The same pattern is echoed on the seat for continuity.