KTM’s Headlight Makes Itself at Home on Unikat’s Sinister BMW K1100LT

Believe it or not, the donor for this project really was a bulky BMW K1100LT. When you’re looking to create a compact custom build, a grand tourer may not necessarily be your first pick. Thankfully, the aftermarket surgeons over at Unikat know exactly what they’re doing!

BMW Motorrad’s colossus weighs no less than 550 lbs (250 kg) dry, but remains one competent machine, nonetheless. It is brought to life by a four-stroke DOHC inline-four leviathan, with a total of 16 valves and a truly monstrous displacement of 1092cc. At 7,500 revs, the liquid-cooled engine is perfectly capable of producing up to 100 hp, while a confident torque output of 79 pound-feet (107 Nm) will be delivered at 5,500 rpm.

This relentless force is fed to the rear wheels by means of a five-speed transmission. As a result, it enables K1100LT to accelerate 0-62 mph (0-100 kph) in as little as 4.3 seconds, while its top speed is rated at a generous 130 mph (210 kph). To be fair, that’s rather impressive for a tourer with a gargantuan wet weight of 638 lbs (290 kg).

Its powertrain is gripped by a tubular space frame that rests on Marzocchi telescopic forks with hydraulic shock absorbers up front, joined by a Showa monoshock and BMW’s very own Paralever swingarm at the rear.

As to the bike’s wheels, the front one has a diameter of 18 inches and wears twin 305 mm (12 inches) brake rotors, coupled with a Brembo four-piston caliper. On the other hand, the rear 17-inch wheel is equipped with a single 285 mm (11.2 inches) disc and a one-piston caliper.

Grzegorz Korczak (good luck trying to pronounce that) founded Unikat in Wroclaw, Poland several years ago. Today, his workshop prides itself with virtually countless two-wheeled masterpieces, including a genuinely breathtaking K1100LT-based work of art. In fact, let’s dive in a little deeper and see what the Unikat team managed to achieve with this marvel.

Their customer requested that a KTM Superduke 1290’s headlight module is to be incorporated into the build. Additionally, the workshop was asked to take a sporty approach with their design, but was given freedom of interpretation from that point onward.

As such, 25 renders and many hours later, the tourer was stripped naked of its chunky bodywork and a pricy KTM headlight was ordered. Unikat rewired the unit using their own electrics and proceeded to treat the bodywork and chassis to a comprehensive makeover.

You will find a tweaked subframe that supports a slim alloy tail section, as well as a unique saddle that matches the desired aesthetic. The new tail houses a subtle LED taillight kit, while suspension duties are handled by a set of aftermarket forks and a fresh rear monoshock.

Furthermore, the Poles installed a healthy dose of Motogadget items, such as a pair of bar end turn signals and a funky digital gauge. Next, the crew crafted a plethora of modern components, including a one-off air intake and a four-into-one exhaust that allow the inline-four mill to breathe with ease, as well as custom engine crash bars and clip-on handlebars.

Lastly, Unikat enveloped this beauty in a metallic black paintwork, accompanied by orange accents. The project was completed over the course of thirteen painstaking months, but was more than worth the effort.

Now that we’ve wrapped this up, I’d encourage you to pay these folks a visit on their Facebook or Instagram accounts. Their inventory guarantees to leave you speechless!