Photo: Christina Scarpari
JAX Garage is, without a doubt, one of the most exciting firms to emerge from the Australian custom bike scene in recent years. Call that a bold statement if you will, but the crew led by Jas Babalija really does seem destined for greater things in the future given their current resume. Case in point, this BMW K 75 cafe racer is one thrilling sight to behold!
It was actually the first project completed by JAX following the workshop’s foundation in 2019, and it comes to show that Jas and his team meant business from the very beginning. The build started with a 1986 model of BMW Motorrad’s K 75 C lineup, which had previously been involved in a crash that saw its fairings and factory forks rendered unusable.
Despite this, the motorcycle’s electronics and 740cc inline-three powerhouse were still in excellent condition. The Aussies took everything apart, deleted the damaged hardware, and installed the upside-down forks of a 2001 Honda CBR929RR where the stock units had once been. In addition, the same CBR was kind enough to also donate its three-spoke front wheel, floating brake rotors, and Nissin calipers.
JAX finished the wheels in a coat of gloss-black, before giving them a fresh pair of Shinko 230 Tour Master tires measuring 120/90 up north and 130/90 down south. Custom fenders are present at both ends, while the aluminum rearsets you’ll see on the Beemer’s flanks were once again transplanted from the aforementioned Honda. Other goodies to come off the CBR were the switches found in the cockpit area.
They’re joined up there by clip-on handlebars, a digital Acewell dial, and bar-end mirrors, but one may also see a seven-inch LED headlight from Stedi a little further ahead. It's hooked up to a new wiring harness just like the other electronics, with juice coming from a compact lithium-ion battery. At the rear end of this machine, JAX reworked the subframe and topped it off with an aftermarket tail section made of fiberglass.
On top of this new tail lies a bespoke saddle featuring black leather upholstery and blue diamond-patterned stitching for contrast. Rounding out the equipment at six o’clock is an inconspicuous license plate bracket, which also houses a full suite of LED lighting components. Sir Babalija and his accomplices kept things pretty simple in the powertrain, but they did perform some intriguing mods on the intake and exhaust.
Using stainless-steel, the guys fabricated a full pie-cut exhaust system in-house and complemented it with a custom air intake made in the same fashion. They built a fresh coolant expansion reservoir, too, though it’s discreetly hidden out of sight underneath the fuel tank. Finally, the specimen’s upper bodywork got wrapped in an Estoril Blue finish from BMW’s color palette, while black paint predominates elsewhere.
Despite this, the motorcycle’s electronics and 740cc inline-three powerhouse were still in excellent condition. The Aussies took everything apart, deleted the damaged hardware, and installed the upside-down forks of a 2001 Honda CBR929RR where the stock units had once been. In addition, the same CBR was kind enough to also donate its three-spoke front wheel, floating brake rotors, and Nissin calipers.
JAX finished the wheels in a coat of gloss-black, before giving them a fresh pair of Shinko 230 Tour Master tires measuring 120/90 up north and 130/90 down south. Custom fenders are present at both ends, while the aluminum rearsets you’ll see on the Beemer’s flanks were once again transplanted from the aforementioned Honda. Other goodies to come off the CBR were the switches found in the cockpit area.
They’re joined up there by clip-on handlebars, a digital Acewell dial, and bar-end mirrors, but one may also see a seven-inch LED headlight from Stedi a little further ahead. It's hooked up to a new wiring harness just like the other electronics, with juice coming from a compact lithium-ion battery. At the rear end of this machine, JAX reworked the subframe and topped it off with an aftermarket tail section made of fiberglass.
On top of this new tail lies a bespoke saddle featuring black leather upholstery and blue diamond-patterned stitching for contrast. Rounding out the equipment at six o’clock is an inconspicuous license plate bracket, which also houses a full suite of LED lighting components. Sir Babalija and his accomplices kept things pretty simple in the powertrain, but they did perform some intriguing mods on the intake and exhaust.
Using stainless-steel, the guys fabricated a full pie-cut exhaust system in-house and complemented it with a custom air intake made in the same fashion. They built a fresh coolant expansion reservoir, too, though it’s discreetly hidden out of sight underneath the fuel tank. Finally, the specimen’s upper bodywork got wrapped in an Estoril Blue finish from BMW’s color palette, while black paint predominates elsewhere.
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