poland-based eastern spirit garage has unveiled its latest project — a custom BMW R80 cafe racer with many faces. commissioned by a warsaw bike collector, the project began with an incomplete 1993 donor bike. ‘this was by far the hardest project I have ever undertaken,’ comments sylwester mateusiak, founder of eastern spirit garage.
images by mateusz stankiewicz
dubbed the BMW R80 ESG 649, the owner wanted the bike to be modular with removable fairings and replacement seats. the resulting sleek design by eastern spirit garage features a curvy body completely hand-wheeled from sheets of aluminium and a low tank that recalls the late 70s original.
‘the R80 was commissioned by a polish collector,’ comments mateusiak. ‘I brought the motorcycle in cardboard boxes with huge defects. apart from a few requirements, I had practically a free hand. after the initial conversation, we agreed that the motorcycle should be cafe racer style and be comfortable for a 200 cm tall rider. optionally, it must be able to carry a passenger and have a set of fairings that would decorate the motorcycle when it was displayed inside the apartment.’
overall, the modular project can be easily reconfigured into three different motorcycles without the use of special tools — from a retro, sporty, encased style one, to a cafe racer with one front fairing, to a typical naked bike.
‘a completely new exhaust system gives a beautiful sound to the BMW boxer, and the japanese carburettors effectively improve torque and increase its power. the engine received a new, hand-made aluminum starter cover. thanks to these and other measures, lighter weight and better performance were achieved,’ mateusiak concludes.
project info
name: BMW R80 ESG 649
made by: eastern spirit garage
