le french atelier BMW R80 is the sophisticated café racer

le french atelier BMW R80: le french atelier is a bespoke motorcycle workshop based in versailles, near paris. vincent amar, thomas and anthony letourneur and denis pereira form the team that pride themselves in leaving no detail to chance. anthony wanted to create a bike with near drag strip motorcycle proportions and a stance that sets wheels in motion, even at a standstill.  the BMW ‘R80RT’ from 1987 provided the very form.

as an ex-police vehicle, it was still found in a good condition

the subframe was constructed to hold an elegant form and low profile, going as far as to place the alcantara seat pad within the frame rails. a harmonious balance was established by removing the the opposing disc on the front wheel and caliper mount in order to mirror the the single sided swing arm.

the single rear shock has been remounted at a more acute angle

the narrow fuel tank was taken from the seventies yamaha ‘DTE125’ and was then remodelled to fit the spine of the BMW before receiving a polished metalic grey paint job. for this project le french atelier realised that the scoop and the front of the tank could offer a secret compartment for the all-in-one speedometer, signal lights and power button. 

fuel tank is taken from a 1970’s yamaha ‘DTE125’

the airbox was used to hold the tiny lithium battery, regulator and ignition coil. making reference to the 1970’s F1 car, the airscoop was moulded from stainless steel and powder coated, allowing for a cool flow through to the compact electrics. minimalism continues throughout the rest of the build with only the critical items being refitted after the paint and powder coating had played their part.