BMW airhead customs are like AC/DC songs: after a while, it?s hard to tell them all apart. And that?s not necessarily a bad thing, because the style is usually pleasing to the eye.
But no one could ever accuse Vagabund Moto of following a conventional formula. Their approach is unique and their bikes buck the mainstream trend. So it?s ironic to learn that the owner of this razor-sharp R80 asked Vagabund to replicate the style of a custom R80 they finished two years ago.

Not surprisingly, builders Paul Brauchart and Philipp Rabl weren’t keen on the idea. ?We don?t like to remake bikes we’ve done before,? Paul tells us. ?So we suggested sketching out a concept that related to the V05?while adding some special parts.?
Paul and Philipp do their wrenching in a workshop in Graz, Austria, and do as much work as possible themselves. ?We’re trying to stay a two-man operation for as long as possible,? says Paul. ?We?re good friends and perfectionists. It?s hard to think about trusting someone else, or giving up our awesome workshop relationship.?
The pair started out with a relatively fresh classic tourer: a 1992 R80 RT with only 25,000 km on the dial. And thanks to BMW?s historically good build quality, there wasn’t much engine work needed.
?We took apart the engine and carbs, checked everything, and replaced the not so good parts. And then blasted and painted it.?

Getting the striking Vagabund ?look? meant ditching the bodywork though, apart from th...