Curiosity is a powerful motivator. When Jack Watkins first spotted Stellan Egeland’s BMW Harrier, he was curious about how the suspension worked?and that curiosity wouldn’t let up. Fast forward nine years, and we have this incredible contraption built around the powertrain of a BMW R1150 RT.
The pseudonymous ‘Jack’ holds a PhD in mechanical design, and works for an industrial firm in Gda?sk, Poland, where he heads up a design office of some thirty engineers. Plus he’s a lecturer and researcher at the Gda?sk University of Technology. So if anyone’s qualified to scratch that sort of itch, it’s him.

It started with Jack figuring out and reconstructing the Harrier’s front suspension design digitally. The design was then shelved for a while, before being resurrected, reworked, and fleshed out into a full motorcycle. Another four years later, and the Watkins M001 was finally complete. It could have been done quicker?but Jack has work and a family to juggle. So the project was relegated to evenings only. He doesn?t have the experience (or workshop) to build such a machine, either. So he turned to Mateusz Kozlowski at Moto Spec in Gda?sk for help.

The bike’s individual parts came from the network of suppliers and craftsmen that Jack had built up at his day job. But all the assembly and mechanical work was done by the pair at Moto Spec, guided by Mateusz’s knowledge.
As you can see, the work was extensive. Beyond the ...