Every style of custom motorcycle has a clear-cut formula, but we like it best when builders tear up the blueprint and blur the lines. This refined BMW boxer has the clip-ons of a cafe racer and the high pipes of a scrambler, but it still looks just ‘right.’
It’s the work of Oliver and Dominik at Moto Essence in Gauting, a town just southwest of Munich. They simply call it a ‘classic roadster,’ and the unusual aesthetic is a byproduct of their consulting process.

Moto Essence?s customer originally wanted a scrambler but then changed tack, keeping only the exhaust design from the original brief.
Luckily the guys were working with a versatile donor: a 1985 BMW R80 RT. ?We thought of building it ?patinated? and without modern aspects such as milled parts,? explains Oliver, ?but this wouldn’t have matched the customer. He’s a fan of classic design but also a techie, so we decided to go for a mix of modern and classic high-tech parts.?
Oliver and Dominik tore the bike down to its nuts and bolts before getting started. Then they rebuilt the motor with a 1,004 cc kit, and installed a pair of Dell’Orto carbs with K&N filters. The exhaust system, from the headers to the mufflers, was custom-made by the German exhaust specialists Hattech.
Moto Essence also added a custom oil cooler setup, rewired the bike and hid the battery away.

Moving to the running gear, the duo laced up a set of Akront Morad high shoulder rims, and wr...