There are one hit wonders, and then there’s Dirk Oehlerking. The German custom builder can’t put a foot wrong, churning out hit after hit from his Kingstom Custom garage.
There’s one Kingston classic BMW in particular that really left a mark on the scene: an R80RT with intriguing bodywork, dubbed ‘White Phantom.’ Dirk has now followed it up with an even more impressive, broodier sibling, just to prove that he can; meet ‘Black Phantom.’

The idea was sparked when BMW staffers Ola Stenegärd (now at Indian), Christian Pingitzer and Roland Stocker told Dirk it would be impossible to improve upon the White Phantom’s design.
“I never intended to top the White Phantom,? he says. ?I just wanted to provide the bike with a companion?a sibling. White and Black, two that belong together, like Yin and Yang. Phantoms that appear from nowhere, that take your breath away, and then disappear again.?
There’s a clear stylistic connection between the two BMWs?but they’re actually very different machines. Dirk took a fresh approach with the Black edition, setting some very specific goals in the process.
For starters, he set out to build it without any elaborate frame mods?so that meant no cutting, grinding or welding. He also decided to stick to BMW parts wherever possible, and to limit the use of high-end tech.

Since Dirk’s wrenched on countless classic BMWs, he’s amassed a collection of leftover parts. Ever...