Written by Martin Hodgson
The French make it easy to think fondly of their countryside; it’s here that green fields of grapes roll down to small villages producing exquisite champagne and the smell of warm baguettes is accompanied by the finest of cheeses. Sure it’s not all Dom Perignon and Lingerie, but there is an artisan approach to almost everything they do. It’s this exact philosophy that Sur Les Chapeaux De Roues take to building bikes, more watchmaker meets sculptor than simply mechanic. And from the beautiful department of Finistère they deliver their latest gift, a melt in your mouth BMW R850R.

This is by no means the first SLCDR bike we’ve covered, and whether they’re building a drag machine for Sultans of Sprint or a weekend warrior for a client, each and every build is like no other. Over the last year, head honcho, Manuel Jouan has spent considerable time and money outfitting the workshop with the latest tools and machinery so that everything can be done in-house. The factory trained mechanic can do it all and with such an artisan approach, start to finish under one roof makes a hell of a lot of sense.
While working away one day the familiar sound of a BMW boxer engine could be heard coming up the drive. The bike, a 1996 R850R, had been purchased new by the owner, still in totally factory spec and showing a mere 32000 km on the clock. That’s just getting a BMW warmed up and with the bodywork showing its age the proud owne...