Willie Knoll of Clutch Motorcycles in Paris, France, may not rebuild a lot of bikes but he does focus on quality in the ones he does work on. Being a former photographer, he brings a trained eye for form and composition to his motorcycle designs.
A prime example of this is the quiet beauty he instilled in this 1980 BMW R100 RT ($NA). Looking for a simple but aggressive silhouette, he started by replacing the tank with an old ‘toaster’ tank. The rear end was given an extensive rework, complete with a custom subframe that gives cross-braced strength to the seat while providing the illusion of it floating over the rear wheel.
Willie moved the battery and swapped out the airbox for K&N filters. A cover was created for the engine and it now has stainless steel exhaust heads. Motogadget parts fill out the necessary electronics with mostly hidden wiring. He finished his BMW R100 off with a vintage ‘Daytona Paradise’ color-changing paint that runs “from green to blue, to purple, to bronze” as the light shifts. The end result is a truly timeless classic that will never go out of style – one of the most elegant builds we’ve ever seen! [via]
