Simon’s BMW R100 cafe racer

Simon has owned this bike for many years, gradually modifying it as the time and means became available. Eventually he reached the point where a new loom seemed like a good idea to chase away nagging problems.

He’d noticed that the existing battery tray fouled the rear tyre and was pleased when Scotty the fabricator said he could make a new one, and blend the paint into the existing powder coating. Because the battery is so far back it makes sense to use a light battery. After my visit to Rex’s Speedshop I have become a fan of Motobatt’s Lithium Iron battery. It has extensive protective systems built in, and is well suited to bike use. It is also ridiculously light.

Simon wasn’t a fan of BMW’s tangle of wires in the headlight – a result of the R100 wiring loom being designed like a car’s, with lots of relays and external connections. Fortunately when you build a custom loom you can re-organise things to suit. The only complication turned out to be the need for a diode pack to make the pilot and main lighting system behave. The pack is hidden under the main frame tube. I also renovated and lubricated the switchgear, and replaced a relay or two.

The boys in the Splined Hub, where I rent a corner of the workshop, were fascinated by this bike. It’s certainly got a lot of personality.

Once everything was built, the bike started first prod – proof that the Boyer ignition Simon had fitted is a good system.