Building a custom motorcycle — or rather transforming a stock bike into a work of art — requires striking a delicate balance between upgrading styling and making functional alterations. And while it’s certainly no easy task, a master builder can make it look effortless. Case in point: the 1980 BMW R65 ‘Type 10B’ by Auto Fabrica.
At first glance, you might think this was a brand new bespoke bike straight out of BMW’s factory, but it took quite a lot of work to renovate this 1980 year model. That included completely tearing it down to the frame (including stripping off the paint), revamping the tail end and subframe, converting it to a monoshock setup with a single-sided swingarm, and lowering the front end for better overall geometry. What’s perhaps the most impressive (and most likely to go overlooked) feature, however, is the bike’s specially 3D-printed LED indicator housings and the brilliantly tucked-away electronics, giving this moto one of the cleanest appearances we’ve ever had the pleasure to gaze upon. And it’s a fitting tribute to the client’s father-in-law, the bike’s previous owner who sadly passed away before the work was finished.
