BMW R65 BOBBER

BMW often goes with Modification. The reasons are simple: BMWs have proven themselves with wonderful, robust engines and chassis parts that readily lend themselves to conversions of all kinds. Not to mention the ready availability of original or substitute parts on the market.

It’s still fairly easy to find bikes, but over the last few years prices have shot up because of increased demand.

When we were looking, we found not one, but two BMWs. As they met our expectation on all counts, we bought them both.

It has to be said that these two bikes were in irreproachable condition for their age (1979 and 1980), complete with provenance and service records. For us here at Garage de Félix, these are important elements that we obviously take into account.

In the workshop, faced with two BMW R65 in an identical colour (you couldn’t imagine better!), Patrick and I started thinking and discussing about the future of each of them. This was the very moment we set ourselves a rather daring challenge, to set about two diametrically opposed examples – on the one hand a Scrambler, and a Bobber on the other.

You’ll have guessed that this is the Bobber version. We gave it a simple, clean line. Just as for the Scrambler, very few of the original parts have been kept.

Here too, we wanted to go for a retro look, using a small spring-mounted solo seat, with the frame totally cutaway at the rear, a big front light with built-in speedo, the legendary Firestone Champion Deluxe tyres, and the final touch with the little Brooks leather saddle bag under the seat at the rear.

The result is really just how we’d imagined it.

And if you want to perfect your look and push the style to the limit, don’t forget to wear a Bell Bullitt TT helmet in a colour strictly matching the tank.