BMW’s R1200GS is a wonderfully competent adventure mount, though beyond bolstering its off-road and/or touring capabilities, the GS doesn’t much lend itself to customization. Still, that didn’t stop London’s Original Cafe Racer Co. from stripping down the popular dual-sport and giving it the cafe treatment.
Though BMW does offer more nimble models like the R1200R, it didn’t quite fit the bill for what OCRC had in mind, aspiring to create a “street racer with all the capabilities of the GS”. This meant putting the Bavarian bike on a crash diet, shedding its plastics and various stock components, resulting in shaving off about 100lbs from the BMW’s stock weight.
What looks like an R nineT fuel-cell — with monochrome Roundels and brushed aluminum panels — is now in place of the stock tank, and the large factory oil-cooler has been jettisoned for a smaller, more efficient unit nestled just in front of the engine. The airbox was also deleted, K&N filters were added to the mix, and the stock exhaust has been swapped out for a trick SC Project can.
The cockpit retains the GS’s stock instrumentation, though the factory bars have been replaced with clip-ons capped off with bar-end indicators and mirrors, and aftermarket shorty-style levers were tacked on. Guiding the way is an aftermarket LED headlight supplemented by an offset yellow auxiliary lamp. A one-off front fender was also fabbed up for the build, and a GPS track and trace unit was installed.
Moving back, we have a new hooped subframe supporting a single-passenger saddle that follows the contours of the new (sub)framework. The area under the new seat houses the lion’s share of the bike’s wiring as well as it’s diagnostic plug— visual clutter that is hidden behind the build’s set of side number plates. Sitting just under the back of the upswept hoop is an LED strip — with integrated signals — that acts as the tail/brake light. A license plate hanger reaching around the back of the rear tire keeps the aft end of the bike super tidy.
Interestingly, this cafe’d ADV build is reportedly one of four GS racers built by the British shop. According to the ad, this 2011 GS has been well cared for and is in solid mechanical shape with 25,500 miles on the clock.
You can find this 2011 BMW R1200GS cafe racer from Original Cafe Racer Co. for sale in London, England with a price of $15,450 (or £11,890)