In the mid 90s, the K1100 RS sat at the top of the BMW range. It was the sport tourer par excellence, at home on the autobahns and interstates. A fully-loaded RS would be nudging 600 pounds on the scales, but that mattered less than its ability to cruise at triple-digit speeds all day long.
Fast forward thirty years, and there are much better machines than the Reisesport (travel sport) for long haul mile-munching. But the K1100 has good bones, and the inline four engine, laid over on its side, has both torque and power to spare. Which makes it an excellent choice for a custom bike, especially if the heavy fairing is starting to show battle scars.
This spectacular café racer is one of the sharpest K1100 builds we’ve seen, and suggests that the platform is coming of age in the custom scene.…