Kevils Speedshop Old Timer
By Anthony van Someren - 28 May 14
Over recent months the standard of BMW Boxer customs has been sky-rocketing as the pro builders get better at fettling these ubiquitous machines, and as the competition increases, pushing the need to stand-out from the crowd right up the agenda. The volume of quality customs is also helping each builder define their own breadth of styles, which is apparent in the latest build from Kevils Speedshop.
Old Timer takes us back a few decades to a very classic style of scrambler, where going off road meant going long distance to reach inaccessible places, so luggage and comfort were as important as mechanical equipment and reliability.
The donor is a 1978 R100/7 and was built in reaction to the popularity of a build called Virgil, which was a tribute to Steve McQueen, built for MotoLegends. The bike was shown at a Steve McQueen exhibition in Soho and attracted a lot of attention so Kev decided to build another similar bike in black & chrome.
Many Boxer customs are based on early 80s bikes using the old style 70s rocker covers, but this bike started out as a 70's classic and was one of the oldest donors in Kev Hill's inventory. Vintage Triumph and BSA parts were grafted on to the bike, including the front and rear polished alloy fenders, chrome cherry-bomb silencers, numberplate boards and the lights.
The handlebars are classic Triumph items with minimal switchgear, although the headlamp voltmeter was replaced with a MotoGadget gauge in a decidedly modern twist. The spoked wheels were rebuilt and fitted with knobbly tyres, and the single seat upholstered in dark grey leather to complement the black & chrome.
While most Boxers these days are getting more badass and angry looking this build harks back to simpler times, but it's no less proper, and carries some of the late Steve McQueen's laid back, timeless cool.
You may have seen the bike in the flesh at the BSMC III last weekend along side several other Kevil's builds. See more from Kevils Speedshop online and Here on the Bike Shed. Photos by Ashley Kent.