This BMW R 1150GS Has Been Turned Into A Dakar Inspired Enduro

Leaner and meaner than your stock R 1150GS.

By: Enrico Punsalang

Nov 15, 2020 at 7:45am ET

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When it comes to custom builds, adventure bikes are some of the least common bikes to be used as a platform. For one thing, many modern day adventurers are equipped with a slew of high tech electronics which, when fiddled with incorrectly, open up a Pandora's Box of potential gremlins. On top of that, concealed beneath the fairings are wires, reservoirs and tons of other unsightly things which would make a nightmare to relocate.

Considering how difficult it is to transform an adventure bike into a custom creation, the fact that this BMW R 1150GS looks so clean is simply jaw-dropping.Built by Thomas Jeukins, the mastermind behind Belgian custom motorcycle outfit, Toma Customs, this R 1150GS looks so well put together that it could be mistaken as a special edition variant released by BMW. Inspired by the racing machines of Dakar, Jeukens got to work transforming this machine from a burly heavyweight, into a lighter, more nimble off-road performer.

Kicking off the build, the stock R 1150GS was stripped of all unnecessary weight. This was done by removing all accessories deemed unnecessary by Jeukens and his client. This gave way to a stunning retro look which makes the BMW's 1150 boxer engine the center of attention. To retain the rugged off-road appearance of the R 1150GS, Jeukens fabricated a sleek, rally-inspired fairing that holds a dual-headlight assembly upfront. To keep things fairly modern and reliable, the stock analog instrument cluster was retained, however repackaged into a smaller, more compact assembly.

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As far as performance is concerned, the bike's 1,150cc engine was left mostly untouched, save for a custom exhaust system featuring heat-wrapped headers. Other than that, the bike is rolling on stock power, which is not necessarily a bad thing, given how capable this bike is both on and off-road. To tidy things up towards the rear, the subframe was completely redesigned, and the rear fender was cropped. This gave the bike a retro, compact aesthetic, which made it look a lot slimmer and more nimble.

Photography by Olivier Truyman