There’s no denying the popularity of the classic BMW boxer—but it does have its idiosyncrasies. Perhaps the most infamous of these is the way its fuel tank leans one way, while its substantial engine block leans another.
This visual disharmony didn’t sit well with Earth Motorcycles. Faced with a 1987 BMW R80RT and a client who wanted a slick café racer, the Slovakian custom shop resolved to massage the old boxer’s individual parts into alignment.
“Typically, this imbalance forces builders to angle the rear of the seat upwards, giving the bike a more aggressive, dramatic posture,” says Earth’s founder, Vlado Dinga. “Like many others, Earth has gone that route before. But this time, we chose to challenge the geometry instead of accepting it.”
Tweaking the angle of the BMW R80’s fuel tank was the easy part. But once that was done, Earth had to figure out a way to establish harmony with the engine block.
Rather than mess with the engine mountings, Earth designed an all-new cover for the top of the engine. It took dozens of prototypes before they settled on a final design, but the result was worth it. The new cover, which includes subtle vents to direct airflow, evens out the top of the engine while also creating a more minimalistic look.
The R80’s valve covers were swapped for classic peanut-style items, and the whole engine was finished in black, with a handful of polished highlights. The engine inhales via DNA pod filters, and exhales via short twin headers, which terminate in SC-Project cans.
Regular readers might recognize the exhaust system—and the BMW’s stepped tail section. That’s because Earth Motorcycles ordered them from WalzWerk’s online store at the request of their client.
Although the subframe was a plug-and-play part, it was designed to sit at an angle that was at odds with Earth’s vision for the build. So they modified it and fabricated new hardware to mount it parallel to the fuel tank. By this time, going the extra mile had become a hallmark of the project—so the team decided to overhaul the seat too.
“Seats are often a battleground for taste and function,” says Vlado. “The seat foam was replaced with a softer, high-density version for lasting comfort, and the upholstery became a design journey of its own.”
“After several iterations, a color and texture were chosen—until a simple leather sample shifted the entire bike’s color scheme. A rich orange tone emerged, now seen in the seat and matching grips, grounding the black matte finish in warmth. This seat also debuts a new signature for Earth: a distinct stitched pattern that will appear on all future builds.”
The exquisite taste shown by the seat cover is echoed in the BMW’s super-sano cockpit. Clip-ons flank a custom-made top yoke, which is secured by three bespoke nuts. Designed in-house, they sit flush with the yoke and are tightened by a special tool.
A Motogadget speedo sits front and center, housed in a CNC-machined bracket that integrates neatly with the top yoke. The bars sport an internal throttle, leather-wrapped Motogadget grips, and Motogadget turn signals. The levers and matching switches are from ISR in Sweden—Earth ordered them ‘raw,’ so that they could anodize them in a unique dark grey finish.
An adjustable YSS shock sits out back, secured by custom-made fasteners that use the same system as those attached to the top yoke. This obsessive attention to detail is carried through to the custom-made license plate mount, which sits behind the rear wheel and also hosts a slim LED taillight and turn signals. Look closer, and you’ll notice that the tubular section that attaches it to the swingarm matches the angle of the subframe.
Other details include custom foot controls, and an LED headlight that’s tucked into a perfectly proportioned fairing. Earth initially designed the bike with a much smaller cowl, but their client insisted on something bolder.
“At first, the lead designer was disappointed,” says Vlado, “but over time, the bigger fairing revealed itself as a statement—one that fits the client’s personality and gives the bike a striking face. And that’s what truly matters.”
“It’s not the designer, fabricator, or salesman who rides the machine—it’s the owner. The rider. The personality behind the handlebars. Great motorcycles are born when the vision of the builder meets the soul of the client.”
Earth Motorcycles | Instagram | Images by Marian Svitek
