Located in eastern Croatia is a city named Požega, known as the Golden Valley. The region is famous for its rich place in the history of the Roman Empire and its rare copper and bronze archaeological finds. So it’s fitting that Incerum Customs are based in this historic tourist town, using the ancient skills of metalworking to resurrect vintage motorcycles. The latest build to roll out of their workshop is this stunning green and gold 1979 BMW R100, finished to the highest standards and demanding the attention of a priceless artifact.
When it comes to building R Series custom BMWs, the interweb is filled with thousands of similar-looking machines, making it harder and harder to stand out from the crowd. There must be something in the water in Požega, because Incerum Customs seem to have found the secret sauce to give their builds that x-factor.
The build started with a strip-down and a de-tabbing of the frame. The swingarm was kept original, but a new rear end was constructed to fit the new solo seat. The whole frame was prepared for wiring to make sure everything fitted in place; with all the prep work complete, the full frame and swingarm were sandblasted then powder-coated in matte black for a picture-perfect finish.
Next up, the dash was simplified by losing the bulky stock speedo. The original R100 headlight was retained and modified to house a Motogadget Motoscope tiny gauge. They also ditched the original indicators for Motogadget bar end blinkers at the front and tiny Kellerman Atto units at the rear.
The beautiful original tank has been finished in a dark forest Ford green, giving off some some nice blue tones when the light hits it. Gold pin-striping around the edges highlights the lines of the tank. The BMW badge was swapped for a Incerum Customs logo, based on an ancient Roman stone head discovered in the region. All the custom-made fenders were also painted in the same green with gold detailing. The subframe is custom-made to fit licence plate which is mounted to the side of the rear wheel with its own integrated lights.
The two-cylinder 980cc boxer engine was water-blasted and upgraded with polished chrome valve covers. Keeping with the same colour palette, the timing chain cover was also given some gold and green detailing and the Incerum logo. The re-jetted carbs feed the extra fuel and sport a pair of DNA pod filters, while a set of their own custom FYG exhausts pump out the sound and give a modern touch to the bike.
Their skills don’t stop at metalwork: Incerum are handy with leather as well. The gorgeous brown leather single seat was made in-house using different finishes in both cognac and brown. Cutting vertical strips out of the brown leather and forming a pattern with the lighter brown is a lovely detail.
The end result is a flawless R100 that has a great mix of classic looks, bold colours and is loaded with the latest modern components. The BMW was sold before the paint was dry – actually, before the build was even finished – to a lucky Croatian man who took one look and pulled out his wallet on the spot.
[ Incerum Customs – Instagram | Photography by Matej Pilaš ]