This bike from Spanish workshop, Fuel, is clearly built for action. People assume that the BMW R100 is a big heavy bike, but the torquey air-cooled mill is not as heavy as it looks, and its very low-slung in a frame which has a lot of empty space in it. Ground clearance is ok if the pipes are routed well and with decent suspension these BMWs can really shift in the rough stuff, as demonstrated by their easy evolution into the desert-munching GS series.

Fuel's brief was to create a flat-track inspired bike that was good as an everyday ride and the photos show that she works equally well on the streets of Barcelona as she does in the scrub land outside the Spanish city.

The donor bike is a 1981 BMW R100 RS made as light, thin and powerful as possible with wide handlebars and big air filters. The rear of the bike has been completely redesigned with a much shorter subframe which carries a Von Zeti cafe racer seat and tail.

The tank was replaced by a thinner and lighter item from an R90/6 one, which is a popular mod amongst aficionados who want a lighter look from their bigger beemers. The guys also modified the angle of both the seat and tank to give the bike a more aggressive stance.

Handlebars had to be wide and flat, so Tomaselli items were fitted. A smaller headlight was also swapped-in - another popular mod for those with a good eye for proportions - giving better visual balance to the whole bike.

A pair of K&N competition filters allow much better breathing and fueling while the exhaust pipes are hand-made by shortening the original BMW pipes and adding a reverse-cone up-swept muffler for good ground clearance and mean GP looks. Electrics were cleverly tucked into the battery box, with extra room made by fitting a much narrower gel battery.

Tyres are Dunlop K70 Vintage items on original snowflake cast wheels, hung on new upgraded suspension. Indicators are new and the plate holder is hand made. See and read more on Fuel's bikes HERE.

Photographs by Claudio Rizzolo