CUSTOM KING

The spectacular Zillers custom bike is based on the BMW R18 but worth almost twice as much...

- BILL VARETIMIDIS

The BMW R18 cruiser has long been a blank slate for customisation. It's worn crazy grilles, been converted into a dragster, and had seating setups even a gymnast would struggle with.

While no one knows what future motorcycles will look like, Russian workshop Zillers Garage (known for the Yamaha SR400 Insomnia) may have a better idea than most.

For their crack at the R18, they tossed away the user manual, totally reworked the exterior design with massive suspension modifications - and left almost no trace of the original's retro style.

Looking at it, there's nothing to suggest this bike was born a BMW. The base bike has been covered in hand-formed bodywork built from carbon fibre, milled aluminium and 3D printing. The carbon fibre parts include the stretched tank and chunky fork covers, and those aluminum wheels are milled on a CNC machine.