The greatest gift a father can give his son is to believe in him.
Wido Veldkamp is an industrial design engineer and the frontman of the Netherlands-based workshop WiMoto. Wido considers his father Alfons to be his biggest fan. After his retirement, Alfons joined Wido at his workshop weekly where they would work on motorcycles together. Sadly, after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and a rapid decline in his health, this BMW was the last project he took part in. In honor of his father’s memory, Wido named the bike ‘Alfonso’.
The ’81 BMW R100RT donor for this project was in such poor condition it was barely recognizable. The engine wasn’t running, the block was heavily oxidized, and nearly every part of the bodywork was beyond repair. When Wido acquired the bike, he used it as a test bed for designing bolt-on subframes to sell to his customers. After spending so much time with the BMW it built a good rapport with Wido so he decided to use it to create this unique personal project.
“I noticed that many BMW customs looked very similar,” Wido explains; so with his design, he has attempted to break away from the herd. So rather than building something obvious, he built a polarizing motorcycle that is sure to raise many an eyebrow.
One of the signature features of this build is the girder front suspension, an approach Wido has used on some of his previous builds. As with all of his projects, he began by modeling it in SolidWorks, meticulously calculating the geometry of the new suspension and chassis. During this stage, he also began researching options for a swingarm from other BMW models that would allow the fitment of a wider rear tire. His search uncovered a few suitable options, but none allowed for the fitment of a wider wheel and centered monoshock, both of which were essential to his aesthetic goal. “The only option was to design a new swingarm with the right specifications,” he says, and that’s exactly what he’s done.
The girder forks presented another hurdle: with a shock absorber occupying the middle of the structure, he required a creative solution for lighting. So rather than opting for a single off-set headlamp, Wido took inspiration from the BMW S1000RR and fitted twin angel eye projectors.
To create the bike’s bespoke bodywork Wido utilized XPS foam sheets. Several sheets were glued together and then painstakingly sanded by hand to create the new monocoque-style fuel tank and tail unit. “It really felt like sculpting,” he recalls. Once happy with the look, he created complex molds in order to be able to remove the final cast pieces. As for the aggressive-looking front fairings that house the twin headlamps, he shaped one side, scanned it in 3D, mirrored the design, and used a CNC machine to finish the job. The bike’s air intakes followed a similar process, combining 3D scanning and printing to integrate seamlessly into the main body.
To complement the new fork and swingarm arrangement Wido wanted a modern suspension package. As a result the bike now rolls on BMW R1150 RT wheels complete with their brakes. The wheels are wrapped in fittingly named Dunlop Mutant tires which offer solid all-round performance. As for the suspension, the BMW is now running fully adjustable Wilbers shocks front and rear.
Topping the long list of custom-made accessories on this build is the one-off handlebar. Wido designed the swept-back bars himself, adding a housing for an aftermarket speedometer into it. The exhaust is another one-off design that Wido handcrafted from 304L stainless steel, right down to the 40mm bends and mufflers. The controls and electronics are all Motogadget accessories as are the bar end indicators and dual-function LEDs on the hugger-style license plate assembly.
“Alfons was always excited about this BMW, and thought it was turning out fantastic,” Wido recalls; and he wasn’t wrong. This bike is a work of art, a testament to craftsmanship, and a tribute to a father’s love. “I hope he’s proud of me up there,” Wido says. And judging by the level of dedication and emotion poured into every detail of this BMW, it’s hard to imagine he wouldn’t be.
WIMOTO
Photography by Floris Velthuis
