The Beamer Bike Built for Surfers

Built for a surfboard-making client, this 1986 BMW R80R has been dubbed the B-1 by Brooklyn-based builders VDBMoto. It's been thoroughly reworked into an all-terrain bike that's equally at home parked by a curb or blasting down the beach, surfboard at its side.

It started out life as a perfectly normal bike that necessitated more than just a little TLC to get back to a roadworthy state, so the guys at VDB decided to make it a rolling juxtaposition of aged and shiny, new parts.

That meant leaving the 49 hp BMW boxer motor in pretty much unchanged condition. The weathered patina certainly does provide a striking contrast to all the fresh rubber hoses, and that beautifully wrapped exhaust lends a bit of an aural edge to the bike as a whole.

The suspension is designed to be as comfy as possible up front—and adjustable out back—so the bike can be set up to the rider's individual preferences; or, simply, can be changed from one setting to another for street vs. beach riding.

The entire rear subframe was replaced with a lighter and reshaped unit that holds a much improved seat design, while the bike intentionally sports rusty fenders. VDB claims it's because they "have a thing" for rust, but regardless, any steel will get rusty with beach duty.

Overall, the bike now sits a few inches higher than stock, but still keeps a fairly normal appearance, thanks to the aluminum surfboard rack they've fitted on the righthand side.


Aaron Miller is the Rides editor for Supercompressor. He doesn't surf, but he still appreciates a well-built board.