krautmotors unveils bauhaus-inspired BMW motorrad F 850 GS custom bike

inspired by the bauhaus centennial, the BMW motorrad F 850 GS custom bike is krautmotor’s latest conversion, premiered at the BMW motorrad days in garmisch-partenkirchen. dubbed the bauhaus 100, the motorcycle burst with creativity with its combination of retro vibes and distinctive modern elements. its minimalistic yet striking features result in an artistic reinterpretation of the legendary /5 classic of 1969.

the bauhaus’ 100-year anniversary marks an important milestone and many artists have commemorated the movement with new works inspired by the style — the bauhaus 100 by krautmotors is one such creation. to honor it, rolf reick chose a slim custom build — for which the engine of the BMW F 850 GS, slimmer and lighter than a boxer, is perfect. the bike took roughly half a year to complete, with the first conceptual sketches done at christmas, the official build starting in january and completion july.

rolf is the mastermind behind krautmotors, and as such, predominantly works alone, self-building most parts. for the bauhaus 100, he custom built the fork, tank, exhaust and seat and completely modified an R60/6 frame, stretching and widening it to reference the classic lounge chair from marcel breuer, who was a student at the bauhaus from 1923-1928.

jochen lehmann finalized the welding work to rolf’s designs. the master coachbuilder from malsch in baden-württemberg specialises in handmade custom designs. christoph liepelt and marco rose from BMW motorrad supported the build with the cable harness.

rolf does not shy away from scrapping things that aren’t working and wholeheartedly embraces the motto of ‘killing your darlings’. ‘as always with such projects, you cannot get too attached,’ says rolf. ‘no matter if you’ve worked on it for one week or one month, if it doesn’t work, you have to get rid of it and start over.’ being a customizer is rolf’s calling, as it is the ideal combination of craftsmanship, design and artistic freedom. ‘unlike in design, you don’t have to justify every decision, you can simply go with your gut. and since I enjoy working with motorcycles, I rebuild them. that’s what makes krautmotors stand out: it doesn’t have to answer to anyone.’

the bike, though fully functional, is primarily designed as an exhibition vehicle. rolf’s passion for racing however, means that the bauhaus 100 motorcycle will make its racing debut at the StarrWars race, a pure acceleration competition, and at the starr dirt, the oval sand track at the ‘neudeutsch flat track’.