Marcus Walz cut his teeth in the chopper scene, but these days his name is synonymous with high-class BMW boxer customs. Around 80 percent of the bikes leaving his WalzWerk Motorcycles workshop are classic R-series builds—many of them part of the made-to-order Schizzo series.
WalzWerk’s latest build carries that trademark style into new territory, using a contemporary donor: the BMW R 12 nineT. Presented as a café racer concept, it channels the spirit of the Schizzo line while adapting it to the modern platform, to dramatic effect.
WalzWerk’s R 12 café racer strikes a balance between amplifying the donor bike’s best bits and weaving in custom details. The German workshop cleverly ordered the R 12 nineT with a couple of factory options to make their lives easier. Laced tubeless wheels replace the base model’s alloy hoops, while a compact digital dashboard takes the place of the sizable classic twin clocks.
With those details taken care of, WalzWerk started tweaking the R 12 nineT’s stance. The forks were lowered internally and upgraded with progressive springs, before being anodized black and reassembled. The rear shock was swapped out for a height-adjustable prototype from Touratech’s Black-T suspension line.
Next, WalzWerk fabricated a new subframe for the R 12, using the same stepped design as their Schizzo bikes. Unlike its predecessor, the new R 12’s rear frame is a true bolt-on unit—so swapping it out for a custom part was a doddle. “It’s very easy—almost like the old air-cooled R-series,” adds Marcus.
The clean and simple lines of the new subframe belie just how much work went into it. WalzWerk wanted to ensure that it would not only look good, but also work well with the stock airbox and side covers. They now offer two versions of it as plug-and-play options—one that accommodates the airbox, and one that includes an airbox delete kit—with various seats to match.
The saddle on this particular build uses another design from WalzWerk’s Schizzo catalog. Called the GT, it employs perforated leather and grommets to echo the upholstery on classic Ford GT40 race seats. Long-time readers might recognize it, and the R 12’s fetching Porsche grey paint, from WalzWerk’s 1000th build.
Chikos Pinstriping handled the tasteful tank graphics, before WalzWerk finished it off with monochrome roundels. The tank sports the only lick of color on the bike—the rest of the hard parts were finished in black.
The front fairing is a BMW catalog part, but WalzWerk modified it to better suit their R 12 café racer. Behind it are custom-made clip-ons from the German parts specialists Wunderkind Custom, fitted with the OEM switchblocks and upgraded levers.
Slim LED turn signals sit at both ends of the bike, mounted to the radiator shrouds up front and tabs on the subframe out back. A tiny LED taillight is embedded in the frame’s rear loop, while the license plate sits lower down, on a swingarm-mounted bracket.
Finer details include a tidy redesign of the top yoke (to remove the handlebar clamps), and a smattering of WalzWerk-branded parts. The burly exhaust system is a prototype part from Dr. Jekill & Mr. Hyde in the Netherlands, and includes an internal flap that controls its loudness.
WalzWerk’s changes not only suit the R 12 to a tee, but they also don’t interfere with its usability. To drive that point home, the bike is fitted with ultra-sporty Metzeler Racetec RR K3 tires to encourage spirited riding.
In true WalzWerk fashion, this BMW R 12 café racer isn’t more than just a lone prototype. The workshop has opened pre-orders for a limited run of 12 bikes per year, each of which can be tailored to its owner.
Interested parties, please form an orderly queue.
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