The BMW K1600 is a giant piece of motorcycling madness, a bike sold in many different avatars, but always with the aim of being a top notch touring God. What you are about to see is that mammoth of a 2 wheeler transformed into a moving piece of art. Says hello to the Krugger BMW K1600 NURBS!
The original K1600 comes with six cylinders, seven computers, multiple drive modes and adaptive headlights. It’s the kind of machine that sends journalists into multiple bouts of orgasms, and wins awards willy nilly. For all intents and purposes, it is the motorcycle equivalent of a BMW 5 series car. But when Belgian motorcycle builder Fred “Krugger” Bertrand is asked to modify a bike, no machine is too advanced, difficult, or beautiful for him!
Being the winner of 2010 AMD World Championship for custom motorcycle building, Fred has plenty of experience under his belt. But the kind of vision this guy has truly astounds me. When I see the K1600 GTL for example, all I see is this huge piece of metal ready to go anywhere you command it to, and in total comfort. But the same 2 wheeled object feels nothing more than a canvas to this Belgian painter. Here’s what he had to say about this beauty of a build:
“Building a bike is easy, but building a bike and keeping all the technology of the K1600 is more difficult. The biggest problem was including all the electronics, from the computers to the ABS box, and even small stuff like sensors.”
That bodywork is simply amazing, so futuristic and so different from anything I’ve ever seen, even in movies! Single side swingarm is too mainstream, say hello to single side front shock absorber! The machine looks so uncluttered, so pure, and so raw in appearance. The glorious pipes from the 6 cylinder engine are now clearly visible, after the radiator has been moved to the side for a better view down below.
A 21 inch wheel up front and 20 inch at the rear give the bike that crazy stance. A new Beringer system does the stopping duties, using 6 piston calipers at front, and 4 at back, with radial master cylinders. The whole thing is still connected to the BMW proprietary ABS system, which must have been a project in itself! The main fuel tank now resides under the rider’s bum, which is fed by a secondary fuel tank at the tail.
The Krugger BMW K1600 NURBS has lost all the adventure character of the original K1600, but nonetheless remains one of the most beautiful bike builds I personally have seen. BMW were wise in choosing a guy of Fred’s caliber, and he definitely has done one hell of a job here! The bike will be displayed in Paris at a custom motorbike show, and hopefully will see some dirt on the roads, rather than just sitting lonely in some showroom somewhere.
Check out BikeEXIF’s coverage of the Krugger NURBS here.