Nils had finally had enough of the Hamburg weather, so he and his girlfriend packed their belongings and boarded the first plane to Australia. Ten years later and, if his inspiring Facebook posts are anything to go by, he’s living the life we can only dream about here in Europe – swimming and barbequing on Bondi Beach, partying in the Outback, and parachute jumping, all between film and photo productions in the desert (all of which casually feature Jeeps and helicopters in the backgrounds). But Nils certainly hasn’t forgotten his Nordic homeland – a few weeks ago, he sent us photos of his new BMW, a souvenir from ‘good old Germany’ freshly modified for the streets of Sydney. 

The basis for his build was a BMW K100 RS, well-known in the 1980s for its bulky body that earned it the nickname ‘Flying Brick’. But little can be seen of that ungainly body – over the course of 12 months, with the support of Google and Rene9age Customs in Sydney, Nils transformed the Japanese import into a purist café racer. While the engine was left untouched, Nils shortened and straightened the frame before painting it gloss black, installed a raw aluminium fuel tank and bespoke saddle, reduced the size of the battery in order to create more space ahead of the rear wheel, and added a narrow LED light strip as a rear light. In order to retain the comfortable riding position, the handlebars were broadened, while the forks were moved backwards slightly for improved handling. It’s a bike that will sizzle on a photo shoot, after which it will serve as the perfect beach shuttle. We’re hoping a pilgrimage to its spiritual homeland isn’t out the question.

Photos: Matt Hart / The Espace Road