BMW K1100 (TOMA#1) BY TOMA CUSTOMS

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BMW K1100 (TOMA#1) BY TOMA CUSTOMS: Builder Interview

Background info about the Workshop:

TOMA is a “Brussels-based” custom workshop. We transform, customize and hand finish motorcycles to create unique and personalized machines.

Our artistic approach strives to extract the best potential of each bike and match the vision of their future owner’s. We aim to create unique, one-of-a-kind machines, with a clean and efficient style.

Our work mainly focuses on the tracker, scrambler, and brat style projects.

Customizing goes hand in hand with transforming to us. We do not only modify bikes we give them a new life, a new look.

We always work starting with an older, existing base and then begin adding new parts (tanks, wheels, handlebars, lights). Given the complexity of certain projects, we often create and adapt some of these parts ourselves, especially when they’re metal.

Before we even get going, we spend a lot of time with the future-owners to see where they come from, what their interests are, where and how they grew up, their tastes, what they’ve been doing in life etc. All these elements, along with a ton of aesthetic and artistic research, allow us to create the motorcycle of their dreams.

About the Owner

I’m the owner of TOMA CUSTOMS, my name is Thomas Jeukens. One and a half year ago, I decided to leave my job as Strategy Manager for a big consulting firm to open TOMA CUSTOMS and fully live from my passion, transforming and customizing motorcycles.

“Mixing mental and manual activities generates a level of freedom and satisfaction that I’d never experienced before.”

Working as a manager at a big consulting company enriched me personally and professionally, while it also made me grow and evolve as a person. Yet, I felt it was time for me to achieve one of my dreams and to fully live my passion: combining my intellectual abilities with creativity and manual work. That’s why I decided to turn my passion into my job.

About the project: BMW K1100(TOMA#1) BY TOMA CUSTOMS

When we start a project we first want to hear about the clients’ wishes and transformation ideas. It is a great opportunity for us to get to know our client and enables us to visualize what his dream bike would look like.

For this project, the approach was completely different.

The story began when our client Olivier came to the workshop to order a custom motorcycle. He had the opportunity to see some of our past projects and had ideas of his dream bike. But when he arrived at the workshop he directly fell in love with TOMA#1, one of our personal bikes, a vintage green BMW k1100, that we started to transform several years ago but did not completely finish yet. He just wanted that one. Olivier liked the fact that this bike was unique and he convinced us to complete a very cool project together.

It was not an easy decision to make, as the bike is special to us. Being the very first one we worked on. But somehow this felt right, like a turning point. Our very first creation would be in good hands.

Regarding the modifications, we decided to keep the original tank and rather align/shorten the rear part of the frame. We cut and welded a shorter frame loop and replaced the original huge saddle by a custom seat base that we then sewed by our workshop. The finish and covering of the saddle is in Alcantara leather. Replacing the handlebar and changing the tires also helped work on the line of the bike.

All electronic components have been replaced by new and more minimalist elements (led indicator lights, led taillights, Daytona speedometer, battery) to make the motorcycle look more modern. List of modification also includes the build of a battery box and the modification of the muffler. In the front, we removed the fairing and replaced it with a more aesthetic headlight and an original yellow side light to give it a nice retro touch. The green color of the bike is inspired by vintage Italian cars.