A motorcycle built the way a black dial is built. Everything removed until one line of colour is the whole story.
Nachtblau began with a client who owns exactly one watch and exactly one suit, and who wanted a motorcycle held to the same discipline. No badges. No chrome. No second colour competing for the eye. One line of ceramic blue running the length of the machine, laid by hand with a sword brush in a single pass, because a taped line has an edge and a brushed line has a soul.
The bodywork is formed in steel over an aluminium tunnel, wheeled and planished until the reflection running down the flank never breaks. Eleven coats of black go on, and roughly half of that comes back off under the block. The result reads as depth rather than gloss. In daylight it looks like a stone. At night it disappears and only the blue survives.
Every fastener on the machine is titanium, blue anodised in our own tank to a shade matched against the paint under three different light sources. The engine is stripped, vapour blasted, ceramic coated and reassembled with new bearings and seals throughout. The cases carry a machined fin edge that catches light the way a bezel does.
Written down, because it will be checked.
Every commission ships with a bound build record: photographs of each stage, part numbers, supplier provenance and the name of the person who did the work.
- Donor
- 1995 BMW K1100RS, matching numbers, acquired in Bavaria
- Engine
- 1092cc DOHC 16 valve longitudinal inline four, fully rebuilt to new tolerance
- Induction
- Four polished stainless velocity stacks, remapped fuelling
- Frame
- Original spine, hand fabricated tubular tail, satin black powder coat
- Bodywork
- Hand formed steel tank shell, aluminium tunnel, floating tail unit
- Finish
- Eleven coat black lacquer, hand cut and polished, single hand laid ceramic blue line
- Wheels
- Three spoke cast alloy, satin black, blue anodised rim edge
- Suspension
- Rebuilt and revalved front forks, bespoke rear monoshock
- Seat
- Black hide, diamond stitched, hand waxed edges
- Fasteners
- Titanium throughout, blue anodised in house
- Build time
- Approximately eleven months
- Availability
- Open to commission