Hanging and Jamming with the boys from a Band Of Frequencies

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Selama beberapa dekade, lini GS dari BMW telah menjadi tolok ukur dalam dunia motor petualang: tangguh, andal, dan dirancang untuk perjalanan jauh. Meskipun motor bawaan pabrik dibuat untuk performa tinggi, dunia kustom berjalan di jalur yang berbeda, lebih didorong pada interpretasi, insting, dan keunikan tiap individualitas.

Menjelang kehadiran BMW R 12 G/S di Australia, tiga builder kustom diundang untuk membayangkan ulang wujud BMW R 12. Di antaranya: Nigel Petrie dari Engineer to Slide (VIC), Ellaspede (QLD), dan Kepala Bengkel kami sendiri, Jeremy Tagand. Pendekatan Tagand tidak dimulai dari tindakan, namun dari observasi. Membiarkan motornya “berbicara” sebelum alat-alat mulai digunakan.

“Ada sisi liar dalam rangkanya, sesuatu yang mentah, belum dijinakkan. Tujuan saya adalah memperkuat karakter itu, bukan menyembunyikannya.”

Langkah pertama dalam modifikasi ini bersifat fungsional sekaligus simbolis: melepas airbox bawaan. Sebagai gantinya, dua filter udara dari DNA dipasang terbuka langsung di throttle body, jalur langsung untuk aliran udara dan maksud desain yang jelas. Namun motor ini bukan sekadar soal performa. Ini menjadi percakapan antara mesin dan gaya hidup.

Terinspirasi dari perlengkapan berkendara Deus Moto, khususnya jaket riding, kain dari jaket tersebut dibongkar dan dijadikan pelapis jok, dijahit oleh David dari Bad Arse Trim Co.
Hasilnya: kombinasi antara kesan liar dan desain yang matang.

Bagian tangki dan ekor berbahan aluminium dibuat setelah semuanya dilepas, lalu di-sandblast hingga tampak kasar dan polos, kemudian dilapisi dengan siluet vinil yang diangkat dari grafis jersey. Setelah itu, lapisan atas di-blast kembali, menyisakan hasil akhir dengan dua tekstur berbeda: doff dan brushed, menyerupai ukiran industrial. Terasa kasar, simpel, dan sangat khas Deus.

Lalu masuk ke detail-detail kecil. Logo bulat khas BMW dilepas, digantikan dengan lencana Deus yang dipotong khusus dari bahan Perspex biru elektrik. Hasil akhirnya memberi penghormatan halus pada semangat kolaboratif di balik proyek ini.

Setelah itu, R 12 mulai beralih ke mode off-road. Ban bawaan diganti dengan Michelin Anakee Wild, milik Gas Imports, sementara YSS Suspension menyediakan shock belakang kustom yang bisa disetel penuh. Bagian depan pun disesuaikan agar seimbang.

Saat motor dibongkar, bagian fork (suspensi depan), clamp, dan stang hilangkan dan dibersihkan total dengan metode sandblast. Penambahan satu inci pada stang memberi perubahan besar, baik pada posisi berkendara maupun siluet keseluruhan motor.

For decades, BMW’s GS line has set the benchmark in adventure riding: capable, enduring, and engineered for the long road. While the factory machines are built for performance, the custom world operates on a different wavelength, shaped by interpretation, instinct, and Individuality. 

With the BMW R 12 G/S soon to land in Australia, three custom builders were invited to reimagine a BMW R 12 in the lead up. Among them: Nigel Petrie of Engineer to Slide (VIC), Ellaspede (QLD), and our very own Head of Workshop, Jeremy Tagand. Tagand’s approach began not with action, but observation. Letting the machine speak before tools were touched. 

“There’s a wildness embedded in its frame, something raw, untamed. My aim was to amplify that attitude, not mask it.” 

The first move was both functional and symbolic: the removal of the airbox. In its place, two DNA filters now sit exposed on the throttle bodies - a direct line to airflow and intention. But this build wasn’t just about performance. It became a conversation between machine and lifestyle. Referencing Deus Moto gear, in particular a riding jacket, the fabric was deconstructed and repurposed as the seat - trimmed by David at Bad Arse Trim Co. Equal parts irreverent and considered. 

The alloy tank and tail section followed, each stripped, sandblasted raw, then masked with a vinyl silhouette lifted from the jersey's graphics. A final blast over the masked layer revealed a contrast finish: matte and brushed, like industrial intarsia. Tactile, minimal, and unmistakably Deus. Then came the details. The traditional BMW roundels were removed, replaced with custom-cut Deus badges in electric blue Perspex. The outcome was a quiet nod to the collaborative spirit behind the build. 

From there, the R 12 shifted into off-road mode. The stock tires were swapped for a set of Michelin Anakee Wilds, courtesy of Gas Imports, while YSS Suspension delivered a custom, fully adjustable rear shock. The front end was dialled in to match. While disassembled, the forks, clamps, and bars were stripped and blasted clean. A subtle one-inch rise in the bars transformed both rider posture and silhouette. 

Lighting was refined, not replaced. Stock indicators made way for sleek units by Kellerman, with the fronts discreetly relocated near the oil cooler. Compact fog lights were added above each cylinder: a nod to true G/S heritage, bringing utility and intent. 

The exhaust system followed suit. The factory headers and crossover remained, but the cat was removed and replaced with a custom Y-pipe. A single SC Project muffler exits stage left, wrapped in black and titanium - a study in controlled chaos, with a sound that speaks for itself. The result is a machine that honours its lineage without being bound by it: stripped back, purpose-built, and ready to carve its own line.