Feast Your Eyes on the BMW 'Optimus PRAEM'

The BMW S 1000 RR is one of the most powerful motorcycles on the planet. With close to 200 horses waiting to be unleashed, the S 1000 RR is nothing short of a missile on a racetrack. But how does one turn the S 1000 RR into something that would kill you at first sight?

(BMW Optimus PRAEM side profile)

It's simple! Go over to PRAEM Customs in Paris, hand them over a stock BMW S 1000 RR and see them create magic. The Paris-based custom outfitters took a modern day superbike legend and turned it into a glowing tribute to 8-hour Suzuka racing motorcycles of yore.

The 'Optimus PRAEM', is still an S 1000 RR albeit with a retro-classic look. Allow us to explain. As seen in the pictures, the bodywork is all new and sleek. The red and blue livery is a testimony to the Alexander Calder BMW 3.0 CSL, which first raced at the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1975.

(BMW Optimus PRAEM fuel tank)

Upfront, there is just a single headlamp off-set to the right, a retro windscreen and rounded bodywork that harks back to the endurance racing motorcycles of the 80s. The air inlet is new and so is the sub-frame which carries the battery underneath. The fuel tank is also custom-made from aluminium. It gets a completely revised top-section which features a Staubli quick-fill fuel cap, again a styling bit borrowed from endurance racing motorcycles. The engine covers are also custom bits and were designed keeping in mind the styling from the 80s. Out go the standard alloy wheels and in come carbon-fibre wheels, which reduce the unsprung weight by a significant 5kgs. The brakes too are carbon-ceramic discs. The radiator unit has been changed as well, with a new endurance unit fitted in place of the standard unit. The standard exhausts make way for Akrapovic titanium mufflers. Overall, the Optimus PRAEM is now 20kgs lighter than the standard S 1000 RR which means that the power-to-weight ratio has went up further. The parts which remain untouched are the engine, suspension and the swingarm as they were designed to be at home, be it the road or the race-track.

(BMW Optimus PRAEM on a racetrack)

PRAEM Customs is run by two brothers, Sylvain and Florent, who have earlier worked on several other such projects. In case you want your superbike to have a personal touch, you can always go to their workshop in Paris. They will be more than happy to help you.