A different take on the custom BMW airhead

When we first clapped eyes on this unusually styled BMW, we assumed it came from a pro workshop. The finish is immaculate, the proportions are unconventional but perfectly judged, and the girder fork is a minor feat of engineering. So we were surprised to discover that this bike comes from a pair of first-time builders: Tiago Gonçalves and Luis Gonçalves of Portugal, who are friends rather than brothers. Like many builds, the story begins with a Sunday motorcycle ride. “We went to the westernmost point of the European mainland, Cabo da Roca,” the guys tell us. “Over coffee, we talked...