Home Motors Bunker Rebuilt This R nineT Scrambler to Look Like BMW’s Dakar-Winning R 80 GS
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The custom bike world has a chronic overdesign problem. Too many builds pile on billet parts and wild bodywork until the donor bike disappears entirely. Bunker Custom Cycles, the Istanbul-based outfit run by brothers Mert and Can Uzer, went the opposite direction with this 2024 BMW R nineT Scrambler, and the restraint is exactly what makes it work.
The backstory definitely helps, too. The bike belongs to Selçuk, an Istanbul enduro rider who recently became a father and decided hard-charging off-road racing no longer fit the program. He wanted something practical and characterful for lighter adventures. Bunker’s answer was to channel the utilitarian honesty of BMW’s mid-1980s R 80 GS and Dakar machines, bikes whose function dictated their form.
The biggest transformation sits right in the middle of the bike. The original steel fuel tank remains underneath, but Bunker designed a custom outer shell that harkens back to the proportions of the old R 80 and R 100 tanks.
Capacity does drop slightly, from 4.5 gallons down to 4.1 (15.5 liters), but the visual payoff is huge. The overall aesthetic feels much more cohesive across the board.
Up front, the headlight assembly was raised by a little over an inch, then wrapped in a new fairing paired with a high-mounted front fender – both classic Dakar cues. The clever bit is the Denali S4 fog light integrated directly into the fairing.
Rather than clamping an auxiliary light to the bars like an afterthought, Bunker baked it into the bodywork. This adds some nice function to the mix while keeping clutter to a minimum.
The rest of the bodywork follows suit, and includes a new seat, side panels, intake cover, rear fender, taillight section, and a small luggage rack, all shaped from glass fiber reinforced plastic. Even the skid plate is there to complete the bike’s lower line, not necessarily for bashing rocks.
The 1,170cc air/oil-cooled boxer stays bone stock at 109 horsepower, because it didn’t really need fixing. The white paint with red and blue racing accents is a straight nod to BMW’s 1980s motorsport graphics, and the whole thing wears it beautifully.
Builder: Bunker Custom Cycles
Base Bike: 2024 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Engine: 1,170cc air/oil-cooled boxer twin
Power: 109 HP
Fuel Capacity: 4.1 gallons (15.5L)
Custom Bodywork: Glass fiber reinforced plastic
Auxiliary Lighting: Denali S4 fog light (fairing-integrated)
Livery: White with red and blue racing accents
This particular build is a one-off commission, but here’s the good news: Bunker developed most of these parts, including the fairing, high front fender, and rear fender kits, as plug-and-play products.
2024 BMW R nineT Scrambler by Bunker Custom Cycles
Istanbul’s Bunker Custom Cycles reshapes a stock R nineT Scrambler with R 80 GS-inspired bodywork for a retired enduro racer, proving the best customs know when to put the grinder down.
