If there's one thing this blog is about, it's making the most out of what you've got. Anybody with a ton of cash can build, or commission, a top notch bike with all the most costly parts and procedures. What a ton of money can't buy you is an eye for aesthetics and that 'big picture' vision.

Michiel, the wrencher behind this on point CB, and I share a common belief: Minimal funding breeds creativity.

Unlike my terrible spending habbits, Michiel has a legit reason behind this needing to be an "ultra low budget" build - he's currently a student in Holland.

"I have a BMW cafe racer that I built a couple of years ago, it's a pretty hardcore racer, so it's not very suitable for bad weather/long rides/moving stuff. I wanted a bike that I could use for anything, any day and that could carry a passenger as well"

What you're looking at ran him $650 USD, including purchase price.

“I made a rear fender out of an old gas tank, a taillight, and an exhaust from an old Virago muffler. I bought clipons, repaired and adapted the wiring loom, and used the foglight from a classic car as a headlight.” And a friend built him the seat in exchange for a fender. (I need more friends like that.)

The bike that emerged from the build is one of my personal favorite to date. It's got a real 'backyard build' quality to it but spares nothing in the aesthetics department. I'd say he spent the time and money in the right places.

Be sure to check out Michiel's other builds and daily updates @ http://bmwcafe.blogspot.com/