BMW Motorrad, the motorcycle division of the Bavarian luxury automobile manufacturer, has been producing motorcycles since its inception in 1923. The almost 100 year old company recently unveiled a motorcycle at the 2016 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este held in Italy. This model, known as the R5 Hommage, pays tribute to the original model that was first manufactured 80 years ago.
For creating the Hommage model, the company came up with the idea of infusing the history of the motorcycle with today’s modern automotive tech. The 500cc two cylinder engine, originally a race damaged engine, was sourced from Motorrad enthusiast Sebastian Gutsch which later became the heart of this concept model. The remaining part of the build was made from the scratch.
This engine was originally tuned to produce a power output rated at 24 bhp which came up at 5500 rpm while the top speed of the motorcycle stood at 135 km/hr. Here though, a supercharger was inducted into the engine giving it a certain but unspecified amount of power. To bring the envisioned model to life, Ronny and Benny Noren, from Swedish custom shop known as Unique Custom Cycles were brought in by the design team at BMW Motorrad. The first job they undertook was giving the engine valve covers and a breastplate machined from billet aluminium.
Also read: Check out the BMW G 310 R’s new promotional video
Based on the sketches provided by the design team, the Noren brothers’ customized a few elements such as the rear fender, fuel tank as well as the frame. A few new additions to the model included a new rear wheel suspension, piston brake system and a dual stainless steel exhaust system. On the design front, the model refrains from drifting away from the classic with respect to the colour scheme. The model here receives a black paintjob with white stripes while the tank receives a smoked finish. For the engine case and the gearbox, the original polished aluminium is retained. Last but not the least in any terms, the seat comprises of hand stitched leather paired with high quality embossing.
What do you think about this Hommage edition to the BMW R5? Does it merge the past with the present while retaining the original appeal. Let us know your views through the comments section below.
Meanwhile, have a look at the gallery for the BMW R5 Hommage:
