Munich/Cernobbio. 80 years ago, BMW presented
the BMW R 5 to the international public – an exciting new
technological development that was to influence motorcycle
construction right through to the 1950s. Inspired by the 500 cc
factory racing machine of 1935, it was one of the groundbreaking
sports motorbikes of the late 1930s with its newly designed light
frame. To mark the 80th anniversary of the BMW R 5, BMW Motorrad is
honouring this icon at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2016 with
a special model: the BMW R 5 Hommage.
The BMW R 5 Hommage translates the essence of motorcycling into the
modern era, combining the world of historical motorcycle design with
the modern world of custom bikes.
“At its debut, the R 5 was not only a masterpiece of engineering, the
clarity of its lines and the elegance of its proportions also made it
stand out clearly from the masses. To this day, the R 5 remains one of
the most aesthetically appealing motorcycles in BMW history in my
view,” says Edgar Heinrich, Head of Design BMW Motorrad. “In my
opinion, its fascinating and unique beauty lies in its sheer
simplicity,” adds Ola Stenegard, Head of Vehicle Design and Creative
Director Heritage BMW Motorrad. “In today’s world it is very simple to
keep it complicated, but very complicated to keep it simple. And the
BMW R 5 captures the very essence of a motorcycle. Our aim was to
transport its clarity and elegant aesthetic appeal to the modern era –
creating a respectful combination of old-school and high-tech with a
dash of high performance.”
Vintage meets custom.
The BMW R 5 Hommage shows just how well the world of historical
motorcycles and the custom scene harmonise. At the core there is an
original 500 cc Two-cylinder engine provided by motorcycle enthusiast
Sebastian Gutsch. This boxer engine was damaged in a race and provided
the starting point for creating the BMW R 5 Hommage.
As befits a custom bike, the homage bike was elaborately hand-crafted
from scratch. Ronny and Benny Noren were called upon to produce the
parts according to the specifications of the BMW Motorrad Design Team:
the two brothers have been building tailor-made customer bikes for
more than 30 years.
Historical core …
The Two-cylinder
4-stroke boxer engine of the R 5 was completely newly designed at the
time and had an output of 24 bhp at 5,500 rpm. The valve drive
was taken care of by two camshafts powered by a timing chain.
Thanks to the likewise newly designed frame made of
electrically welded oval tubing, the light R 5 reached a top speed of
135 km/h, making it almost as fast as R 17 with 33 bhp 750 cc – which
is one of the reasons it was so frequently used for racing, just like
the engine selected for the BMW R 5 Hommage, which was damaged during
a race. For the homage bike, numerous components such as the valve
cover and the breastplate of the boxer engine were machined from
billet aluminium based on sketches: they give the historical core a
dash of modern flair.
… in a tailor-made custom outfit.
Two doyens of the custom bike scene, Ronny and Benny Noren, were the
perfect partners for the BMW R 5 Hommage project when it came to
providing a fitting outward appearance for the historical core and
producing the missing parts for the engine and gearbox. The remaining
parts gradually took shape in the Noren brothers’ workshop based on
sketches by the BMW Motorrad Design Team. All parts such as the frame,
fuel tank and rearfender are unique, elaborately hand-crafted
components – making this a genuine custom bike. And most important of
all: the newly fashioned parts clearly transport the original purist
character of the R 5.
Timelessly elegant: the proportions.
The result is impressive: even from a distance the proportions convey
the timeless beauty of a consistent reduction to the essentials –
entirely true to the spirit of the R 5 – and translate this idea into
the modern age. The frame and fuel tank echo the elegant drop shape of
the original, though in a more modern, streamlined interpretation. The
steering head is slightly more tilted, for example, so as to give the
R 5 Hommage greater presence and expressive stance while at the same
time underscore the fact that it belongs to the customer bike world.
As far as the frame is concerned, the focus here was on the oval
shaped tubes which were such a striking feature of the original.
Together the frame and fuel tank draw a continuous line from the
steering head to the rear wheel hub, giving the side view a touch of
elegance. The hand-made steel rearfender perpetuates the minimalistic layout.
A modern interpretation of historical details.
A particularly defining feature in terms of the appearance of the
original R 5 was the telescopic fork – new at the time – whose
characteristic fork covers were aerodynamically shaped at the level of
the headlamp. The BMW R 5 Hommage invokes this element and interprets
it in modern style based on the custom made fork. The leading edge of
the forkcovers echoes the “crease” on the breastplate and valve covers
with a suggested interpretation of the typical “R 5 rib”. The brake
and clutch levers activated from the bar-end likewise blend the past
with state-of-the-art technology: these custom-made components combine
the look of historical reversed levers with the adjustment options of
modern controls.
Exquisite custom craftsmanship: supercharger, exhaustpipes and suspension.
The heart of the BMW R 5 rests within the minimalist proportions of
the homage bike. The technical highlight of the engine is the
specially developed supercharger, which in the BMW R 5 Hommage now
significantly boosts the output of the original 500 cc power unit of
26 bhp to achieve a contemporary accurate level.
A completely newly built stainless steel exhaust system ensures that
this increase in power is appropriately reflected in terms of sound.
Other contemporary accents are provided by the new rear wheel
suspension, the modern piston brake system and the elaborately
designed front and rear wheel hub. The latter combines the brake
system and spoke mount in a single formal unit – a detailed reflection
of the minimalistic concept embodied by the BMW R 5 Hommage.
The colour: classic BMW style yet still a true custom bike.
The BMW R 5 Hommage is presented in classic style when it comes to
colour. The basic theme is typical BMW – black with white pinstripes,
though interpreted in contemporary style of course. In addition to the
opaquely finished surfaces, the so-called smoke finish on the fuel
tank and rearfender allow the steel underneath to partially show
through. In addition to the white pinstripes, the black finish on the
fuel tank and rearfender especially comes into its own right, in
perfect custom style, due to the metallic finish and a slight flake
effect. The engine cases and gearbox in glass bead aluminium provide
the perfect stage for the polished aluminium parts such as the
machined breastplate and the valve covers with its “R 5 crease”. The
soft lustre of the polished aluminium is especially reminiscent of the
BMW R 5 originals. The overall image is rounded off with a
handstitched leather seat with high-quality embossing.
In case of queries please contact:
Renate Heim, Communications BMW Motorrad
Tel.:
+4989382-21615,
Fax:
+4989382-23927
Markus Sagemann, Head of Communications MINI, BMW Motorrad
Tel.:
+4989382-68796,
Fax:
+4989382-28567
Internet:
www.press.bmw.de
E-Mail: presse@bmw.de
The BMW Group
With its three brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, the BMW Group is the
world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles
and also provides premium financial and mobility services. As a global
company, the BMW Group operates 31 production and assembly facilities
in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
In 2015, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.247 million cars and
nearly 137,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the
financial year 2015 was approximately € 9.22 billion on revenues
amounting to € 92.18 billion. As of 31 December 2015, the BMW Group
had a workforce of 122,244 employees.
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