Friday, May 25, 2018

1976 BMW R90/6 ▪️ "Spirit of Montjuic" Endurance Café by Luis Etchenique

.






My gran amigo Luis from Florida fell in love with endurance motorcycles after watching those machines during the mid-70's, racing the streets of Montjuic in Barcelona. He was especially taken by the privateers, the guys with limited means, with big dreams, ... and with the coolest bikes the sport has ever seen. This R90/6 is his tribute to such spirit. The Spirit of Montjuic. Although the powerplant is essentially stock, he has altered the ergonomics with clip-on bars, rearsets, and a solo seat. The rear shocks are period-correct Marzocchis Stradas. The individual pod filters are matched/tuned with a stainless exhaust system he has designed and fabricated; he was careful to route it in and out of the frame as to clear the rider's legs, thus avoiding the need for heat shields. He did not include a crossover pipe, the sound is simply remarkable. The battery is mounted under the tail section, which is large by design as to balance the volume of the 24-liter fuel tank. The auxiliary long-range headlight underscores the endurance DNA of the bike, plus accentuates a clean -yet asymmetric- custom look. He has purposely avoided adding a front fairing: this way shows the bike better, and also stresses its low-budget, privateer personality. The graphics are limited to period racing stripes on both sides of the beautifully sculpted, muscular R90-S fuel tank; they "break" the monochromatic monotony, while adding a minimalistic sports touch with color that matches BMW's classic blue. The final touch is a re-registered vintage Florida license plate -- contributing to a look of authenticity, of timeless charm. The overall goal was a period-correct, no-frills, clean and honest café. A bike many of us can relate to. A tribute to those mid-70's privateer racers from Montjuic -- who dreamt big ... 🏁 

1 comment:

roaa mohamed said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.