“BMW Cafe Racer”

[xurxes]

BMW R60/5 custom

I’ve always had a soft spot for 1970s BMWs, but I haven’t seen anything quite like this slash-five before. It’s owned by Frenchman Gaëtan Pillaud, and he calls it a ‘Clubber’—a mix between a clubman and a bobber. The bike started life as a 1973 R60/5, which means it has an aircooled 599cc boxer twin motor, shaft drive, and a kickstart mounted on the back of the gearbox. It’s got a Trackmaster tank and seat sourced from eBay, military-spec Firestone ANS tires, and café racer clip-on bars from LSL. Gaëtan dropped the forks at the front to improve the bike’s stance, and fitted custom shocks to keep the back end under control. The alloy rear fender was made by French motorcycle legend George Martin, and the exhaust is an authentic Dunstall. If the headlight, almost dwarfed on this bike, looks familiar, that’s because it’s from an AMF-era Harley shovel. Even the wiring harness has received attention—it’s sheathed in woven cotton in true vintage style. It’s a little rough around the edges, but this Beemer has a strange charm all of its own—the perfect machine for a spirited blast down a winding road in the Pyrenées. [Via Ze Last Chance Garage.]