The BMW Motorrad R5 Hommage, a motorcycle embodying the pure essence of beauty and simplicity 80 years ago.
BMW showcased the BMW R5 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 R5, BMW Motorrad is honouring this icon at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2016 with a special model: the BMW R5 Hommage. The BMW R5 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 R5 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 R5 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 R5 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 R5 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 R5 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.
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