El Solitario Gonzo BMW R45

This happens when one of the world's most creative custom workshops decides that they need to customise their shop bike. The 1976 BMW R45 is the daily workhorse of Spanish workshop El Solitario MC. Dubbed "Gonzo", it's a purpose built custom, designed to be practical and durable without taking itself or it's job too seriously.

"Built in the wink of an eye because we faced no pressure for results nor were we looking for a posh finish or complicated technical solutions."

In their own words the El Solitario team describe that their trusty BMW as a "terribly underpowered but indestructible machine" and while it may be strong they had no interest in boosting it's performance figures. The BMW is a workhorse so customising it was always about keeping costs low rather than re-engineering it's performance. 100% of the work was to be done in El Solitario HQ so it was imperative that the build was quick as to not detract from other, paid projects in the workshop.

So what exactly does a quick turn around custom involve? Well it went something like this...

The stock tank has new side panels reducing it's width by 2′ and the new, brushed stainless steel inserts were left raw. The BMW's subframe was shortened and narrowed and a vintage Bates Desert Sled seat was attached using custom brackets. The battery was relocated and the bike rewired. A pair of PIAA headlights in a custom made fairing replace the stock headlight and an LED, Bates style light was fixed to the rear loop.  The forks, brakes, carbs, transmission and heads all received an overhaul to keep it running reliably and the engine breathes more freely through the new exhaust and open velocity stacks. The ride was improved by adding a pair of Redwing rear shocks and an 18'/21' wheel set up running Michelin rubber.

"Although confessed admirers of Hunter S. Thompson, the name Gonzo does not come from his attitude of journalism, but because of the bikes resemblance to the great Gonzo from The Muppets."

The only aspect of the Gonzo's build that wasn't completed by the ESMC team was the artwork and gold leaf on its tank. For thos ESMC enlisted the help of Maxwell Paternoster AKA: Corpses from Hell whose whacky style of illustration is perfectly suited to The Gonzo's anything goes design.

  
It's a rare treat to hear the bikes I feature in action however El Solitario, being the forward thinkers they are, provide sound clips of each of their builds on the website. Custom workshops around the world please take note, this is what we want!

El Solitario MC     |     Corpses from Hell

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Super-Sleek Monster Motorcycles of Lan Barry

American industrial designer and artist has created a stunning concept of Lan Barry motorcycles, which obviously influence of the “British”. Lan is a co-founder of Los Angeles-based company Falcon.

The first concept is called “The Bullet”. The artistic and elegant bike was built from scratch, using Triumph Thunderbird 1950 engine.

The next the concept was “The Kestrel” that is made using three colors: gold, blue and black. Motorcycle is based on Triumph Bonneville 1970. Aluminum, brass, copper, nickel, steel, and dozens of entries by hand.

The third concept is simply called “The Black”. At the heart of the motorcycle engine is original Vincent Black Shadow in 1952, set a speed record in 1952, breaking the mark of 160 km / h.

Last concept of the series is “The White”, which is the most powerful motorcycle. It is based on the original Velocette Thruxton 1967 engine.

from BIKEGLAM

PROJECT SR250 by moto-mucci

Yesterday our day started at 5am. We packed the car, prepped the bike and headed south to get some shots of Kara and the SR250 at dawn. The plan was to then go back to bed and resume shooting at a more reasonable hour. We didn't. Instead we kept shooting, jumping around to industrial locations all over Chicago. 14 hours later we flopped our exhausted bodies into the seat backs of a bar within stumbling distance of the apartment. We then proceeded to cap the night off. So much weight, both mental and physical, was relieved when I hit that booth. The bike was done. The shoot was done. Everything went as planned. 

Big thanks to Pat Daly for driving in from Detroit to lend his amazing photography skills.

Also a big thanks to Sofia Boutique in Chicago for outfitting Kara for the shoot.

There's been almost 2 years worth of spare time and long weekends that have gone into this bike and it's finally done. Next up - the longevity test, while Kara and I take it and the CX500 800 miles around Lake Michigan.

Here are a few shots I snapped on my phone along the way. I'm stoked to see the real deal come back from editing when Pat's put his final touches on them. Stay tuned!

If you're an "in the moment" kind of lad or gal be sure to follow along on Instagram and Facebook. It'll also be where we post photos while we're on our trip around the lake next week!

from motomucci 

mécanique