The Motorrad R 5 Hommage The second BMW concept to make an appearance at Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. And yes. It’s a bike.
[Not a valid template]Yep, we know this is a bike post on crankandpiston.com, something that usually only happens when the planets align or Kanye West shows the smallest hint of humility. But in our defence, this is the Motorrad R 5 Hommage, one of two tributary concepts BMW showcased at the recent Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, the other being THIS ONE. And it’s actually kind of cool, but apologies in advance for any bike-related lexical clangers…
Like the 2002, the Motorrad Homage pays tribute to BMW’s past accomplishments, specifically the R5 in this instance which originally made its debut back in 1936. Interestingly, despite the two-cylinder four-stroke boxer engine boasting only 24bhp, the R5 was still capable of 135kph. Pretty impressive given that a leather helmet and a slightly thick wooly jumper accounted for ‘ride safety’ during the pre-war era.
[Not a valid template]Given that BMW attributes the R5 to be ‘one of the most aesthetically appealing motorcycles’ in the company’s history, there’s more than a couple of nods on the Homage to its namesake, notably the clutch levers are mounted on the outside ends of the handlebars. Interestingly, at the base of the Homage meanwhile is an original four-cylinder from the R5, a prolific member of racing during its day but damaged and subsequently rebuilt by custom building brothers Ronny and Benny Nore in the UK. It’s not been specific exactly how much bang for slightly dented buck the supercharged, air-cooled 500cc boxer can produce today, but since BMW has already stated it will be keeping this example in its collection, it seems unlikely we’ll find out any time soon. Unless Beemer decide to spring a retro limited edition on its clamouring public. You potentially heard it here first…
