Custom BMW R5 Motorcycle Photo Gallery

A special remake of the classic R5 twin-cylinder machine from the 1930s.

The BMW R5 Hommage was inspired by the 500cc factory racer, one of the groundbreaking motorcycles of the 1930s. Frame, fuel tank, and rear fender were hand-crafted.Photo: BMW

“Any bike we show that isn’t a serial version, we wait to see public reaction. If the world was to say that 1 million people would buy such a bike, we definitely would build one. So we are always looking at the reactions to our concept bikes. The R5 Hommage was really intended to be a homage to the classic R5 from the 1930s, and it was aimed more at the individualization than to say, ‘Yes, we are going to build a cruiser tomorrow.’ We wanted to say, ‘Hey, we have a classic bike that’s 80 years old, it’s one of the most beautiful ones we’ve ever built, and instead of just bringing out a modern interpretation, we remade a special version of it to see how much inspiration we get out of it.’” —Christian Pingitzer, Head of Sales & Marketing for Customizing and Heritage at BMW Motorrad

Inspired by the 500cc factory racing machine of 1935, the original BMW R5 was a groundbreaking motorcycle, with a lightweight frame housing a two-cylinder boxer engine that produced 24 horsepower at 5,500 rpm.

Remaining parts gradually took shape in a workshop owned by brothers Ronny and Ben Noren and was based on sketches completed by the BMW motorrad design team.Photo: BMW

Marking the 80th anniversary of the R5 is the R5 Hommage, a truly hand-built custom motorcycle that came together in the European workshop of Ronny and Ben Noren, both 30-year veterans of the bike-building industry.

What makes this project unique is that the brothers managed to accurately convey the character of the original R5 while adding a number of modern touches, including a supercharger and a hand-fabricated stainless steel exhaust system.

At the heart of the Hommage is a 500cc flat-twin sourced from a crash-damaged race bike, now sporting a supercharger. Sebastian Gutsch provided the engine.Photo: BMW

The Hommage frame is a modern interpretation of the 1930’s design with a more streamlined profile and increased rake that puts the hand-shaped gas tank in perfect alignment from the steering head to the rear hub.

Particular attention was paid to the fork, which reflects the aerodynamically shaped covers of the original. On the handlebar, you’ll find brake and clutch levers that pivot at the bar ends to blend historical look with modern technology.

White pinstripes highlight the smoke finish on the sides of the tank in classic BMW style.Photo: BMW
Custom saddle features hand-stitched leather embossed with the name of the bike.Photo: BMW

The finish on the Hommage is classic BMW with subtle effects that accentuate the traditional styling of the R5. White pinstripes highlight the smoke finish on the sides of the tank while the rest of the metalwork is covered in a coarse metallic black.

All parts of the frame, fuel tank and rear fender are hand-crafted components.Photo: BMW

To this day, the R5 remains one of the most aesthetically appealing motorcycles in BMW history. With the help of unique builds like the R5 Hommage, historic motorcycles will continue to be talked about for generations to come.

Slot: div-gpt-ad-leaderboard_sticky
Slot: div-gpt-ad-leaderboard_middle1
Slot: div-gpt-ad-leaderboard_middle2
Slot: div-gpt-ad-leaderboard_middle3
Slot: div-gpt-ad-leaderboard_bottom