Designing a movie-themed motorbike is dangerous enterprise. They often end up gaudy and gimmicky, with little attraction past the mere novelty of the concept. However this practice BMW R18 from Portugal’s Rusty Wrench Bikes bucks that pattern spectacularly.
As is obviously apparent from the backdrop pictured right here, this R18 takes inspiration from the Hollywood blockbuster Prime Gun: Maverick. Rusty Wrench got here up with the design in response to a nationwide name for {custom} BMW R18 design pitches from BMW Motorrad Portugal. The profitable entrant would have the chance to carry their idea to life, to characterize Portugal at BMW’s worldwide R18 Customizing Championship.
There was a catch although—the design needed to be impressed by a film. Rusty Wrench picked Prime Gun: Maverick as a nod to BMW’s historical past in aeronautics, though it in all probability helped that Tom Cruise is a complete motorbike nut too. Rusty Wrench gained the competitors, after which confronted the unattainable mission of bringing their design to life.
Beginning with a base mannequin BMW R18, the crew stripped the monster boxer right down to its body and scrapped virtually all of its bodywork. Solely the inventory facet covers stay—the remaining is a beguiling cocktail of hand-formed components, sporting sufficient Prime Gun cues to get the purpose throughout with out being kitsch.
A hand-crafted headlight nacelle sits up entrance, mixing seamlessly right into a pair of fork shrouds. The dramatically angular headlight comes from a KTM, however the tinted windscreen is a {custom} half. Hidden mounting brackets connect the bodywork to the BMW’s entrance finish.
A full-length stomach pan sits decrease down, designed to imitate a fighter jet’s fuselage. Air scoops on the entrance and a row of domed fasteners on both facet additional emphasize the aeronautical theme.
Gone is the R18’s broad cruiser-style gas tank. Rusty Wrench fabricated a one-off tank as an alternative, with knee indents which might be ever-so-slightly paying homage to the basic Yamaha XJR.
The bike’s silhouette is forward-heavy, tapering in direction of the waspish tail part. The custom-made unit sits on prime of a stealthy subframe, bolted on to OEM mounting factors on the R18’s body. An Alcantara cowl adorns the seat, full with eyelets that not solely look cool but additionally provide entry to the seat’s mounting {hardware}.
The entire association seems to be prefer it’s been jacked up, however Rusty Wrench hasn’t touched the R18’s suspension. They’ve merely swapped the wheels out for a 21F/18R alloy set, taken from BMW’s vary of Roland Sands-designed components. And so they’ve added {custom} foot controls, set increased and additional again than earlier than, to go well with the bike’s elevated seat peak.
One huge visible hit comes from the BMW’s distinctive exhaust system. Rusty Wrench constructed new headers out of stainless-steel, routing them up and over the BMW’s gigantic pots and below the brand new tail part. Then they fabricated a pair of aluminum mufflers, with finish caps that recall the afterburners discovered on fighter jets.
A brand new set of handlebars sit on the reverse finish of the bike, mounted on Roland Sands risers and outfitted with Motogadget bar-ends. Rusty Wrench retained the OEM speedo, negating the necessity to mess with the R18’s trendy wiring.
Regardless of the cinema and aeronautical influences, Rusty Wrench’s R18 additionally exhibits a robust affinity to luxurious sports activities automobiles. The seat upholstery is one connection, however so is the bike’s ultra-stylish paint job, with sections of black and silver separated by delicate blue striping. Different fashionable particulars embody BMW x Roland Sands engine covers and a taillight that mimics a jet’s tail fin.
Rusty Wrench completed the construct with a set of {custom} CNC-machined badges. The tank emblems commemorate BMW Motorrad’s one hundredth anniversary, whereas the engine wears a pair of ‘Maverick’ logos.
The distinction between Rusty Wrench’s R18 and most ‘themed’ bikes is night time and day. The bike is slick and cohesive, and would nonetheless make sense, aesthetically, if the Prime Gun particulars had been eliminated. To not point out the truth that the revised ergonomics have seemingly made the R18 much more enjoyable to journey.
Rusty Wrench Bikes | Fb | Instagram | Pictures by João Vasco
