ROAD NEWS
BLECHMANN RESHAPES BEEMER’S UPCOMING R18
W
hile we still have no word on when BMW’s
latest attempt at the cruiser segment
will land on our shores, the company is
wasting no time when it comes to building hype
for the new R18.
In their second collaboration, BMW Motorrad
teamed up with Austrian custom magician
Bernhard Naumann, AKA Blechmann to give
the Big Boxer a new and distinct look.
Surprisingly, unlike the designer of BMW’s other
official custom R18, Roland Sands, Blechmann’s
customising style is to dive in headfirst and wing
it rather than fastidiously plan out the build.
“My work begins by removing parts of the
original version until a white canvas remains.
As the construction progresses, the design
develops. I call this ‘rapid-prototyping-
Blechmann-style’ “
It’s a process that certainly makes his workshop
unique considering the high level of fit and
finish that comes out the other end. Mostly,
Blechmann works alone, but if necessary, he
gets support from hand-picked professionals
which appears to be the case with the R18 build.
“You can’t do anything in this world on your
own. I am more than glad to have a reliable
personnel infrastructure,” he says.
“I draw my design directly on the object using
the final material. This allows me to directly
respond to the requirements and to keep an
eye on the proportions at all times”, explains
the designer.
For the Blechmann R18 as the bike is known, he
initially “put the cart before the horse” in order
to be able to correctly assess the proportions
for the front fairing.
KIWI RIDER 17