Some custom motorcycles are so outlandish that they grab your attention immediately, while some are so understated and classy that, once you notice them, you can’t look away. Case in point: Cafe Racer Dreams‘ #38.
This stunning ’74 BMW R90/6 belongs to José Martín Espinosa, a prominent figure in the Spanish fashion industry. He commissioned this BMW cafe racer after a series of email conversations with CRD and a couple of visits to their Madrid headquarters, fully entrusting the creative direction to them.
The BMW’s stance has been altered by shortening the forks and swapping out the rear suspension for shorter-than-stock Hagon units. A shorter, hand crafted subframe supports the custom made seat. The battery has been relocated to underneath the swingarm, leaving the area behind the airbox free of clutter save for the ignition, which has been moved to under the seat.
Both fenders are stock BMW items—the original front fender has been adapted to fit the rear, and a R100 fender fitted to the front. Along with the tank, they’ve been sprayed a luxurious black with subtle white pinstriping—true to the original paint scheme. Bespoke fender braces add to the bike’s overall classic appeal, as do the crash bars and Firestone Deluxe Champion tyres.
CRD turned to their own catalog for finishing kit—the turn signals, tail light, Renthal Ultra-Low bars and mufflers can all be bought from their online store. The headlight is also a CRD unit, but it’s been modified to house a Motogadget speedometer and various controls. On the handlebar, Motogadget’s stealthy m-Switch units replace the standard BMW switches.
I once asked CRD’s Pedro García what his personal design philosophy was. His reply was: “Less is more, and pay full attention to the final finish.” In my opinion, CRD #38 is the epitome of this philosophy. An elegant vintage custom, with a host of finer details that only become apparent as you dig deeper.
Check out previous CRD builds in the Bike EXIF Archives, and keep up with CRD’s news on their Facebook page. Images courtesy of Rafa Gallar.
