Believe it or not, there’s a surf shop in Stockholm. And even stranger, it’s got a motorcycle workshop right underneath.
Despite the odd location, 6/5/4 Motors serves up some fine Scandinavian design in two-wheeled form. They hooked us a few weeks ago with a sharp Ducati 860 GT, and now they’re back—with this clean and minimal BMW R75/5 built for a local psychologist.
The Beemer arrived in the 6/5/4 workshop a couple of years ago, but it’d been standing unused for two decades. So task #1 was to get it running.
Then the psychologist came along, specifically looking for a BMW R75. He had a few minor requests, but was happy to leave everything else to 6/5/4. Designs were sketched up, and the deal was sealed.
To whip it into shape, the R75 was torn down to the nuts-and-bolts. The engine was overhauled, the valves adjusted, a new electronic ignition installed, and the timing set. To keep it running sweet, a new battery was installed in a custom-made box under the swingarm. The exhaust was upgraded with a set of reverse-cone mufflers.
Next, 6/5/4 fabricated a new subframe, narrower and shorter than stock. The rest of the frame was de-tabbed and cleaned up, then sandblasted and repainted. The seat’s a one-off, covered in velvety nubuck leather.
As you’d expect from the Swedes, the cockpit is supremely de-cluttered. The bulky BMW switches have been chucked in favor of mini-switches, with the wiring running inside the MX-style bars. The ignition is Motogadget’s ultra convenient keyless m-Lock system.
A Daytona Velona speedo and Biltwell Inc. grips keep things minimal and stylish. The lighting has been slimmed down too: Bates-style head and tail lights now cut through the dark Stockholm nights, flanked by mini turn signals.
For the fenders—yes, look closely—a pair of Triumph Bonneville items have been severely bobbed. The shocks are from Hagon, and the tires are Bridgestone Trailwings with a trials-type pattern.
It’s a tasteful set of mods, but it’s the paint scheme that really sets this BMW apart. 6/5/4 mixed the mint-and-turquoise combo for the frame themselves—and it’s the only splash of color.
The rest of the R75 is black, with just off-white for the lights, and a mix of raw and polished finishes for the engine. The tank is matte black with a white pinstripe, and there’s a 6/5/4 logo in place of the usual BMW roundel.
There’s a crisp elegance to this build, which seems to be a developing 6/5/4 signature. But despite the extreme cleanliness, it’s a bike that gets ridden regularly.
Yes, psychologists find riding just as therapeutic as the rest of us.
6/5/4 Motors | Instagram | Facebook | Studio images by Johannes Helje | Outdoor image by David Gonzalez