Magnifica!

Sometimes, going extreme is the way...

Built for Officine Riunite Milanesi, a bar-cum-workshop in Milan, this BMW R 18, named Magnifica, is about as extreme as we've ever seen in a bike still recognisable from its host, but also something which started life as a BMW.

Built by Andrea Radaelli from Radikal Chopper with support of BMW Motorrad Italia, the Magnifica uses noble materials such as brass, aluminium and wood in its execution to be completely different from almost anything else ever built.

"The bike has to be my own creation," Radaelli said. "I don't feel like dredging up or modifying a concept already set up and done very well by others." The inspiration for the design of the BMW R 18 Magnifica winks at the vintage motorbikes of the 1920s, 30s and 40s and in particular the BMW R 37, objects that "have an incredible charm that even today many modern motorbikes cannot replicate".