Reviving an icon: A 1951 BMW R51 restomod from Thrive

The post-War R51/3 is one of the all-time classic motorcycles, and instantly recognizable as a BMW—complete with early boxer engine and ‘plunger’ rear suspension. But despite their venerable age, R51s can still be picked up at auction for less than US$20,000. Over 18,000 R51/3s were built, and a fair few of those are slowly decaying away in sheds and garages around the world. Even in places you wouldn’t expect to find one, such as Jakarta, Indonesia. That’s the hometown of Thrive, undisputedly one of the world’s top custom shops and the team behind this very elegant build called ‘T-051.’ The...