BMW R75/5 custom

During the austere and oppressive reign of General Franco—a remarkable 36 years from 1939 to 1975—foreign motorcycles were a rarity in Spain. So this BMW R75/5 must be a novelty on Iberian roads. It’s owned by Juan Ramón Ortega, a Madrileño with a longstanding passion for BMWs. He bought this 1972 model six years ago: “It’s one of three R75/5s that I found in Belgium and brought back in a small truck with some friends. Then we left the bikes gathering dust … the crisis came.” Two years ago, Ortega wheeled out his bike and started work. He cut down...