BMW ‘Alpha’ by Mark Atkinson and Mehmet Doruk Erdem

Photos: Jun Song / Film: Max Daines It’s one of the most unlikely alliances we’ve ever seen: An old school machinist and motorcycle builder from Utah, and a high-tech industrial designer from Istanbul, Europe’s most populous city. But there are few boundaries to communication in the 21st century—and together, these two kindred spirits have created a truly extraordinary motorcycle: the BMW-powered ‘Alpha.’ The story starts in Turkey on the computer of designer Mehmet Doruk Erdem. Nearly two years ago, Mehmet posted his BMW Alpha concept online: An arresting, shark-nosed land speed racer. Mehmet caught the motorcycle design bug after seeing...