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02/20 2017

Maxime Cheng’s BMW R60/2 motorcycle is currently in a competition to reach commercial production. PHOTO BY MAXIME CHENG

by / / Posted in: BIKES, MINUTIAE, NEWS
LEGO BMW R60/7 Photo 1
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Help the BMW R60/2 become a Lego set you can buy

CLASSIC HEAVY BIKE WITH SIDECAR IS IMMORTALIZED IN LEGO

BY:  JAY RAMEY

Lego has produced motorcycles for its figures since the 1970s, before the figures themselves had articulated legs, arms or even facial features. (The aesthetic of early Lego figures would probably surprise most buyers today.) But those early motorcycles, sized to the standard figures, were quite simple.

As the Lego lineup grew more complex with the addition of the Technik line, it offered machines of greater detail, but even the more elaborate Technik sets pale in comparison to this model of the legendary BMW R60/2 motorcycle, which is now in a race to become an official Lego set.

Lego Ideas builder Maxime Cheng re-created this charming “Slash 2” classic with impressive detailing and a tidy appearance. At first glance, it doesn’t even look like a Lego model.

Lego BMW R60/2 engine

The BMW’s engine is very detailed on this model.PHOTO BY MAXIME CHENG

“This Lego model was made for a friend and fellow Lego enthusiast to commemorate his father, who would take him on rides in this very motorcycle through the countryside,” Cheng writes. “It is constructed to match all the various specifications and details of the original bike, including the unique triangular front fork, hand brakes, a fuel tank, a tire inflator, twin engines, and a sidecar (as of now still a work in progress), as well as a rotating handlebars and a retractable kickstand.”

The R60/2 themselves were the heavy touring motorcycles of the day — overengineered in typical German fashion — and built to last decades. Their weight and power made them ideal platforms for equally hefty sidecars, with the R60/2 quickly becoming a popular model following its debut in 1956.

Lego BMW R60/2 standalone

Initially, the motorcycle may be offered without the sidecar, which would add expense to the kit.PHOTO BY MAXIME CHENG

Once a Lego Ideas project gets 10,000 votes from users, it advances to the review stage by the company; from there, it might be produced as a commercial set that you can buy. Cheng’s R60/2 is about halfway to the 10,000 vote mark, with 716 days left. Voting has been open for just over two months — this Lego motorcycle debuted in December 2016. That’s an impressive trajectory for any Lego Ideas project, so it’s likely to reach the 10,000 mark in a couple more months, which will advance it to the next stage.

 

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