Blitz Motorcycles and their philosophy...

[the_wes]

Blitz Motorcycles is a small custom shop in Paris, run by two friends Fred and Hugo. They have a very unique style and philosophy - blending various old and new parts together to create truly bespoke custom motorcycles. One of their trademarks is finding a vintage tank, from a completely different bike, adding the tank "as is" with it's natural patina intact, and then designing the motorcycle around it. Other tricks include running simplified switches and wiring switches, taking headlights off old rally cars, and tail lights from vintage bicycles. Both are competent mechanics and electricians, so the bikes are usually overhauled from the ground up.

I chat to Fred regularly via email, over time we've become modern day pen-pals  :thumleft: Here's an interview I did with him via email for my blog, which gives insight into their philosophy, process and history:
https://www.ratherberiding.co.za/imperfection-can-be-perfection-the-blitz-interview/

And here's a great video profiling them recently:
[flash=640,385]https://www.youtube.com/v/50cbmAFecbM[/flash]

The thing is, not everyone loves their style. If you check out their builds on popular custom site BikeExif opinion is almost always divided... some people going as far as to completely trash their style and bikes (BikeEXIF users can be lank opinionated), even calling them "bourgeois Parisian teenagers" (which Fred found amusing, since he's far from being bourgeois or a teenager  :deal: )

Here are some of their bikes...

They hit the scene with this breathtaking, full black R60, shod with Mitas E-09 tyres and dubbed "great escape". It was almost universally loved by the keyboard cowboys, and was one of Blitz's first builds:

See more here: https://www.bikeexif.com/bmw-r60-2

This is one of Fred's personal bikes, a Kawasaki W650, here the tank was actually chemically treated to look more aged than it already was:

See more here: https://www.blitz-motorcycles.com/bikes/kawasaki-w650-rusty-blitz.html

Here's a customer build, a W650 with a Jawa tank. It got a fair amount of flaming on BikeEXIF in the comments:

On my blog (in a rare turn of events, I blogged it first, haha): https://www.ratherberiding.co.za/blitz-w650-gentle-tracker/
On BikeEXIF: https://www.bikeexif.com/kawasaki-w650

Another BMW, this one with an old Honda tank... dubbed the "Green Hornet", and Fred's personal ride:

Read more: https://www.blitz-motorcycles.com/bikes/bmw-r1007-green-hornet.html

Also check out:
Newish release, Yamaha SR500 "Red Devil": https://www.blitz-motorcycles.com/bikes/yamaha-500-sr-red-devil.html
Hugo's personal bike, BMW with a "Toaster Tank": https://www.blitz-motorcycles.com/bikes/bmw-r807-solo-seat.html
A BMW R100/7: https://www.ratherberiding.co.za/more-blitz-goodness-bmw-r1007-street-tracker/
TW125 built for Edwin Jeans: https://www.ratherberiding.co.za/blitzs-tw125-stealth/
Yamaha SR500 XR750 replica Flat Tracker: https://www.blitz-motorcycles.com/bikes/yamaha-500-sr-dirt-track.html

Which brings me to their latest bike, a gorgeous (in my opinion) BMW R60 with a chrome BSA tank on it, built for an Englishman living in Paris. Again it's drawn much criticism from keyboard cowboys on BikeEXIF, but that aside Fred, and the owner (who went as far as to comment himself) are very happy with it.

Read more: https://www.bikeexif.com/blitz-motorcycles

The style they've developed is clearly becoming recognisable as theirs, and they're certainly standing apart from other great garages such as Deus Ex Machina or Wrenchmonkees... what are your thoughts? Do you love or hate these bikes?

Discuss  :deal:

 

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