Compiled by Avinash Yadav
Photography: Courtesy MB&F
Read Time: 2 mins
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| Muharremi Brothers ©Jonathan Fenton |
What does it take to create
a product that is hailed as the most
beautiful piece of work? It needs a guiding principle that gives form to simplicity
by eliminating the clutter!
Driven by a common love of
mechanics and motorcycle design, the Muharremi brothers - Bujar and Gazmend - design
two of the most imaginative motorbikes by their British marque Auto Fabrica.
When you set out to achieve
something different, you’re bound have at least a modicum of inspiration.
That’s the case with Muharremi men, who are not just fascinated by expensive
car and bike designs from 1910 to 1980s; but also brands like, Ettore Bugatti
that has inspired them to name their exceptional motorbikes using the word
“Type.”
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| Auto Fabrica's Type 6 & Type 8 bikes ©Julien Brightwell & Jonathan Fenton |
A personal touch in design makes
Auto Fabrica type 6 and type 8 bikes absolutely unique; first hand-sketching the
design and then photo-shopping it to make a virtual bike before the manual labour
of love begins.
The duo strip vintage
motorbikes (‘donor bikes’) to their bare essentials and refit them with their own manufactured parts,
but “hide” as much of the bike’s moving parts as possible so that at the end
only three essential component groups are visible to the observer: the frame
and wheels, the bodywork, and the engine with the exhausts. And to accomplish
this with finesse, the duo has diligently learned vintage manufacturing
techniques of creating hand-made tanks and seats using modern materials for
stability and longevity.
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| Type 6 ©Jonathan Fenton |
So, the Auto Fabrica Type 6
emerges from the remains of a 1979 Yamaha XS650, where the original design idea
was to use the opening as a ram air-inspired intake. However, this became
impossible to achieve without compromising on the restraint of the projected
design. So to create and preserve the simple lines, the tank and seat base are
built as one piece by hand-rolling manually-formed aluminium.
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| Type 6 ©Julien Brightwell |
The engine is rebuilt using
0.5-oversize pistons and Auto Fabrica
manufacture-made stainless steel adds a sleek look to the handlebars, levers,
and fork covers. Moreover, the bare
metal has a matte finish, while castings and aluminium components’ surfaces are
aqua blasted. Type 6 is a perfect example of complexity expressing simplicity.
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| Type 8 ©Jonathan Fenton |
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| Type 8 ©Jonathan Fenton |
Type 8 is a modification of
1981 Honda CX500; its “naked” form had a great organic shape laid over the (now
fully rebuilt) engine, a rarity among 1980s Japanese bikes. This provided them
with some new ideas such as making the hand-formed aluminium tank as an
extension of the frame. The stainless steel exhaust pipes then run high to
provide a unique look to the bike, a detail not without its own challenges. The
Type 8’s main focus is flowing lines. Hence, it is reduced to perfection.
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| ©Jonathan Fenton |
Muharremi brothers prove,
if diamonds are girl’s best friend then motorbikes do take centre stage in a
guy’s heart!
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