Mountain bikes were the first thing that really taught me how to fly through the forest at dangerous speeds, and my two-wheel addiction has never subsided. But walking into the local bicycle shop recently and I was blown away at the cost of the latest, big tyre, trick suspension, and electric-powered machines. They promise some decent speed too, tempting, but then I snapped out of it. Sure those things are better for the physical health, but what really clears the mind is a blast between the trees on two wheels of petrol powered perfection. So, with the weekend upon us, French outfit FCR Original serves up a tasty solution, a BMW R nineT Scrambler to turn your Sunday into endless smiles. Available as a limited production machine, it is very appropriately called ‘Nomad’.
It’s not just the latest mountain bikes that cost a pretty penny, look at getting yourself an old R series BMW, and factor in the cost of converting it into a truly capable scrambler, and you’ve very easily spent new bike money. The price of those old Rs is simply insane, and most will have clocked the odometer at least once. With all of that in mind, the team at FCR knew that if they could put together a range of products to kit out the much newer and more technologically advanced nineT, then they’d be onto a winner.
And with director Sebastien leading the charge and a full-time designer on staff, they’ve formulated a catalogue that has allowed customers to build a BMW with serious fun time credentials. Now they’re taking things to the next level, for those who don’t want to build the bike themselves or don’t possess the necessary skills, FCR Original can build you a turn-key solution and this demonstration model shows you exactly what you get! It all starts with a 2021 BMW R nineT Urban G/S, the perfect candidate for a build to fit the brief.
To get the process started, the team removes the bulky rear subframe section from the bike and fabricates their own shortened rear hoop swap. This is welded onto the factory support and then both are painted black to tie in all into the chassis, rather than have the modular appearance of the stock bike. Next to go on are some parts straight from the company catalogue, in the form of the side plate support brackets and the corresponding mini number plates, which give the bike that real ’60s scrambler feel.
What makes these parts so popular is the fact they can be fitted to a standard R nineT without any cutting of the frame, for a reversible modification. And like all of the components in the catalogue, they are computer designed and have been heavily tested by the lads. To complete the look of the back of the bike, a custom seat pan is fabricated which extends the full length of the subframe. This is then well padded, covered in vintage leather, and stitched up to perfection. An FCR set of peg supports and blacked-out pegs then give an ideal place to park your feet.
A big part of both the look and design criteria was to remove weight and also visually lighten the bike and this begins with the airbox and battery box getting tossed in the bin. An FCR battery box relocates the battery and the design allows for a range of sizes and styles to easily slot in. The rest of the electronics package is further simplified with the use of LED lighting for the tail, which is integrated into the subframe, and the FCR indicators sit on custom fabricated brackets that locate the little lights low on the machine.
To toughen up the appearance of that smooth and torque filled boxer twin, the guys offer a set of blacked out rocker covers, which help to give the lump the imposing presence that it deserves. The rest of the engine is blacked out to match and then a set of big breathing K&N air filters slot onto the throttle bodies with FCR adaptors. To elicit more horsepower the team then fit one of their very special full exhaust systems, that has been designed and built in-house to the highest of standards. Manufactured entirely from stainless steel to ensure years of longevity, it looks as mean as hell finished in black.
Speaking of mean looks, the factory BMW headlight surround stays in place but is toughened up for hard terrain with a new steel grill. A set of FCR handlebars have been developed and fitted up to let the rider really wrestle the beast and a bunch of new grip is wrapped around the spoked rims in the form of Continental TKC80 tyres.
The final step of the build will have customer input before FCR painter Mavrick wields his wand, and for the original ‘Nomad’ the gorgeous green, with alpine white two-tone and black pinstripes gives an absolutely beautiful finishing touch. The mountain bikes will have to wait for another day, FCR has made it too tempting to fill the forest with the sound of petrol powered fun.
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