It is officially known as UNOSOM I & II. Still, the UN effort to facilitate humanitarian aid and oversee the cease-fire of the civil war in Somalia will always be known to most for the Black Hawk Down incident and subsequent movie. But that time in the 1990s was all too real for some, and Italian Alessandro Gallina served in the 7th Company of the 132nd ‘Ariete’ Tank Regiment, where eleven of his countrymen lost their lives. To honour the 30th anniversary, his brothers in arms and the equipment they used, he dreamt up a custom bike to serve as a fitting tribute. With the help of Remastered Cycle in Brescia, they’ve turned a BMW R nineT into a two-wheeled warrior of war ready to rumble down any street.
Having served in an Armoured Division, it made complete sense that the tank would act as a big inspiration for Alessandro. “My goal was to remodel this fantastic BMW R nineT with a muscular and aggressive look without altering the key features that have made this motorcycle so famous and successful, such as the side air intake and fuel tank geometry. At the same time, the project had to maintain a balance and elegant profile, incorporating many small details reminiscent of the military and tanks present during that mission.”
Italy’s involvement in the United Nation’s mission was known as ITALFOR-IBIS, so as he began to put pen to paper to design this incredible beast, Alessandro nicknamed the project ‘IBIS’. Although the build was coordinated by Remastered Cycle, many companies and individuals were more than happy to get involved and offer their skills, to not only bring Alessandro’s dream to life but to honour all those who served in Somalia. But creativity alone won’t give the impact of a tank, for that, only size would do. And the tyres are now an insane size, measuring 180/55-17 front and rear, and wear the super aggressive tread of the TKC80.
These are obviously not a bolt-on proposition, so the front end first had to undergo some serious transformation. To get the width they needed, the crew designed a new axle and set of triple trees, the bottom piece of which is now a massive 4-bolt unit. A new wheel was laced up for the job and the ABS and steering damper have cleverly been retained. At the rear end, “a very distinctive lenticular disc was made through 3D printing, composed of 15 pieces joined with a screw system applied to the rear wheel, giving a powerful appearance reminiscent of the tracked drive wheel of the M60 tank from that era.”
As the big wheels keep on turning, this piece of Italian pride now needed the rest of the look to come together and it has been done with both the latest in tech and some old-school skills. Over the top of the modified subframe, the tailpiece is really worth appreciating, with endless hours of hand shaping going into creating the incredible piece. The brushed aluminium not only has beautiful lines, but the way elements like the round taillight are incorporated gives a seriously impressive finish. The rear number boards are made in the same manner and float over the tail thanks to a set of custom mounts.
These pieces of raw alloy are all finished in a satin clear, before it was Alessandro’s idea to top them with 3D-printed covers. For the side panels, this meant creating a 30th-anniversary logo over a yellow background, as is the Italian method of presenting a vehicle’s identification number. The fuel tank and custom front fender were then given a matching sand and clear satin finish before Alessandro got to work on designing more 3D covers. “I created the plastic covers of the motorcycle with a checkered texture reminiscent of the anti-tank plates that covered the M60 and Abrams tanks and inverted “V” on the tank indicating the Desert Storm coalition.”
To help complete the imposing front-on look, the headlight bucket has been swapped out for one that fits tight against the new triple trees and then is topped with a custom black cowl. Inside the bucket sits a very modern LED headlight and the big factory indicators have been ditched in favour of tiny items with clear lenses, that fade into the background until they’re illuminated. Such a beefy bike needs a big set of bars, and the new risers sport a tough set of Rizoma flat bars in black, with new bar end mirrors given the call-up. To complete the look, a Diavel-style number plate holder is added and the seat is stunningly finished in a combination of leather and Alcantara.
Of course, a bike this imposing would look a little silly with the stock exhaust system, and the Remastered team decided this was a great chance to build and produce an item they could sell online. “It features a plastic coating made through 3D printing, carefully mounted on the muffler body after extensive research on suitable plastic materials.” Named ‘GRANFINALE’, the stainless pipes look a treat and bark their rumble out of a serious set of outturned oval tips. To add to the muscular nature of the engine package, a black bash plate and crash bars were also bolted on.
The bike is as badass as any BMW will get, with the attitude and appearance of a tank and most importantly, a fitting tribute to tough and often tragic times.
[ Remastered Cycles | Alessandro Gallina | Photography by Andrea Cavaglieri ]