Looks, performance, personality, a vintage 1930s leather bicycle seat: this one’s got it all.
From St Brooklyn Motorcycles in Saint-Brieuc, Brittany, comes a 1955 BMW Sprint Racer with an impressive implant called “L’Etonnante.” It means “The Astonoshing One.” And we are.
Because it’s not just good looks here. Yes, it’s got brass and rose accents throughout. A hand-shaped tank. Said leather seat. A distinctly polished and minimal chassis. But this Beemer was built to ride. And so it does, like a dream. Produced to compete in 1/8th mile “Sultans of Sprint” drag racing events like the Glemseck 101, this work has a swooped up 1980 1000cc unit that delivers on horsepower but purrs like a kitten. All while maintaining a Sunday stroll feel thanks to a stunning front suspension known as the Earles Fork, a creation of Englishman Ernest Richard George Earles.
Built from the ground up in a barn-come-workshop, L’Etonnante was emblazoned with the number one. We’re inclined to think that was exactly the number she deserved.
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