Anyone who’s ever built something will tell you that inspiration can come from the strangest places. In the motorcycle world, it could be a headlight bucket, paint chip or a set of old bias ply tires. For builder Bret Crandell it was something as simple as a 1977 Florida State Inspection sticker that set the tone for his 1966 BMW R50/2 build. While he sought to honor the life his project bike had already lived, the barn-find Beemer proved to be the perfect canvas for a few of his racier ideas as well.
Bret hails from Flint, Michigan, which he affectionately calls ‘a post-industrial wasteland city,’ and, he recently quit his full-time gig at Chrysler to pursue his passion. His business is Obsessive Compulsive Design, specializing in the development and manufacture of custom motorcycle parts.…