Source: Bike Bound
[[{“value”:”Italian Army veteran builds a burly tribute to Operation IBIS…
In 1992, a multinational force was established to assist and secure humanitarian relief efforts in Somalia, which had been wracked by civil war, famine, and disease. Known as UNITAF or Operation Restore Hope, the mission involved troops from 24 different countries.
The Italian contingent, known as ITALFOR-IBIS or Operation IBIS, would represent the largest Italian military logistical effort since World War Two, involving the Folgore Parachute Brigade, 132nd Armoured Brigade Ariete, and many support units from the Italian Army, Navy, and Air Force — around 2600 Italian soldiers and paratroopers.
The Battle of Mogadishu in October 1993, as portrayed in Black Hawk Down, is the most well-known battle from this time, but Italian forces would be heavily involved in other skirmishes, including the Battle of Check Point Pasta earlier the same year. Eleven Italian soldiers wouldn’t return home, along with a Red Cross nurse and two RAI journalists.
The BMW R nineT “IBIS Project” you see here was built to commemorate the 30th anniversary of this Italian peace mission of 1993-94 — an operation in which the owner, Alessandro Gallina, participated with the 132nd Ariete Regiment’s 7th company of tanks in Rome. A few years ago, we featured Alessandro’s collaboration with Remastered Cycle on a custom Yamaha TR1 “Django.”
Yamaha XV1000 TR1 “Django” by Remastered Cycle
For the BMW, Alessandro’s goal was to remodel the nineT with a more muscular and aggressive look without altering the key features that have made the model so popular and successful. He sought to maintain a balanced profile and proper function while incorporating details that recall the tanks and military vehicles present during the operation. Crucial to the vision would be combining 3D-printed covers on satin-finished aluminum parts, bringing together the tradition of hand-craftsmanship with modern techniques for a uniform and design-oriented concept.
Alessandro designed and created the plastic covers with a checkered texture reminiscent of the armor plates that covered the M60 and Abrams battle tanks, an inverted “V” on the tank indicating the Desert Storm coalition, and the number 30 on the side panels to represent the mission’s anniversary, set on a typical yellow military background to indicate the vehicle’s identification number.
Remastered Cycle in Brescia once again helped coordinate the project, and many local companies and professionals participated, utilizing various manufacturing techniques and modern processes such as the CNC-machined yokes and 3D printing for the tank covers, fender, and tail.
The alluminum tail and front fender are entirely crafted by hand and finished with 3D-printed covers, and both bear campaign pins from Operation IBIS.
Perhaps the most significant modification to the bike is the massive 17-inch front wheel with 180/55-17 rubber, which provides a powerful impression without sacrificing ABS or braking power from the big dual discs.
Very distinctive is the “lenticular” disc 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.
The IBIS project also includes the creation of a completely new and exclusive exhaust system by Remastered Cycle, featuring a plastic cover made through 3D printing, carefully mounted on the muffler body after extensive research on suitable plastic materials.
This exhaust system is named GRANFINALE and will be available for all nineT models on the market soon.
Overall, this is one “tank” of a BMW, a bike that would look right at home parked alongside the battle tanks from Alessandro’s old unit — a fitting tribute to the 30th anniversary of the Italian peace mission.
Full Gallery
Follow the Builders
Owner / Designer / Builder: @gallina.alessandro
Workshop: Remastered Cycle (@remasteredcycle)”}]]
