While BMW’s R45 may never have enjoyed the same adulation received by its bigger brethren, it had one very impressive feature in its favour – fuel economy, thanks to the small 473cc, 35 horsepower engine. When you consider long distance, off-road biking – especially in places like Africa where the terrain off the beaten path is nearly inhospitable, and frequent fuel stations are a pipe dream – the two most important aspects that you’d want from your bike are reliability and frugality. And these were exactly the attributes Donovan Muller of Cytech found in the BMW R45.

Cytech Technology was established in 1975 by Donovan’s father, and is one of the oldest motorcycle establishments in South Africa. While they have been running African motorcycle tours for decades, what makes it more interesting is the fact that the company also has a division that applies the know-how and expertise acquired during these incredibly challenging tours to a function-firsbefore-form motorcycle garage based in Johannesburg, South Africa. This particular custom BMW R45 was crafted by Donovan to meet the challenges presented by long range tours in sub-Saharan Africa, a lot of which run to 2000 kilometres in a single day!

After finding a suitable donor, Donovan stripped it down completely, retaining only those parts deemed worthy to withstand abuse. The wheels were powder-coated and the forks rebuilt using Progressive springs, while a PIAA spotlight and Motogadget speedometer replaced the stock items. To attain an optimum balance between fuel efficiency and performance, Donovan bored out the engine to 650cc. New brake discs are accompanied by Brembo callipers and a set of sintered brake pads. The original handlebar controls now sit atop a Renthal handlebar, while the OEM pipes are swapped with a pair of ceramic-coated Supertrapp pieces. Finally, both the frame and subframe were powder-coated for longevity.