All but the fin

When high-tech industrial designer Mehmet first came across the racers of Alp Sungurtekin, he immediately caught the motorbike bug — hook, line, and sinker. After familiarising himself with Alp’s Triumph designs, Mehmet decided to create a concept of his own, combining the Bonneville-winning prowess of BMW with one of the most feared and powerful animals in the world — the great white shark. The concept was both powerful and beautiful, with the front sleek and clean (inclusive of ‘gills’) and the back propelling the bike forwards with all the force of a great white’s muscular tail. Once Mehmet uploaded the Alpha to the internet, it wasn’t long before it made the social media rounds, eventually coming across Mark’s feeds.

As fate had it, Mark was looking for a winter project and decided to bring this concept to life. After many failed attempts to get in touch with Mehmet via social media, Mark started building Alpha. As a motorcycle designer and builder himself, Mark built the engine and chassis with relative ease, but he had reservations and questions when it came to the body. After a last ditch effort to get in touch with Mehmet, he finally responded. They starting working together, with Mahmet sending 3D images of the body from Istanbul and Mark bringing them to life in the United States. Over 16 months later, the Alpha is alive and ready to race. If you find yourself beside this metal carnivore on the start line, be sure to take heed, as it’s bound to have one gnarly bite!  

Photos: Jun Song via Bikeexif / Video: Max Daines