Although the BMW R nineT was originally designed as a throwback to classic BMW boxers, it’s always had a modern edge. That leaves customizers with two options—ramp up the nineT’s retro appeal, or lean into its modern underpinnings. No points for guessing which way Shawn Yang went with this BMW R nineT café racer.
Based in China, Shawn’s been fiddling with his nineT since he bought it five years ago. Most of his experimentation has been outwardly focussed, with the bike used as a test bed to develop bolt-on parts and kits for other nineT owners. So not only does his BMW look slick as heck, but it’s loaded with carefully prototyped 3D-printed parts.
Shawn’s rolling project kicked into high gear when he connected with an industrial designer on the other side of the globe.…