R Nine T Custom Project

Similar to what Yamaha did with the relaunch of the infamous SR400, BMW has also come to realise the influence custom builders are having on the motorcycle market. This time BMW are utilising their latest creation the R nineT Motard as the blank canvas. This model was released in late 2013 and four of the most respected custom shops in Japan will be given free creative reign to customise it to their hearts content.

The four builders holding back their excitement during the unveiling
The BMW's have been becoming increasingly popular as a custom platform, and the thing about this model from BMW is that one of their main goals was to encourage exactly this. Looking at their website BMW provides a few different formats and aftermarket configurations depending on the look you want to achieve. For example unlike most cosmetic changes that a lot of manufacturers provide, you are able to change the subframe to run with a single seat.

The four builders chosen are all from Japan and are household names in the custom seen. They include Shiro Nakajima (46 Works), Hideya Togashi (Hide Motorcycles), Go Takamine (BratStyle), Kaichiro Kurosu (Cherry's Company).

The completion date for the builds will be around July 2014, and you can keep track of each shop's build via the R nineT Custom Project website or through their YouTube Channel.

The great thing about this project along with the recent one conducted by Yamaha is that these large companies are paying attention to what custom builders are doing. And rightly so, it makes sense for them if they can produce a new bike that would be a suitable base for a custom to increase sales in a slow economy.

The builders are dictating trends at the moment, it's a sway in the opposite direction and a refreshing sight to see.

[All images taken from the R nineT website]