The BMW R nineT, a nod to the classic BMW boxers, merges timeless design with contemporary technology. Customizers find themselves at a crossroads with this model: enhance its vintage allure or embrace its modern foundations. Shawn Yang, based in China, decisively chose the latter path for his café racer project.
Shawn has been modifying his R nineT for the past five years, focusing primarily on the external aspects of the motorcycle. His efforts have centered around creating and testing bolt-on parts and kits for fellow nineT enthusiasts. This has resulted in a motorcycle that not only looks impressive but also serves as a showcase for advanced 3D-printed components. These enhancements contribute significantly to the bike’s performance, positioning it among the top performers in its class for speed and agility.
The project gained momentum when Shawn teamed up with Trevor Dyment, an industrial designer from Formlabs. Their collaboration spanned continents, using the internet to bridge the gap between China and the USA. Shawn shared, “The main goal was to create a café racer that looks futuristic, streamlined, and delivers exceptional street performance, using my beloved BMW R nineT as the foundation.”
Shawn’s bike, nicknamed ‘The Futurist,’ features unique components produced using four different 3D printing methods. Transparent parts were crafted through stereolithography (SLA), medium-sized nylon parts via HP’s multi-jet fusion (MJF), and larger nylon pieces through selective laser sintering (SLS). Components close to the engine, like the innovative ‘wings’ along the tank’s base, were made using fused deposition modeling (FDM) with PAHT-CF, a high-temperature, carbon-fiber-reinforced polyamide.
These ‘wings’ replace the standard air intake and trim, and are the only parts left in their raw, printed state, highlighting the cutting-edge technology used in their creation. The bike’s front features a 3D-printed fender designed to conceal all fasteners, enhancing the bike’s sleek look. Above it, a custom headlight nacelle sports a transparent face, with an LED light that seems to hover in front of the forks.
The control area features a CNC-machined top yoke and tasteful clip-ons, with a compact Motogadget speedo and an LED warning light strip. Brembo components enhance the braking system, complemented by unique fluid reservoirs still in the prototype phase, inspired by BMW’s Vision DC concept.
Maintaining the nineT’s original fuel tank, Shawn has added custom touches like a Rizoma fuel cap and specially designed aluminum roundels. These enhancements are a tribute to BMW’s centennial, incorporating twelve crafted grooves around the cap’s outer ring.
The bike’s tail section is neatly finished with a 3D-printed cover that flows into a finned area, housing discrete Rizoma taillight and turn signals. Electrical components, typically under the seat, are now cleverly tucked under the tank and within the new wings, optimizing space and improving the bike’s lines.
Performance upgrades include Öhlins suspension components and Brembo brakes, ensuring the café racer excels in both urban settings and on open roads. The lightweight, forged alloy wheels draw inspiration from the BMW HP2 Sport, and a robust exhaust from G&G Bike rounds out the modifications.
With the bike’s completion, Shawn plans to produce some of these bespoke parts for other enthusiasts, enabling more riders to enjoy a similar blend of retro and modern on their own BMW R nineT café racers.
