So, you just bought yourself a brand new BMW R NineT Pure, but notice there are quite a lot of R NineT's on the road. If you wanted to stand out from the crowd, there are many ways to customize your new ride. For those that really want to get noticed, there's a new kit that give the R NineT a pre-war look.
Yes, that's a brand new R NineT. And if you're worried you don't have the skills to make this happen, you're in luck. This “R SevenT” (or Nostalgia) bolt-on kit is offered by Unit Garage in Kamias, Quezon City.
Origins of the kit
The R SevenT and Nostalgia kits are inspired by BMW’s 1934 R7 concept motorcycle. The R7, was designed by Alfred Böning, using Art Deco mathematical geometry as basis for his design.
The BMW R7
The only R7 that was ever built was stored in one of BMW’s warehouses, only to be found 72 years later in 2005. The extensive restoration work was done by Hans Keckeisen and was completed in 2012. The now fully-restored and running R7 went on tour for various European and US bike shows at the time.
It was during one of those shows that the R7 caught the eye of Alex Niznik, designer of the kit. “I was lucky enough to be present for the unveiling on the restored 1934 R7 at Pebble Beach in 2012,” said Niznik.
“There and then, I fell in love with the motorcycle, and made a promise to myself that when I retire in 2015 at the age of 55, I will look into building a motorcycle like that. Finally, I founded Nmoto and began developing the Nostalgia Project to capture that same innovation and breathe new life into a vintage design,” adds Niznik.
At about the same time, BMW Motorrad began introducing the R nineT model, which is a boxer street bike that's customization friendly. That was BMW's intention, with some custom builders using the R nineT model as a blank canvass, ready to be turned into anything they desire.
From custom job to kit
BMW R nineT with the R sevenT kit at Unit Garage (final touches being done)
During its early years, Nmoto offered to customize stock R NineT's into the Art Deco masterpieces themselves. It came with a price tag of US$ 49,500. Now, they are building kits that customers around the world can order, and install themselves at a much more affordable price.
The kit
As mentioned above, the entire 74-piece handmade aluminum kit from Nmoto is simply bolted-on. The kit includes a new gas tank, throttle system, fender mounts, brackets, and wires.
Unit Garage – a BMW lifestyle specialty shop in QC – offers the R SevenT, as well as the Nostalgia kit to R NineT owners who want to stand out. Price starts at PhP 500,000. To know more, visit Unit Garage PH official social media page here.
