VOL. 54 ISSUE 23 JUNE 13, 2017 P91
T
his bike looks good. Really, really,
good. It's one of the only bikes I've
had in the past few months I simply
can't stop looking at, and it's left me feel-
ing perplexed.
I've often been critical of the café
racer/scrambler movement. Unfairly so,
I might add. The scene simply wasn't my
cup o' tea, but the R nineT Racer is mak-
ing me rethink this prejudice and I'm start-
ing to realize I've been a bit of a knob.
That's because the R nineT Racer is
minimalist, sleek and sexy. There are
little style lines everywhere from the
superb stitching on the single seat to the
exposed tubular chassis resplendent in
a Racer-only silver to the analog clocks
with a touch of digital thrown in for the
gear position selector. Then there's
the paradox of the vintage BMW racing
stripes adorning the Racer's bodywork
with a modern single-sided swingarm all
in the same line of sight.
BY RENNIE SCAYSBROOK
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT PALMER, BMW
The perfect
place to show
off your R
nineT Racer:
Cooks Corner
café in SoCal.
BMW'S TAPPING
INTO ITS HERITAGE
LIKE AN '80S COVER
BAND AT A COUGAR
NIGHT. THE LATEST
BIKE TO GET THE
NOSTALGIC TOUCH IS
THE R NINET RACER,
A CUSTOM BIKE
YOU DON'T HAVE TO
CUSTOMIZE.
Time Machine
