Antoine Meister began tinkering with motorcycles when he still lived with his parents, spurred on by his father’s love of the two-wheeled life. Before finishing his studies, the Swiss artisan was already taking orders for complete builds from his friends and acquaintances. Heck, the very first fully-fledged project he undertook found an interested customer before it was even finished, so Antoine is clearly something of an overachiever.
It didn’t take long for him to realize that he was onto something, and that’s what eventually led him to establish his own customization outfit in Geneva. The shop goes by the name of Meister Engineering, operating as a two-man endeavor formed of Antoine and his teammate Adrien. Now, the fact that Meister’s bikes are road-legal might not seem like a big deal, but it is in fact a pretty rare occurrence over in Switzerland.
The country has some of the strictest homologation laws in Europe, with even the slightest modification requiring approval from the Dynamic Test Center (DTC). It should go without saying that it’s no easy process, yet Meister Engineering has all the necessary certifications to keep the authorities happy. Although this means that certain DTC-approved parts are often reused, the lads go to great lengths to avoid repetition.
It doesn’t hurt to occasionally borrow design elements from past builds, though, and the handsome R nineT we’re about to inspect is an excellent case in point. The aim here was to build a similar machine to one of the shop’s older BMW projects, which was based on a 1977-model R100S. Meister sought to once again make a stylish cafe racer, this time ditching the vintage airhead platform in favor of the modern nineT.
To be more exact, they used a 2014 variant purchased from a guy in Zurich. The Beemer is Antoine’s personal ride, and he took it on several trips around Switzerland before the customization commenced. Once he’d seen enough of the motorcycle in stock form, a digital rendering was created to get a better idea of how the transformation process would unfold.
Photo: Meister Engineering
Motorrad’s boxer was then taken apart, and items such as the stock suspension, wheels, and bodywork got sent straight to the parts bin. The original subframe is gone, too, making way for a handmade alternative which creates a level, cafe-worthy bone line. You’ll see a bright LED lighting strip integrated into the rearmost portion of the tubing, and the entire frame is now draped in a lustrous layer of chrome plating.
The swingarm has also been chromed to match, but the best part of Meister’s custom treatment was yet to come. It eventually did so in the form of a new outfit, whose central component is a stunning fuel tank cover topped with a pop-up filler cap. Behind it lies a minimalistic tail section and an equally plain, thin solo saddle. We notice a bikini fairing occupying the front end, and there are no fenders to speak of on this caffeinated R nineT.
All the bodywork components were shaped out of fiberglass, helping the Swiss duo achieve a considerable weight reduction. Front-end lighting comes by way of a premium LED headlamp, which is seamlessly recessed into the bikini fairing we’ve mentioned earlier. The bike’s suspension was treated to an extensive makeover, as well, receiving a full suite of Blackline goodies from Ohlins.
Photo: Meister Engineering
Up north, there are high-grade inverted forks held in place via CNC-machined triple clamps, while the rear end features an adjustable piggyback monoshock. Antoine also sourced a pair of aftermarket rims, lacing them to the stock wheel hubs and wrapping them in Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SC tires. There’s no mention of any upgraded braking hardware, and the R nineT’s boxer-twin engine remains internally unchanged, too.
The air- and oil-cooled 1,170cc motor did gain a fresh set of valve covers from Roland Sands Design, though, along with DNA pod filters that replace the standard airbox. At the other end of the combustion cycle, you’ll encounter a complete Hot-Rod exhaust system sourced from Mass Moto’s inventory. With these items in place and an ECU remap performed, Meister managed to extract an additional 15 hp at the rear wheel.
As far as the ergonomics are concerned, the motorcycle wears CNC-milled rearsets down on the flanks and clip-on handlebars up in the cockpit. The clip-ons are in turn equipped with compact switchgear, Rizoma fluid reservoirs, and retro-looking rubber grips. We still find the OEM gauge cluster, but it’s been repositioned in order to sit as close to the fairing as possible.
Lastly, the creature’s bodywork was finished in a stealthy coat of gloss-black, which is joined by white fuel tank graphics depicting Meister’s logo. Around 300 man-hours are said to have been spent on this overhaul, and the nineT cafe racer is currently for sale on the firm’s official website. You’ll need something of a small fortune to make it your own, however, because it’s priced at a cool 59,000 CHF or $66k as per current exchange rates.
A bit of an artist himself, Silvian sees two- and four-wheeled machines as a form of art, especially restomods and custom rides. Oh, and if you come across a cafe racer article on our website, it’s most likely his doing. Full profile
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