Photo: Douglas Sonders via Pipeburn
Residing in New York, Douglas Sonders is the sort of guy who loves to challenge himself even when he’s relaxing after a long day at work. He’s an accomplished photographer and businessman by trade, but motorcycle customization is what he will often indulge in afterhours. The bike you’re seeing here is Douglas’ latest build and daily rider, clearly based on the acclaimed R nineT platform from BMW.
Given how well it was put together, it’s virtually impossible to tell that we’re looking at an amateur project as opposed to one built by professionals. To achieve this, Douglas teamed up with a close friend and skilled fabricator by the name of Tim Harney, who was more than happy to lend his expertise. Once the BMW had been taken apart, the transformation began with a nice bit of bodywork fabrication.
Starting at the front, we notice an angular headlight housing where the R nineT’s round lens had once been. It encases a collection of vertically mounted LED lighting items, completely altering the motorcycle’s appearance up north. A custom front fender can be seen lower down, and there is a lot going on at the rear end, as well.
Tim fashioned a gorgeous tail unit echoing the design of the headlight shroud, but the new leather saddle came courtesy of McCoy’s Upholstery. A bright LED lighting strip rounds out the modifications in that area, while the license plate is now located down low on a swingarm-mounted bracket. Although the Beemer’s belly pan looks like a one-off, it is actually an aftermarket part shipped from Taiwan.
The only piece of factory bodywork still present here is the unmistakable R nineT fuel tank, but it’s been stripped of all the paint, given a brushed finish, and wrapped in a shiny layer of clear coat. Douglas Sonders also did away with the stock BMW roundels, replacing them with a stylish pair of bespoke badges made from scratch. Now, let’s talk about the chassis mods performed here.
Gone are the donor’s stock wheels, making room for a gorgeous set of forged aluminum items cloaked in Michelin rubber. The rear suspension has been upgraded, as well, now employing a fully-adjustable shock absorber from Ohlins’ catalog. In and around the cockpit area, we’re greeted by fresh triple clamps, a Motogadget Motoscope Pro dial, and clip-on handlebars with Puig bar-end mirrors.
As for the powertrain mods, they mostly consist of some fresh breathing equipment. Air flows in through a premium intake system from Pier City Custom, and there’s a pie-cut titanium exhaust at the other end of the combustion cycle. The ECU was remapped to optimize fueling for these new components, while a pair of unpainted alloy valve covers bring the whole package full circle.
Starting at the front, we notice an angular headlight housing where the R nineT’s round lens had once been. It encases a collection of vertically mounted LED lighting items, completely altering the motorcycle’s appearance up north. A custom front fender can be seen lower down, and there is a lot going on at the rear end, as well.
Tim fashioned a gorgeous tail unit echoing the design of the headlight shroud, but the new leather saddle came courtesy of McCoy’s Upholstery. A bright LED lighting strip rounds out the modifications in that area, while the license plate is now located down low on a swingarm-mounted bracket. Although the Beemer’s belly pan looks like a one-off, it is actually an aftermarket part shipped from Taiwan.
The only piece of factory bodywork still present here is the unmistakable R nineT fuel tank, but it’s been stripped of all the paint, given a brushed finish, and wrapped in a shiny layer of clear coat. Douglas Sonders also did away with the stock BMW roundels, replacing them with a stylish pair of bespoke badges made from scratch. Now, let’s talk about the chassis mods performed here.
Gone are the donor’s stock wheels, making room for a gorgeous set of forged aluminum items cloaked in Michelin rubber. The rear suspension has been upgraded, as well, now employing a fully-adjustable shock absorber from Ohlins’ catalog. In and around the cockpit area, we’re greeted by fresh triple clamps, a Motogadget Motoscope Pro dial, and clip-on handlebars with Puig bar-end mirrors.
As for the powertrain mods, they mostly consist of some fresh breathing equipment. Air flows in through a premium intake system from Pier City Custom, and there’s a pie-cut titanium exhaust at the other end of the combustion cycle. The ECU was remapped to optimize fueling for these new components, while a pair of unpainted alloy valve covers bring the whole package full circle.
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