Any mechanic will tell you: if you’re customizing an old bike, first make it work, then make it pretty. But if you’re working with a modern classic like the BMW R nineT, you can skip the first step.
The R nineT is still a youngster and you’ll likely be working with a low mileage example?so there’s no need to worry about the motor. And with good suspension and brakes out the box, upgrades are optional.

But if you dig really deep, you’ll run into the necessary evil that plagues all contemporary machines: electronics. It takes a lot of wires to make bikes run as great as they do these days, while still complying with ever-tightening Euro 4 standards. You’ll need to have your wits about you if you’re going to move things around?as Jane Motorcycles discovered, when they tore into this 2015-model R nineT. Jane Motorcycles is a stylish apparel, gear, coffee and custom moto shop in the heart of Brooklyn, New York. They turn out about four or five ground-up customs a year. This brawny Beemer was an in-house project?but it’s now for sale.

There’s a lot of great detail to take in, but the hardest work here is what’s hidden?namely, a lot of wiring. Once Jane had removed the R nineT’s airbox, they began by moving all the electrical components that used to lurk under the seat, into a new, custom-made ‘shelf’ inside the stock fuel tank.
Surprisingly, that wasn’t the hardest part. Look up top, and you...