For custom builders, the BMW R nineT is the motorcycling equivalent of Plasticene. It can be pushed and pulled and reshaped in any direction, because it?s easy to take apart: the frame is in four pieces, and the wiring loom is in three pieces.
Since 2013 we?ve catalogued every significant custom R nineT; many of the world?s leading bike modifiers have had a crack at the platform. But we?ve never seen anything quite like this latest build, which comes from Max Ma of 2LOUD.

This R nineT is one of those customs that?s difficult to categorize, and that?s what Max wanted.
?I wanted to redefine R nineT,? he tells us. ?I wanted to break free from the orthodox café racer style, downsize the fuel tank, and find a balance between aggressiveness and harmony.?
Max?s style is a mix of Japanese and Western custom culture. He loves raw metal finishes, uses minimal but effective paint for his bodywork, and imbues his builds with slightly quirky proportions that draw the eye. And his attention to detail is off the scale?at the level of a Mooneyes show winner.

It?s the proportions of this R nineT that hit you first. It?s long and low, with a muscular front end, a blacked-out engine and a classic upkick in the tail loop. As the French would say, it?s jolie laide, or ?beautiful ugly.?
Next to come up on the radar is the low-profile tank. Fashioned from a single sheet of steel, it?s slim, compact and totally devoid of ornamentation or styling creases. Finished in a deep, glossy black,...