The minimalist racing style machine: Ares Design for the BMW R nineT for those with an appetite for retro styling

 

The world of mobility is evolving and, with the demand for personalisation growing, the need for innovative solutions for this ever changing segment is growing.

Whether resurrecting iconic supercars, reimagining classic models from the past with bespoke conversions or offering modern day coach-building techniques to transform customer vehicles Modena-based luxury customization company Ares Design creates one of the finest bespoke luxury cars available today.

ARES DESIGN has applied its engineering know-how to a BMW motorcycle.

Here is a bike for customers who appreciate retro styling for their motorcycle but demand turn-key reliability and all the latest safety equipment.

Many of ARES’s customers will have a bike in the garage and, with the current fashion for retro-styled machinery, ARES DESIGN unveiled a stunning BMW scrambler.

The café racer motorcycle originated among British ’bikers in the 1960s where their steeds were stripped of unnecessary parts to create a minimalist racing style machine. Over 50 years later it’s a style that’s very much in vogue and many ’bikes from the period have been converted to café racer spec. To bring the genre right up to date ARES has based its café racer on the latest BMW R nineT which boasts all the latest safety systems such as ABS and traction control along with vivid performance from its 110PS 1170cc flat-twin.

Thanks to its minimalist styling the BMW R nineT was an ideal candidate for conversion and ARES has designed a new tank cover from carbon fibre which apes the design of the 1960s while the modern seatis replaced by a more traditional unit designed and clad in leather by ARES DESIGN’s leather specialists. In keeping with the 1960s vibe the modern cylinder head covers are replaced by ARES’s freshly designed aluminium units that give the engine a retro look without compromising its modern performance.

The main mechanical change is to convert the R nine T’s central rear spring strut unit to a twin rear strut/damper set up which reflects the period style more closely, while the handlebars are replaced with areprofiled low slung item which is again more in keeping with the café racer style. A new carbon fibre headlight cowling houses the modern headlight but fits the period better while the indicators and rear light have been replaced with smaller retro-styled LED units. Even the switches on the handlebars are replaced with retro-styled items.

“As someone who rides bikes for fun, I can’t get enough of this one. This project was so satisfying even if it was harder than many car projects we’ve undertaken – there’s so much competition in the motorcycle customisation world, we spent a huge amount of time on the front-end development, trying to create something completely different,” commented ARES DESIGN co-founder and CEO, Dany Bahar.

“My co-founder and Executive Chairman, Waleed Al Ghafari, and I have always been very clear that ARES DESIGN is an original-vision design company. We want to create all kinds of so-called ‘boys’ toys’, and definitely not just the four-wheeled variety,” added Bahar.