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A spectacular bike that tops our list of best R Nine T scrambler custom builds.
Great designs usually have a good story behind them, and this gorgeous scrambler is no exception. Completed by Swiss workshop VTR Customs, this Nine T Scrambler custom bike complements a vintage vibe with an exquisite build. VTR Customs owner Dani Weidmann has drawn inspiration from his own past for the bike’s concept. More specifically, from his apprenticeship as a teenager and the moment he fell in love with Métisse bikes. This build celebrates the character of desert sleds, adapting the name to include the BMW R Nine T starter bike. “Bétisse” references the classic Métisse style with both vintage and high-end racing-style design cues.
While the visual concept didn’t require tweaking, the build pushed the team to find solutions to various challenges. Unlike the fiberglass body of the original, the BMW R Nine T scrambler custom “Bétisse” needed to have VTR Custom-preferred aluminum parts. The team completed several handmade components, including the tank, seat fairing, and tail. To keep a clear line from front to back, the workshop built a new subframe over NineT’s frame. The new subframe also allowed the team to keep the bike street legal in Switzerland.
Black alloy covers now keep the air intake and wiring hidden, for a cleaner look. The custom, ready-to-race exhaust system now features a modified Akrapovič muffler and link pipe, with a street legal Hattech option also provided. Other features include Wilbers shock and forks with a 7 cm lift, Renthal MX Black Line bars, a 60s-inspired headlight, LED tail light, and accessories from BMW’s Option 719 kit.
In terms of color, Bétisse shines thanks to gold wheels, baby blue paint, polished alloy details, and gold detailing. To recreate the original’s nickel effect, the workshop used an ingenious nickel powder-coating technique which preserves the structural integrity of the frame and thus makes the bike legal to ride on Swiss roads. A handmade leather seat completes the build.
And the result? A Nine T Scrambler custom build fit for the most famous fan of Métisse bikes, “The King of Cool” Steve McQueen. On a final note, “Bétisse” is truly one-of-a-kind and will remain that way. VTR Customs builds every motorcycle as a unique, bespoke build and never makes a design twice. The team also crafts all the necessary parts in-house as one-off, custom components. Which means that you can’t buy conversion kits or parts from the workshop, but you can definitely get in touch with the team to plan your own gem on two wheels. Photographs© Marc Holstein, VTR Customs.
