When BMW Motorrad issued the R nineT back in 2014, it was to tap into the trend for modern-retro motorcycles, and was designed from the outset as a customiser’s machine. Italian outfit Luismoto, based in Pisa, has taken the R nineT and basically shaved 50 kg off the base machine, resulting in the “Saline”.
In this case, Saline does not refer to a salt solution, but the Tuscan hill climb race that originates in the town of Saline and ends in Volterra, also known as the Volterra Race Cup. This was where many Italian race racers’ careers started, including Leandro Becheroni, Fabio Bilotti, Pierluigi Conforti and Lorenzo Ghiselli.
For the BMW Motorrad R nineT, LuisMoto eschewed the current cafe racer ethos much popularised by British motorcycles, and characterised by the Triumph Thruxton R. Dismissing them as bar-room bikes and built only for show, LuisMoto said that, “Italians have always preferred to use our toys to compete and have fun both on the track on the steps of the mountain.”
The first thing LuisMoto did with Saline was to put it on a diet, cutting off 50 kg from the stock machine’s 222 kg. This involved the extensive use of billet aluminium, including machined triple crowns, adjustable footrests and handlebars.
Alpina aluminium alloy wheels – the rear takes a 200 width tyre – were installed, and the front grille, designed in the fashion of BMW’s famous “kidney” grille of the 70s, takes pride of place in the front screen cowl. Just behind the grille is found a pair of headlights, one beam each for high and low.
Inside the cockpit, a Motogadget instrument panel replaces the analogue clocks on the original R nineT, while the LED LuisMoto logo just inside the windscreen also controls a BMW logo puddle light. The original airbag has been removed, replaced with a pair of pod filters fitted over the standard throttle bodies.
A gaping hole under the sear where the battery once resided is prominent, with the battery itself moved under the fuel tank. The seat is now a solo affair, upholstered in black leather, with the rear seat cowl featuring a single row of LEDs that double up as tail- and signal-lights.
The rear sub-frame underwent extensive hacking, and the cowl is machined from aluminium, again in a quest to save weight. Billet aluminium is also machined from aluminium, replacing the stocker’s steel unit, with the air intake replaced by a new casing in the same material, painted black.
Extensive use of aluminium as a build material extends to the machined rear brake reservoir, topped with a machined aluminium cap. Even the BMW roundels on either side of the fuel tank are aluminium.
A bright red coachline ties the fuel tank and rear seat cowl together, following the line of Saline’s frame. The convoluted two-into-one exhaust exits just under the front of the engine, and with no exhaust can in sight, we assume must be terrifying loud.
There was no pricing from LuisMoto on its website, but it welcomes enquiries for commissioned builds. When we reviewed the R nineT early last year, we loved its 1,200 cc boxer-engine, but were a little underwhelmed the handling and general specification. In the case of LuisMoto’s Saline, there is suddenly a lot to like.
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Common guys, don’t tell me U are not captivated by the girl at least !! I know there is nothing good to talk about the bike unless U are a BMW Motorrad/Bike enthusiast. At least commenting something la. Otherwise PT/Mohan may have to put a Monkey next time.
Green hair and look like lizard lol.
that front looks like mickey mouse eye ^^