Boxed Burgundy A Custom Bmw R12 Ninet From Poland

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Motorcycle dealer build-offs are a great way for brands to showcase their bikes, and for bike dealers to flex their customization muscles. But there’s a catch. Once the competition is over, those dealers often need to sell the bikes they built to recoup costs—so it pays to balance style and usability.
This BMW R12 nineT street tracker rides that line deftly. It was built by Unikat Motorworks for their local BMW dealership in Wrocław, as part of BMW Poland’s custom build contest. Even though the workshop had free rein on the project, practicality was always front of mind.

“This is a pure custom build—one that’s visually striking, but also remains highly functional,” says Unikat co-owner, Michał Pamuła. “And we think that’s an often overlooked advantage in the world of competition customs, where bikes need to find new homes after the contest—and continue to bring joy, not just from their looks.”
Unikat has built a handful of BMW R nineT customs in the past, so they relished the opportunity to take a crack at the newer BMW R12 nineT. Under the leadership of their newly-appointed creative director, Jakub Sypuła, the crew bounced between the typical scrambler and café racer styles before settling on something entirely different.

“One concept had been sitting in the back of our minds for a while,” Michał tells us. “An older R nineT build transformed into a hooligan-style tracker by VTR Customs, ‘Eddie 21,’ was a big inspiration. That was the spark behind this direction.”
“We wanted something raw and rebellious, yet with the refined character that defines Unikat Motorworks.”

The new BMW R12 nineT sports a neater fly line than its predecessor, which played nicely into Jakub’s vision for the bike. Unikat retained the OEM fuel tank, but ditched the rest of the bodywork and unbolted the stock subframe. A bespoke subframe now supports an off-the-shelf flat tracker tailpiece from Saddlemen.
The changes went deeper than just a seat swap though. Unikat treated the tailpiece to fresh upholstery, complete with a contrasting stitching pattern that creates a sports car vibe. They also fabricated a blank-off plate to seal the back end of the tail—and to host a pair of three-in-one Motogadget LEDs.

The new subframe and tail section also include accommodations for removable luggage racks from SW-Motech. The luggage racks use a quick-release system, so that the rider can swap between panniers and a pair of flat track-style number boards in seconds. (The luggage racks can also be removable entirely with minimal fuss, for a cleaner aesthetic.)
Moving to the front, Unikat was faced with the challenge of designing a front fender that wouldn’t ruin the minimalist vibe that they were trying to sculpt. They settled on a cut-back design, mimicking the sculpted feel of the tail while drawing inspiration from the Husqvarna Svartpilen and Vitpilen.

Sitting above the fender is a handmade headlight nacelle, equipped with a pair of stacked Highsider LED headlights. BMW offers two different speedo designs for the R12 nineT; Unikat opted for the discreet rectangular option, tucking it away behind the headlight shroud. Further back, you’ll find a set of swept-back tracker handlebars, kitted with Highsider mirrors and Motogadget bar-end turn signals.
Other modifications include an airbox delete, and a belligerent little muffler that sits on the stock headers. In a bid to reduce the number of plastic bits on the bike, Unikat also created aluminum radiator guards with built-in winglets to add a little aero flair. Pirelli MT60 tires offer dirt track looks with decent road grip, while a side-mounted license plate bracket keeps things legal.

Stylistically, Unikat hit the perfect balance of sass and sensibility with this BMW R12 nineT—and that counts double for its tasteful color scheme. “While it may have been tempting to plaster the bike in sponsor logos and go with a full race livery, we went in the opposite direction,” says Michał. “We chose a very classic and elegant color from the BMW Individual [BMW’s in-house automotive customization program] palette—P78 Burgund Red Pearl Metallic.”
Unikat augmented the deep red base with a handful of perfectly placed gold accents. Then they went deeper, powder-coating a bunch of the R12’s hard parts in a metal-flake grey affair; a subtle reworking of the original grey finish on the valve covers. Black ceramic coating on the exhaust system helps it blend into the design.

Since the BMW R12 nineT is still a fresh face on the scene, we haven’t seen it customized en masse yet. But Unikat has set the bar high with this suave street tracker.
It’s luxe without being pretentious—and it’s going to be tough to beat when the BMW build-off finals roll around.
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