Since BMW launched the R nineT in 2014 we've seen a raft of builders imparting their creativity onto a truly accomplished base model. With such well executed engineering as standard the Beemer doesn't necessarily need a huge overhaul, but tell that to the likes of David Boras, Go Takamine, Frank Augello and Kaichiro Kurosu who really let it rip on the design front with their nineT jaw droppers. There's no doubting those bikes, and a myriad of others, are fantastic examples of all that is great within the custom scene but not everyone wants to ride something so radical, and potentially polarising. Last year Kevils Speed Shop bossman Kev Hill took a break from producing as-new custom airheads and tried his hand at a brand new R nineT. The Rat Tracker was Kev's own ride and his ethos of producing bikes that can be ridden everyday spurred him on to develop a range of parts for customers wanting individualisation without the extreme bills or aesthetics. With used, low mileage bikes turning up on eBay and classified sites for sensible money the Kevils Scrambler kit offers a change to the teutonic and monochrome stock bike without breaking the bank. Obviously Kev needed yet another bike to ride so picked up this 2015 model briefed the guys in the workshop. First job was to send all the silver parts off for a coat of black powder, mainly the pegs, rear brake and gear shift, subframe mount, triple clamps, rocker covers and mudguard bracket. The forks were disassembled and the legs anodised black. A subtle, matt paint job is included in the conversion, the customer just needs to decide on a colour. A seat upholstered in proper leather is also part of the package. The headlight unit is a Kevils in-house design, made from aluminium and comes complete with a halo lamp and Motogadget Motoscope Pro all-in-one speedo. Seeing as those TKC 80 tyres are likely to create quite a rooster tail the guys fabricated a small peak to keep all but the heaviest of deluges at bay. An LED stop light is neatly grafted underneath and the frame tube rails are plugged with super-bright indicators. Rather than market a DIY kit Kevils want to offer light customisation for customers who might be put off by the time consuming and costly process normally associated with having a completely unique bike built. "Our conversion doesn't completely redesign the bike it's all about retaining its usability, personalising it whilst maintaining the ability to carry the other half. Therefore retaining the bike's value and improving what is already a handsome machine. Lots of small changes give the bike a whole different look and feel." See more from the extensive Kevils Speed Shop portfolio on Bike Shed Archive | Facebook | Web | Instagram Images by Rob Grist Photography