Some of the best motorcycles are never really finished. They evolve alongside the people who build them, absorbing every new idea, every hard-earned lesson and every late-night breakthrough along the way. Pier City Customs’ BMW R nineT is the perfect example. We first featured the bike back in 2017 as a black flat tracker that announced the British workshop’s arrival with all the subtlety of a knockout punch. Nearly a decade later, it returns wearing shimmering metallic blue paint, gold wheels and the name Étaín, a figure from Irish mythology renowned for transformation and rebirth. Few motorcycles have ever earned their name quite so completely.
Long before Pier City Custom became a recognised name in the BMW world, this Gen 1 R nineT was simply the dealer demonstrator, where founders Rory and Stu worked and spent countless after-hours sessions chasing a dream. In a freezing workshop corner, armed with little more than determination and basic tools, they developed the original airbox removal kit and battery box that would become the foundation of the PCC catalogue. The plan was simple: build quality parts for fellow enthusiasts. Looking back now, with an international customer base and a thriving workshop, it’s remarkable to think it all started with this one motorcycle.
When the pair bought the bike from the dealership, they weren’t interested in building another café racer. Instead, they imagined a flat track-inspired R nineT unlike anything else on the road. Bespoke 19-inch wheels built around GS hubs, slick bodywork and countless hours of fabrication transformed BMW’s retro roadster into something genuinely original. It was the bike that introduced Pier City Custom to the wider world, earning a feature right here on Pipeburn and proving the fledgling workshop could compete with the very best builders on the international stage.
But unlike most customs, Étaín’s story didn’t end once the cameras stopped clicking. The flat tracker gave way to a dedicated track machine as PCC turned its attention towards developing performance products. Rapid Bike electronics, upgraded suspension, tubeless R1200RT wheels and sticky race rubber allowed the boxer twin to demonstrate just how capable the platform really was. It wasn’t simply another workshop experiment either. The bike collected silverware at the Bike Shed Café Racer Cup, finishing second in the main race before taking victory in the Champions Race. Every lap added another layer of credibility to the parts PCC was producing.
As newer development bikes entered the workshop, the faithful R nineT eventually found itself sitting on the sidelines. That changed when Alex joined the Pier City team. Realising his Triumph no longer suited life inside one of Britain’s leading BMW custom houses, he happily took ownership of the machine that had started it all. Over the next eighteen months, he carefully guided the bike through its latest transformation, retaining everything that made it special while refining it into the elegant roadster you see here today.
Gone is the purposeful aggression of the flat tracker, replaced by a far more sophisticated silhouette. The deep metallic blue paint gives the tank an almost liquid appearance, beautifully contrasted by gold wheels and matching top-tier suspension all round, elevating the entire build. A Bates-style LED headlight, MotoGadget instrumentation and mirrors, PCC’s signature components, upgraded brakes and a beautifully crafted exhaust system all work together to make the bike better in every single way. Nothing feels added for the sake of it. Instead, every component reflects nearly a decade of accumulated knowledge, resulting in a motorcycle that could easily be mistaken for a limited-production factory concept.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Étaín isn’t how it looks, but how it’s used. Since taking ownership, Alex has covered more than 7,000 miles across England, Wales, France and over the Alps, turning what could have become a static showpiece into the ultimate proving ground. Every European tour, every mountain pass and every weekend ride validates the countless hours of product development invested into the machine. It also reinforces one of Pier City Customs’ core philosophies: beautiful parts mean very little unless they’re engineered to survive real-world riding.
That’s what makes Étaín so much more than another custom BMW. It’s the motorcycle that launched a company, introduced the world to its craftsmanship, proved its engineering on the racetrack and now continues to showcase its products exactly as they were intended, out on the open road. In Irish mythology, Étaín’s gift was transformation through rebirth. After living as a development mule, a Pipeburn-featured flat tracker, a race winner and now an accomplished grand tourer, it’s hard to imagine a more fitting name for the motorcycle that has grown alongside Pier City Custom every step of the way.
[ Pier City Custom ]