Reader Colin Hynard rates his stylish BMW R NineT Racer
Having passed his test at 22, Colin has been mad on bikes since his youth. However, after a brief fling with a Ducati Monster in the 1990s, he was persuaded to give up biking by his parents in exchange for a car. Colin works as a Fleet Manager for Volvo and originally spotted his retro-inspired R NineT Racer at the Geneva Motor Show whilst on a business trip, before purchasing the bike through his local dealership. “I’ve always been a bit of a petrol head,” he said. “I bought my Ducati from a friend who had lost his licence in the early 1990s. He’d been caught speeding and had an original Honda FireBlade and a Ducati Monster. I managed to buy the Monster off him quite cheaply. “I loved the bike, but my parents persuaded me to get rid of it and said they would help me buy a car instead. They thought that I would be safer and I’ve regretted that for the last 30 years! “I’ve always hankered after another motorcycle and now I have one; riding it is my downtime and my relaxation. I can get away from phones and emails.
“I wanted to get back into biking and didn’t feel like I was old enough to join the Harley-Davidson brigade. I also test rode an R1200GS and I thought that was fantastic, but again I didn’t want to be labelled as one of those riders who buys all the matching gear!
“I went to the Geneva Motor Show for work for a new model and I saw the Racer on the BMW stand and you could say it was love at first sight! I went into my local store, Wollaston BMW in Northampton, and said ‘I want to buy one of those Café Racers’ and the salesman said ‘No you don’t. They’re very uncomfortable, sir. I think you need to test ride one first.’
“I said that I’d already ridden one at another dealer and absolutely loved it. He insisted I ride it for longer than a quick demo, because he didn’t want me to come back in a month’s time complaining of wrist, back or knee ache! “Coming from the car industry, I’m so used to diesel engines with low-down torque and I just love the seamless power delivery that the boxer engine has. Being tall, I also don’t mind the leaned over riding position with a reach to the bars.”
miles 0
“I had the Akrapovic exhaust fitted when I bought the bike because the original BMW I had looked at had this pipe installed. I’m definitely an auditory type of person, the pipe just seems to lift the bike from the mainstream. You get the bangs and the pops on the overrun, too. “It’s a very customisable bike and I’ve been to the Bike Shed in London to look at all of the different things I could do to it. I now need to decide which route and direction I actually want to go in with it.”
miles 500
“I dropped the bike, due to it having a very, very short stand. I took it to Matlock to meet some friends and because of the camber in the road, it just laid down. I
‘It’s all about getting out and enjoying myself’
miles 600
“I think the initial run-in period lasted for around 600 miles. It’s £100 for the first check and includes the first oil change. Besides that, they literally just tighten everything down. You could do that 600 miles in a weekend if you really wanted to, but it ended up taking me a month. “The rules stated a rev cap of 4000rpm which means I had to ride like a nun! I stuck to those rules because I plan to keep it long-term. “It’s quite a torquey engine, so the rev cap didn’t stop me having fun and 600 miles is a good amount of distance to get to know the bike, without taking any risks.”
miles 1000
“The bike uses a litre of oil every 1000 miles. I’ve spoken to people who have got GSs and apparently engines like this do use oil. I also noticed a problem with false neutrals and getting it into first at traffic lights. The only way to get around it is by rocking it either a couple of inches forward or back.”
miles 1500
“When I went to buy the bike, the salesman was adamant that I didn’t want one of these, but he was probably a good foot shorter than me and I think if you are constantly in that racing position, then it will get uncomfortable. But I’ve got long arms and I find it very, very comfy.”
miles 2000
“The Metzelers are fantastic in the rain and I haven’t changed them yet. I think when you buy a bike, you expect the manufacturers to put on something that is good for that style of bike and style of riding. I tend to let the bike warm up for a few miles before I start pushing things too hard. They’re not soft rubber racing tyres, but they are more than adequate for the performance.”
miles 3000
“I’m looking forward to my first full season of riding this year. Last year was spasmodic. It was about taking it slowly. This year is all about getting out and enjoying myself. I’d like to look at installing a tail tidy to clean up the lines of the bike a bit. I went to the Bike Shed in London and there’s a whole raft of things you can do with them.”