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The BMW R nineT Urban G/S brings back the looks of the original 80s adventurer, complete with modern performance and a cracking soundtrack.

“The Urban G/S is a roadster for the sunny days, all about the fun of riding, not distance – and it does fun well!”

The flood of heritage-inspired bikes over the last couple of years has been impossible to ignore whether you’re into the scene or not. And judging by the sales figures, they have attracted an enthusiastic following. From retro café racers to scramblers, the classic looks combined with modern performance, handling and reliability have been a winning formula for almost all of the large manufacturers.

Most of these bikes are based on the 60s classics, such as the hugely successful Bonneville range from Triumph and the family of Scramblers from Ducati. However, BMW’s heritage line, the R nineT range, has a slightly more modern take on retro biking, with a 70s-inspired racer in addition to the base model, a scrambler and the stripped back ‘pure’ version.

With the latest bike in the series, the R nineT Urban G/S, BMW brings the retro scene to the 80s – the Urban G/S is a clear nod to the legendary BMW R 80 G/S, a bike that started the long and successful line of GS dualpurpose adventure bikes for BMW.

There are two versions of the Urban G/S available in the UK, the base model (£10,550) and the X version (£11,185), which gains a chrome exhaust, spoked wheels, heated grips and LED indicators. All of these are available as accessories too, but if you want them all, it’s cheaper to buy the X model in the first place. Both versions only come in white.

Home advantage

It’s quite rare to have a launch test in the UK these days. Most manufacturers opt for the near-guaranteed sun and twisty roads of southern Europe, but BMW UK took a chance on the weather and organised the first ride in Northampton. Not a bad shout as it turned out: the sun was shining, and just as I arrived at our starting point, the Aviator Hotel next to the Sywell Aerodrome, a Spitfire took off from the runway, its V12 Rolls-Royce Merlin engine tearing the sky apart. Not a bad start to a day!

Our test bike was the X model, the one with all the trimmings, and seeing the bike in the flesh, first impressions were very positive. The large boxer engine adds instant character, while the tall seat (850mm), high bars and raised front mudguard, combined with a 19in front wheel, tall suspension (125mm travel at the front, 140mm at the back) and decent ground clearance make it look able and purposeful.

The Dakar styling, spoked wheels and adventure heritage point strongly to the GS family of go-anywhere bikes rather than the R nineT roadsters, but our bikes weren’t equipped with knobbly tyres, so we were bound to the Tarmac roads.

I wondered how I would get on with the tall seat and my 31in legs, but as I sit on the bike the suspension sags enough for me to place both feet on the ground.

Setting off

Starting the engine results in a gentle left-rightleft series of punches from the boxer-twin, and adding revs makes the bike lean slightly to the right. It may be a modern bike but it’s not lost the engine characteristics of the classic configuration. Moving off, the Urban G/S is instantly easy to get on with, simply because

there’s not much to not get on with. No engine modes, traction control setting or fancy displays. The only additions to the usual horn, indicators, lights and start buttons are the trip selector and the ability to switch the ABS off. The dash is equally spartan, with just a single clock housing an analogue speedo and digital trips, odometer, engine temperature and clock. The lack of a tachometer takes a little while to get used to. A couple of times I hit the rev limiter as we are accelerating out of the corners in the Northamptonshire countryside, but riding more sensibly it’s not a problem.

The 1170cc air/oil-cooled twocylinder boxer engine is well- behaved, delivering a decent amount of nicely linear power.

The power figures aren’t mind blowing, with peak power at 108.6bhp (81kW) @ 7750rpm, and torque figures of 85.6ft-lb (116Nm) @ 6000rpm, but that’s enough oomph for a fun, spirited ride on country roads – and more than enough for cities. Of course, with the lack of a rev counter you have to rely on your own judgement to find the sweet spot, but even with the revs low you still have usable power, unless you’re really taking the mickey and crawling in top gear. There’s no gear indicator, so you’re on your own to work out which gear you’re in, but that’s part of the retro spirit, right?

Does it perform?

The gears are slick and slot into place with minimum effort. The only problem I had was that when you push the pedal down to go to first gear, there’s very little feeling as the gear is selected, and a few times I kept stomping on the pedal not sure if I was in gear – as it happens, I was, so it’s just a matter of trusting the sixspeed gearbox.

Both the front brake and clutch levers are span-adjustable, which is a nice touch. You don’t always get that even in bikes whose price tag would suggest that top quality components are being used.

The levers are also fairly light to operate and the brakes work well with four-piston fixed calipers gripping 320mm twin discs at the front and floating two-piston calipers biting into a single 265mm disc at the rear. The ABS is BMW’s own system, which works fine if you slam the brakes on with enough force to lock the wheel.

Flying on fine English B-roads, the bike handles well: the 19in front wheel adds stability, the throttle response is crisp and speed builds up quickly. Overtakes are easy, and the suspension is a pleasant surprise.

I say a surprise because the forks are unadjustable, while the rear shock allows preload and compression adjustment. I often feel that factory suspension settings need a little tinkering with for a better ride experience, but the R nineT Urban G/S feels great straight out of the box. The longish suspension travel helps as the bike glides over the bumpy country roads. If truth be told, I wouldn’t have changed the settings even if that had been an option.

The riding position is a fraction forward leaning from neutral, but with the tall and wide bars and nice big foot pegs, you feel perfectly balanced and planted on the bike. The seat, although thin, is comfortable for an hour or two, but for mega miles a comfort seat might be necessary. Then again, this isn’t a bike designed for long-distance riding. It might have the G/S moniker that’s often synonymous with big trips, but this bike is all about the fun of riding, not distance – and it does fun well.

The fun factor

If the ease of handling and the lively engine alone aren’t enough, the sound from the two-into-one exhaust is sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face. The rich, deep, throaty roar is enough for me to slow down and then accelerate again for no reason other than to hear the engine growl. Getting rid of the baffler would be very simple by just removing a few screws and pulling it out, but I manage to control myself and refrain from getting out the tools – imagine what it would sound like though...

The Urban G/S is a roadster for the sunny days, so there’s very little weather protection. The small headlamp mask has a bit of a lip on it, but the effect is mainly visual. However, on a warm sunny day, feeling the wind resistance push you back in your seat as you squeeze the throttle is part of the fun.

And that’s what this bike is all about – fun! It’s a bit like that Spitfire I saw take off: it’s not got all the modern gadgets and gizmos but it’s bags of fun, and oh boy does it sound good!

“This bike is all about fun! It’s a bit like that Spitfire I saw take off: it’s not got all the modern gadgets and gizmos but it’s bags of fun, and oh boy does it sound good!”