What owners say…
OWNERS SEEM TO be a mixed bag of youth and experience, and high mileage vs sunny Sundays use. The one thing they seem to have in common is a hankering after a return to ‘proper’ bikes. The R ninet (a 2014 model now with 11,400 miles on the clock) is Jake’s first bike, although he’s wanted to ride since he was a kid forty or more years ago: “I liked the riding position, the torque, and mostly how mechanical it feels. It’s fun to ride, there are no rider aids and it’s well-suited for someone that isn’t a very aggressive rider.” At well over 6ft and 13 stone, he found the original suspension lacking though: “Terrible on bumps, and the front end dives under braking. I upgraded to Hyperpro springs front and rear and it made a huge improvement.”
Keith Chulick came to his R ninet from a couple of Buells and a full-on custom Harley. “I wasn’t looking for another bike, but I went to a BMW dealer and saw this awesome bike — a couple of days later it was mine. I intended to keep the Buell Cyclone as well but then I realised every time I went out to the garage I was hopping on the R ninet. The thing is a straight beauty. You can just sit around
“I like the riding position and how mechanical it is” Jake BMW R ninet owner
and look at it and not get tired of that. The riding experience is sublime. It does everything well. Fires right up and does what you ask — smooth, reliable, and consistent. The Buell’s ‘personality’ tended to be a bit more finicky and crude in comparison.” He has issues with the suspension too: “The spring/shock is for someone heavier than me so on a long ride if there are many harsh road conditions I’ll be
feeling it a bit. I will probably eventually switch to a Nitron or Öhlins set-up, or something of the sort. For now I’ll deal with a bit of a stiff ride. The one enormous downside to the bike is the cost of dealer servicing, but I’ve found any servicing I’ve done on the bike myself to be quite straightforward.”
Andrew Nelson finds BMW servicing prices a bit steep too: “It’s a lot more expensive than my old Suzuki. I’ve had my 2014 R ninet from new, and done 29,000 miles of commuting and pleasure. I still love it. I’ve fitted bar risers and a rear hugger, but otherwise it’s standard. Pillion comfort’s not very good, and I’ve had a few bits done under warranty: a new ignition switch, main engine oil seal, and a recall for the swingarm bolts. I get an average of 49mpg in mixed riding but it can be incredibly frugal if you do long journeys and go easy on the throttle.”