Than its pricier predecessor
The front brakes are
the rear isasingle disc with a former is just generally way cooler. Think James Dean breaking hearts as he rolls through town, not your uncle who rides a hog on the weekends. But if you need more specifics, here are some reasons to get the newer bike.
THE SCRAMBLER IS CHEAPER.
The base price of the Scrambler is US$13,000, although the one I drove around Brooklyn and Manhattan last week cost closer to US$15,000. The base price of the R nineT is US$15,095. If you’re wanting to save money on the Scrambler, stick with the standardised steel tank, telescopic forks with gaiters, and the basic speedometer (vs. an optional rev counter and multifunction display). I should note here, too, that the R nineT comes with BMW’s upsidedown telescopic fork, as opposed to the traditional telescopic forks with 43mm fixed-tube diameter on the Scrambler. The latter is better on uneven terrain; the former is suited to smooth streets and highways.
THE SCRAMBLER LOOKS COOLER
PART 1 (GAS TANK)
The Scrambler’s 17-litre sheet-steel petrol tank comes in a monolithic brushed gray that looks like the ones Paul Newman rode in the 1970s. comes with special badging that identifies it as part of the R nineT family. The R nineT has a polished blackand-white, two-tone exterior that looks a little like a spat. A Scrambler fuel tank option with hand-brushed aluminum and a sanded weld costs US$950; the one with hand-brushed aluminium and a visible weld costs US$850.
THE SCRAMBLER LOOKS COOLER
PART 2 (WHEELS).
The Scrambler comes with a twoinch bigger front wheel than the R nineT and includes optional knobby tires. The large 19-inch alloy front wheel on the Scrambler harkens back to the historic bikes of the 1950s, when BMW introduced a BMW R 68 motorcycle at the International Bicycle & Motorcycle Fair IFMA in Frankfurt, Germany. Handsome cross-spoke wheels like the ones I had cost US$500 extra. ABS comes standard.
The original THE SCRAMBLER LOOKS COOLER
PART 3 (TAIL PIPES).
BMW has made the dual exhaust pipes on the Scrambler sit snug to the frame of the bike and raised them higher than those of the R nineT. The pipes also have two vertical rear silencers, as classic Scramblers did, but retain the relatively deep rumble that boxer engines such as this one are known to make. I like how this looks much better — it keeps everything pulled in tight and close, better looking, and neater for riding. Chrome exhaust covers cost US$150 extra. boxer engine andadual silencer give the bike a powerful engine note,
one that is distinct from others in the BMW lineup.
I should mention something very important, which is that the Scrambler comes with the classic air-cooled flat-twin 1,170cc boxer engine that has 110-horsepower and 86 pound-feet of torque. This is the same as the one in the R nineT; they each get 110 hp and can easily hit 125 mph, though the R nineT has one or two pound-feet more torque. But on the Scrambler, the engine is the single most distinguishing feature you notice; it sticks out on either side of the steel tubular space frame like strong shoulders that frame the long torso of a power forward. The moment you fire it up, you’ll recognise the Scrambler as a BMW in the best sense of the word — it rings more true as one of the winning machines BMW has been making for more than 90 years.
There are plenty of BMW official accessories on tap, more than come with the R nineT, including rear storage bags; knee-pads for the tank; a passenger seat with grab straps, a sports silencer; cylinder-head covers in chrome, silver, or black; and handlebar end pieces made of aluminum. But none overpowers the Scrambler’s relatively simple élan.
Are you getting the picture? BMW just dropped the massive K1600B Bagger (watch out, Harley-Davidson), and you can find excellent café racer-style bikes from Triumph and Ducati. But when you want a classic, cool ride from the best-engineered motorcycle brand in the world, the R nineT is good, but it doesn’t get you quite there. Go with the Scrambler.
has an ir/oil-cooled flat twin (Boxer) four-stroke engine, two camshafts, and four radially
aligned valves per cylinder, with a central balancer shaft.