NAUGHTY AT 90
MARKING BMW Motorrad’s 90 years of churning some of the ultimate riding machines on the planet—and BMW made motorbikes long before it rolled off its first car—is the new R nineT, which fuses together the marque’s signature boxer engine, design traits of various motorcycle eras, and cutting- edge tech. The bike is a blank canvas for personalization too, thanks to original BMW Motorrad pieces.
BMW said the classic roadster bike is built to cater to riders who yearn for unadulterated pleasure. So styling cues from old- school brands are mixed with the latest drive and chassis components, leading to a motorcycle that is just as adept at cruising as well as hooliganism.
Like the first BMW motorcycle from 1923—the legendary R 32—the R nineT has a flat- twin boxer engine that displaces 1,170cc, is air- and oil- cooled, and spins out 110hp and 119Nm of torque.
The bike’s exhaust runs down the left
side, with two silencers placed one above the other, keeping with roadster tradition. An inverted telescopic fork, borrowed from BMW’s S1000 RR superbike, suspends the front wheel while the rear hangs from a the corporate paralever single- sided swing arm with a central spring strut. Wire- spoke 17- inch alloy wheels are grabbed by fourpiston monoblock brake calipers— ABSequipped, of course— furthering the bike’s retro/ high- tech bipolarity. The R nineT is as cool as cool gets.
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