It seems, and not only in our motorcycling world, that everyone is becoming obsessed with the word ‘retro’ right? Basically it relates to anything, or any product, from at least 30 years ago. Everything from kettles, shoes, clothing, sunglasses, etc, etc, and I’m sure you can add more, are seemingly fashionable retail items that people adhere to in 2017.
Now one thing that actually irritates me a little, or a lot, otherwise I wouldn’t be saying this, is the ‘rebirth’ of vinyl records or LPs if you’re from that era. I mean, really folks! Can you remember when you had those heavy collections, waking up the morning after a ‘bellyful’ to find them scattered all over the floor and trying to find the correct sleeves to return them into their cardboard garage. I certainly can, terrible!
So why is there a massive resurgence in sales over the digital and the more convenient option? Some people actually say the vinyl disc sounds better and more authentic, load of garbage if you ask me. Scratching and clicking compared to clear and easily accessible tunes is my style thank you. But you do get a bigger picture of the album cover I suppose, if that’s the attraction.
By now though you’re probably thinking I’ve taken a handful of hallucinogenic mushrooms and I’m licking giant yellow plants in my garden, because you see no connection of this drivel to the revised BMW R nineT. Well let me clarify then. You see the BMW Boxer ‘minimalist’ theme began when cool dudes stripped down and made Café Racer type bikes during the vinyl era, so is the 2017 retro R nineT just a fashionable vinyl replica or a more modern digital version of the same thing? See where I’m coming from now hopefully? One thing is for sure and that is the engine is basically the same as the 70s/80s unit; well it looks the same doesn’t it? Not a bad thing because BMW are trying to ‘keep it real’ regarding that. Thankfully the 2017 engine is infinitely more reliable, less oily and of course way more powerful.
It’s taken from the GS range a few years ago, before liquid cooling arrived. 1,170cc, oil/air-cooled, DOHC with four-valve heads is what you get. 110hp and 119Nm of torque isn’t a massive amount of power from a 1200 but it’s more than ample for what the R nineT is designed to do. It’s not an exciting motor to unleash, more lazy and comforting but powerful enough to swing to the far side of 220km/h. This huge visually dominating twin also connects to the huge shaft drive, so as far as maintenance goes you could possibly service the R nineT with nothing more than a sturdy set of cutlery when the warranty has expired. One thing is for sure this bike will still be around in 30 years, or more, unlike some highly stressed and lighter more modern alternatives, which has to be a good selling point.
For those of you who know, the R nineT has been around for a few years already and the 2017 model has received a few changes to make it a little better. The addition of adjustable Sachs forks has helped a lot with front-end feel and that’s it regarding mechanical changes. The swing-arm is now black and there’s a new set of clocks to look at. Last year’s model had a combined pod but now they’re two separate ones for speedo and rev-counter for a more retro/vinyl image. I did enjoy the five levels of brightness you can change on these using the left hand switchgear; being of the older generation I had them in the brightest settings. Very pretty at night and pure BMW classy instrumentation is a welcome sight and they perfectly complement the centerpiece of the bike, which is? Yes, you’ve guessed it, that gorgeous handmade 17-litre aluminium petrol tank. How stunning is that when the contours are highlighted by morning or evening light, a true work of art on an artful motorbike - 10 out of 10 for that addition.
To ride the R nineT is what you’d expect and not interrupted by tons of unnecessary electronics because it had none besides ABS. This is a bike for the purist that’s for sure, who probably owns a vast selection of those vinyl discs as well, or maybe not because retro bikes are becoming the coolest thing to be seen on for any age of rider. And there’s no doubt the 2017 R nineT, with its timeless styling, ticks many boxes for someone who’s looking for something different from the BMW Boxer theme.
I was quite surprised how easy this is to ride compared to the physically bigger GS range it spawns from. Low seat height, extra wide bars (even though it’s a long reach to them) means it’s very easy to hop on and clear off. For something that tips the scales at 220kg fully fuelled it turns like a bike half the weight. Probably due to opting for conventional forks rather than the heavy Telelever set-up associated with BMW and I much prefer this type of suspension so there.
The R nineT also has a soothing beat to the new grey covered twin pipes which encourages the rider to calm down and enjoy the ride rather than trying to race around like a lunatic. If you do though rest assured those massive 300mm Brembo radial brakes will stop you as well as any superbike I’ve come across, maybe to the point of being too powerful for such a focussed retro bike.
Still the 2017 R nineT is all about style and glamour that is never cheap to accomplish, so the R188,000 price tag is of no surprise being a BMW and all that. So the final question is, would you prefer a vinyl retro bike with its drawbacks or this modern ‘digital’ version of a similar theme? Well let’s just say there’s a good reason my vinyl collection was donated to Oxfam many years ago.
Go to www.bmw.co.za to find your local dealer for a test ride.
