All Tests – BMW R nineT Test: retro … active! – When the past combines with the present

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BMW R nineT test: retro … active !

All Tests - BMW R nineT Test: retro ... active! - When the past combines with the present

A retro motorcycle is a model with classic lines whose behavior often refers to (de) past sensations. Not at BMW, which tries a much more dynamic approach: the new R nineT has an eye in the retro and two wheels in the present !

When the past combines with the present

Posted at a red light in Marbella, in southern Spain, a young Andalusian sees a horde of identical motorcycles registered in France tumble down … Curious, the boy takes an interested look at this group and probably classifies it in the category tourists who come to enjoy the charms of this seaside resort on the Costa del Sol.

Our test of the BMW R Nine T in video

In addition to this first full test of the BMW R nineT, also discover our !

Half-amused, half-fascinated, he gives them a cheerful little sign, without being able to guess that they are journalists testing an important novelty for 2014, in this case the motorcycle designed to celebrate the 90 years of activity two. -wheels of BMW: the R nineT ("ninety", for "90" in English).

Then he jumps slightly when each tester engages the first with a sharp snap, before moving away in a thunderous rumble … Thanks to an acoustic valve placed – without elegance – at the back of the exhaust line and at the original Akrapovic outputs developed especially for it, the R nineT delivers a rumbling soundtrack when accelerating !

If, at idle, the sound remains close to that to which the air-oil-cooled twin has accustomed us, it is different at the slightest blow of gas.

Impossible to confuse his vocalizations with those of the engine of the old and! However, it is the same 1170 cc Boxer, with a few exceptions for the secondary transmission (shorter on the nineT) or the exhaust (see all the technical details on the penultimate page).

This unit, which delivers as on the R1200R 110 hp and 119 Nm of torque in Full, hums vigorously from low revs, then growls manly while completely covering the rattling that lets out its distribution with double overhead camshaft per cylinder ( each double camshaft being responsible for actuating four valves).

Perfectly orchestrated, this interpretation expressed through magnificent titanium flutes becomes even more important when listening to – or following – the BMW. Without going so far as to make the display cases vibrate, the sound is deeper and covers a wider spectrum of tones when it is perceived by external ears, which among other things more distinctly capture its crackles when the gas is cut off..

Certainly, the R nineT is one of those motorcycles that are fun to watch and listen to! Obviously in agreement with this analysis, our young Iberian observer observes more attentively the motorcycle ridden by MNC, which lingers while awaiting its verdict….

Ultra-customizable

His gaze seems to indicate that he appreciates the general silhouette of the R nineT, probably because it aptly associates aesthetic codes specific to old motorcycles (round headlight, tank elongated towards the rear, spoked wheels, stitched leather saddles white, etc.) with much more contemporary elements, such as its minimalist LED taillight or its inverted fork.

If our time had not been counted, MNC would have explained to him that this peripheral with the golden sheaths is directly coming – the possibilities of adjustment less – from the S1000RR, the Superbike of the German brand, just like the Brembo 4 calipers – radially fixed pistons. Heavy, powered by braided hoses !

Admitting that he is receptive to such considerations, we would draw his attention to the parallel drawn by BMW between the Nine T and its first motorcycle, the, which was already equipped with a longitudinal flat-twin and a transmission. by shaft and gimbals. And maybe we would also show him the riveted plate on the steering column, the old fashioned way, with the serial numbers of the bike….

But as this little Spaniard is too young to measure the significance of this historical wink, it is better to be content to answer him with a smile and a cordial greeting! A last glance in the mirrors – legible, because well drawn and set apart – allows to capture the reflection of the kid raising his thumb very high: a priori, the new Behème has charm !

And the R nineT is potentially capable of catching the eye of a much wider audience, since it is designed in such a way that it is easily customizable. The rear part of the frame is thus removable in two different ways to make either a single-seater version or a much shorter motorcycle at the stern (see all technical explanations on the penultimate page).

Naturally, BMW has already planned a whole stock of parts and accessories to enhance these possibilities of transformation: Cafe Racer style seat cowl, silencers (still signed "Akra") more or less short or high, protections in carbon or specific luggage. But now let’s see if the ramage relates to the plumage …

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