BMW R Nine T ... anyone?

[Buckethead]

You're ignoring my point entirely. The concept was getting "warm".

I'm sorry. I'm a noob. Please explain "getting warm."

[Curmudgeon]

R90S, my all time favorite BMW.  9T?  Meh.  Great video!

Sold my silver/smoke '74 to my favorite mechanic when I picked up a pre-EPA early 1978 R100RS Motorsport. Same bike, more power, but missed the pumper Dellortos which had to go by '75 in the USA. That bike got the full Primore treatment plus lightened flywheel and fork valving at AMOL Precision who had built Butler & Smith's superbikes. Only traded that in 1985 1/2 for a K100RT to take my large son on long tours. The dealer kept it for himself.  No dummy! Wish I had that today...

Agreed about the video. I give that to a lot of new riders since it's totally relevant today. Traffic is much worse though. And today we have texting!!!  (Got cut off three times today on I-64 and I-95 in 40 miles by those blind dopes!!!)

[Curmudgeon]

I'm sorry. I'm a noob. Please explain "getting warm."

http://www.roadandtrack.com/go/news/go-news-bmw-celebrates-90-and-40-year-anniversaries-with-concept-ninety

[koko64]

You can hate all you want. Truth is it's a good looking air cooled bike which is what a lot of us want from Ducati. There's definitely a lesson to be learned here for Ducati. Especially since this lesson came right out of their old playbook.

^This.

[SpikeC]

 Don't forget to watch part 2!:

[Mike P]

Every time I see this bike I see so much potential for a beautiful cafe/naked bike. Not sure if there's much after market goodies out there for it and I havent test ridden one yet. Wondering if anyone has any familiarity with this bike?

BMW-RNINE-T by ricknieto, on Flickr

Strikes me as a feeble German attempt to copy a Griso.  Great (but somewhat soulless) engineering, but just a little short on design.  I was pretty excited when I saw the first pictures as another naked R bike has been on my 'bucket list' for a while.  For some reason the R Nine T didn't do anything for me when I saw it in the showroom.  Hard to beat Italian design...

[hillbillypolack]

. . . a little short on design.  I was pretty excited when I saw the first pictures as another naked R bike has been on my 'bucket list' for a while.  For some reason the R Nine T didn't do anything for me when I saw it in the showroom.  Hard to beat Italian design...

Pretty much this.

Knowing this would be the last of the air cooled twins from BMW, I was interested to say the least.  Seeing how clunky and heavy handed it was executed made me happier to still have my S2R.  Even with less hp, the S2R has less weight making it more fun.

The huge missed opportunity is that this is BMW ending the run of air cooled motors with a 'customizable' bike.  Does that mean the R Nine T is a one model only run?  If so, that's not a long term strategy for growing a cult following like the Monster has (with all the aftermarket bits etc).

If BMW continues with the R Nine T as a stripped / naked they could do well.  But please make it look bettah.

[Estoma]

If BMW continues with the R Nine T as a stripped / naked they could do well.  But please make it look bettah.

You mean like this?
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/616/18531/Motorcycle-Article/BMW-Concept-Roadster-First-Look.aspx
http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news-new-bikes/bmws-new-concept-roadster/25039.html
http://www.cycleworld.com/2014/06/02/bmw-roadster-concept-first-look-review-photos/

Trust Ducaudi to replace their Airhead Monsters with the japanesed Diavel-for-pussies 1200S (and two posers; the 1200 & 821) when they were ideally positioned to b!tch-slap BMW with a twenty-year Headstart.  The R Nine T Orderbook for 2014/5 is spoken for in several countries.

[ungeheuer]

I have lusted after a Guzzi Griso for quite some time.

The R Nine T is a machine in a similar vein, so naturally it caught my attention.  I like it.

A lot.

But yet not enough.

The Griso remains the one for whom I drool.

[The ModFather]

Love the Griso & the Brutale Dragster for that matter. I think all 3 bikes are stunning. I would need to ride all 3 to really be able to decide which one I like best. Based purely on looks I prefer the R Nine T as I dig the retro look. Thats also why I think the Sport Classic line was the best looking Ducati in the past 10 years.

[Estoma]

I’ve been close to putting dosh down on Beemers several times the last forty years – new as well as used.  Never succeeded to; there is forever something that will spoil the deal, either amiss or too much of a muchness.  The Boxer is a great Motor but it is too heavy, too wide, shaft-driven and my Lawn Mover sounds better at tick-over.  The latest Air/Liquid-cooled variant produces 125 HP – it features on the new R1200R, R1200GS as well as the Concept Roadster.  The additional Horses are welcome but the Liquid-cooling Complexity and Clutter is not.

The Griso looks the business but I doubt whether you will be impressed with it after having owned an 1100S.  It is big, heavy and sports a shaft.  I owned an 850 Le Mans for a while in the late seventies.  It had a good Motor but was held back by the shaft, IMHO anyway.  I owned a XS1100 not too long after that – also a shaft-drive.  The Yamaha did not have much Cornering Clearance, exacerbated by the Shaft heaving and dropping under the slightest Throttle changes.  I loved the Motor but hated the Shaft.  And Shafts are not nearly as reliable as BMW Fan Boys would let you believe.  It is more a question of out-of-sight, out-of-mind.

[ungeheuer]

The Griso looks the business but I doubt whether you will be impressed with it after having owned an 1100S.  It is big, heavy and sports a shaft. 

Whaddya mean after? 

I'll never part with my M1100S.

[Estoma]

Whaddya mean after? 

I'll never part with my M1100S.

Good man!

[iRam]

     Ive been living with my nineT for close to 8 months now   and its been a fun 8 months. No problems so far. my only gripe with it is the tubed tires. Planning on replacing them with kineo's when the wallet recovers. And that may take a long time  . Only thing ive changed are the mirrors, removed the passenger seat and pegs and put on the tail hump. Im waiting on a tail tidy from motobox so i can get rid of the unsightly diving board in the back and i belive theyll start shipping in 3 weeks time  .
     I ride it to work almost everyday and ive been on 2 trips to the mountains so far. 1 of those days i was riding for nine hours, 3 stops just to gas up and have some food/coffee  . The bike is really confidence inspiring on the twisties, its pretty stable while your leaned over. on one of my trips i went to tail of the dragon  and it performed really well. I scrape my footpegs more on the nineT compared to my 796. The nineTs pegs are lower than the 796 though  .  
     Before i got the nineT i was looking at the Griso and the Sport1000. There was no Guzzi dealership close by and i coudnt find a preowned sport1000 in the price and condition that i wanted. When they unveilled the nineT i was smitten. It was what i was looking for.

[Curmudgeon]

Impractical?  Peg-dragging, sketchy ABS? And only a rich loon would buy that Speedster with shit gearbox and no windscreen. FWIW, I couldn't afford a round of rubber on a DECENT Aero 8.  http://gallery.leica-users.org/d/2510-2/LUG242.jpg