R nineT updated 10 years on

One of our favourite BMW motorcycle (lines), the R NineT, is being reimagined and renamed, soon to be known as the R 12 nineT. Which is a bit of a weird moniker but whatever.

Its official unveiling later in the year coincides with the “100 years of BMW Motorrad” anniversary. It also happens that the original R nineT was launched ten years ago when BMW Motorrad turned 90. Hence the nineT suffix.

The changes are fairly subtle, on the whole. Like the original, the BMW R 12 nineT is a classic roadster with significant potential for personal individualisation.

Dr. Markus Schramm, Head of BMW Motorrad, commented “The new R 12 nineT continues the successful heritage story surrounding the legendary BMW boxer engine with an even more classic, reduced design language, even greater degrees of freedom when it comes to customizing and new and innovative technology.”

The air/oil-cooled engine hasn’t changed that much but then the first BMW motorcycle, the R 32, was also a flat-twin design. The latest iteration features a redesigned airbox and exhaust system.

The number 12 in the model designation clearly refers to the engine capacity, like the R 18.

Edgar Heinrich, Head of Design BMW Motorrad, said “The purist design language is dominated by the clear tank/seat/rear line, in the style of the legendary R 90 S of the 70s. The tank itself features a typical bend in the lower edge and classic knee contact. The new R 12 NineT also features side covers in the authentic Roadster look, like BMW motorcycles of the 1970s.”

Also new are the redesigned front mudguard, the LED main headlamp with black-surround light guide element and the two round instruments in the traditional style. An LED rear light unit is integrated into the seat, which makes it easier to institute a “short tail”.

Other features of the new machine  include a one-piece tubular space frame with bolted-on rear subframe, high-quality USD forks and Paralever rear suspension, left-sided exhaust system with double silencer, and radial-mount four-piston Brembo monobloc calipers with steel braided brake lines.

Full details on the new BMW R 12 nineT will be released in the second half of 2023.