It has been ten years since the R nineT debuted in the BMW lineup. It has been presented in a broad range of retro guises, from racer replica and scrambler to sportbike and urban adventurer. For 2024, the R nineT gets updated to the R 12 nineT, and the 1970s is the styling touchstone in this first-look edition.
Details are initially scarce, with no specs available. However, we can tell you that the R 12 nineT will continue to be powered by an oil-cooled boxer twin. Although we can’t confirm it will get a displacement bump to reflect the new R 12 branding, the motor has indisputably been reworked.
There are decisive styling changes afoot with the 2024 BMW R nineT, as Head of Design BMW Motorrad Edgar Heinrich explains: “The purist design language is dominated by the clear tank, seat, rear line, in the style of the traditional /5 or the legendary R 90 S of the ’70s. At first glance, the tank itself is a classic BMW boxer tank, with a typical bend in the lower edge and classic knee contact. The new R 12 NineT also features side covers in the area of the frame triangle in the authentic roadster look—another reminiscence of BMW motorcycles of the 1970s.”
Technical changes include a new frame, inverted fork, radially mounted Brembo calipers for the front discs, shock configuration, and rear brake caliper.
Head of BMW Motorrad Dr. Markus Schramm tells us that “the R nineT and its customizing concept established the new Heritage experience for BMW Motorrad’s 90th birthday and has become an indispensable cornerstone of our model range. The new R 12 nineT continues the successful heritage story surrounding the legendary BMW boxer engines with an even more classic, reduced design language, even greater degrees of freedom when it comes to customizing, and, last but not least, new and innovative technology.”
With BMW Motorrad commemorating its 100th anniversary, updating the 10-year-old nineT is a fine way to celebrate. As fans of many of the iterations of the nineT since its inception, we look forward to testing the new 2024 BMW R 12 nineT.
Photography by Joerg Kuenste
2024 BMW R 12 nineT Photo Gallery
