2017 BMW R NINET SCRAMBLER
FIRST RIDE
P76
The 1170 engine
is the last air-oil
cooled GS unit and
plenty capable of
big road miles.
the mile-wide torque curve and
reveling in the flexibility of the
oilhead Boxer motor. It pulls
cleanly away from a hairpin turn
from very low revs, accepting
wide open throttle in top gear
on level ground from as low as
3000 rpm with zero transmis-
sion snatch, before coming on
strong above 4500 rpm en route
to its 7750 rpm power peak.
Its midrange punch is definitely
impressive, and the Scrambler
also felt pretty long-legged on
faster stretches, making me all
the more convinced of its tour-
ing potential, at least for a long
weekend. It's a mileater as well
as a corner-carver.
A key element in that is the
Scrambler's extremely comfort-
able more upright riding position
than the R nineT Roadster, with
a taller 32.2-inch seat height
versus the Roadster's 30.9-inch,
and the same one-piece handle-
bar mounted on 20mm taller
risers that are also angled to pull
the grips back further towards
the rider. This not only deliv-
ers better leverage for hustling
through hairpins up in the moun-
tains, but also makes the Scram-
bler paradoxically at home in city
traffic, where the upright stance
lets you plot an untroubled
course through snarl-ups, and its
generous steering lock helps it to
be surprisingly maneuverable at
lower speeds in city streets. You
might not expect a bike called the
Scrambler to be an ideal traf-
fic tool, but that's what the new
BMW is, its crisp but controllable
pickup coming to the fore when
you ask it to. At 5'10" in height
I found the Scrambler's stance
incredibly relaxed, the best riding
position I've come across for a
long time for my height, with the
footrests lower and further to the
rear than on the R nineT, coupled
with that higher handlebar and an
ideal seat height. It's a pity that
the Scrambler's stitched brown
leather-lookalike seat padding
(Left) SuperTrapp style exhaust
sounds the business.
(Right) If you really want to go
authentic, you gotta have the
mesh headlight cover.
