first that sometimes it's hard to
notice the shift has occurred at
all, and is a testament to how
good a job BMW engineers did
on this gearbox all those years
ago.
The engine itself has plenty
of torque down low but it does
run out rather quickly. The motor
doesn't like to be revved hard.
Simply roll on the gas in a high-
er-than-normal gear and let the
motor do the work. It's mounted
low and lazy in the chassis and
that's just how it likes to behave
in the power delivery—just relax
and enjoy the ride—until you get
off with a sore back.
The R nineT Racer does
come with ABS and there is Au-
tomatic Stability Control (ASC) as
an option, but essentially the R
nineT Racer is about as stripped
back a BMW as you're ever likely
to see.
The engineers, designers and
marketers at BMW Motorrad
have done a stupendous job of
tapping into the custom market
without decimating it. Once a
sub-culture is taken over by the
mainstream, it isn't cool any-
more, right? Not necessarily in
this case. The R nineT Racer is
a bike that even if you don't want
to ride, you'll at least want to
look at. That's not enough to buy
one but I have a feeling BMW
will sell plenty of these things so
you'll still be able to get an eyeful
every Sunday down at your local
café. CN
VOL. 54 ISSUE 23 JUNE 13, 2017 P99
2017 BMW R NINET RACER
ENGINE: ...................................Boxer twin
POWER: .... 110 hp @ 7750 rpm (claimed)
TORQUE: ...86 lb-ft @ 6000 rpm (claimed)
DISPLACEMENT: ............................. 1170cc
BORE X STROKE: ................. 101 x 73mm
COMPRESSION RATIO: ....................12.0:1
EXHAUST: ...........................................2-2-1
TRANSMISSION: .......................Six-speed
CHASSIS: ...........Tubular space frame in
steel, engine self-supporting
FRONT SUSPENSION: .................... 43mm
conventional fork
WHEEL TRAVEL: ...............................4.9 in
REAR SUSPENSION: ........... Single shock
absorber operated by BMW Paralever
WHEEL TRAVEL: ............................... 4.7 in
FRONT BRAKE: ......... Brembo four-piston
caliper, 320mm disc, ABS
REAR BRAKE: .......Brembo single-piston,
fixed caliper, 265mm disc, ABS
FRONT TIRE: ....................... 120/70 ZR17
REAR TIRE: ......................... 180/55 ZR17
Steering head angle: 63.6°
TRAIL: ................................................4.1 in
WHEELBASE: .................................... 58.7°
SEAT HEIGHT: ................................ 31.7 in
FUEL CAPACITY: ............................4.5 gal
WEIGHT: ..............485 lb (curb, claimed)
COLOR: ........................ BMW Motorsport
MSRP: ........................................... $13,295
S P E C I F I C A T I O N S
