Ten years ago, BMW introduced an unprecedented model in its range. Its name R nineT referred precisely to the special moment of its birth: the ninetieth anniversary of BMW Motorrad. Today the number is even more round because the Bavarian manufacturer is celebrating its centenary and, as it could not be otherwise, this model knows its evolution: the R 12 nineT. In this decade, the project has grown to generate a true family of models thanks to a careful modulation that allows the manufacturer to obtain very different motorcycles by changing relatively few elements. The other secret of the success of the R nineT project was, without a doubt, the aesthetic taste with which BMW explored both its brand heritage and the collective imagination, with cunning and skill, both by the designers and by those who later built the bike, with obsessive attention to detail and a great aesthetic clarity that makes those details stand out. As we know, the Scrambler, the Pure, more basic, the Racer, later discontinued, and the Urban GS followed the R nineT, as well as the current commemorative special editions of the 100th anniversary. The classic style and the great customization possibilities have made the R nineT particularly popular among customizers around the world, and the interpretations have been numerous.Ten years later, as we said, the R nineT is preparing to give way to the R 12 nineT, which introduces some changes and evolutions, but does not alter the design, so we hope that a family of models will also be proposed based on it. In this regard, the first major news is the R 12, the cruiser that has been missing until now. It is not a smaller R 18 as some supposed, but rather a nineT with a different and lower rear frame and a different structure, including the tank. But what are the differences of this new generation of the nineT?First of all, although it may not seem at first glance, the entire motorcycle has been redesigned. You need to look for the details to notice them. The element that is immediately noticeable is obviously the aluminum tank, which has polished and transparent “cheeks”, but above all has a different shape, less rounded and elongated and more short and angular, with more pronounced openings. The tank is shorter than its predecessor and 30 mm narrower at the junction with the seat. This also leads to a different riding position, more forward-shifted, although the R 12 nineT still maintains the old-fashioned roadster configuration and, therefore, quite elongated with the seat towards the rear wheel. The side panels that hide the new airbox are also visible. Other aesthetic changes include the redesigned front fender, the front LED light group, the still circular instrumentation, and the rear light group, also in LED and integrated into the seat for easier customization.
The 1,170 cc air/oil-cooled boxer engine remained the same with 80 kW (109 hp) at 7,000 rpm and 115 Nm at 6,500 rpm (previously it was 116 Nm at 6,000 rpm). As mentioned, however, the airbox is now integrated under the seat and this not only resulted in an aesthetic change in this area, but also in the frame, as you can appreciate how the rear frame is now different and makes the side view even simpler and more important. The entire frame is new: it is a one-piece tubular steel bridge structure with a bolt-on rear frame.
