Test Rode an R nineT Today

[MadScientist]

So I took advantage of a beautiful Wisconsin spring morning and played hooky from work this morning.  I stopped by a local dealership to check out a 2004 Aprilia Futura and discovered I wasn't overly fond of it in person.  Anyway, was badgering the salesman about getting a 2016 Triumph Thruxton in for a look-see and he basically said I needed to put down a deposit to even get a chance.  So he brings me to take a look at a 2015 BMW R nineT with ~1000 miles and a few goodies so here are my impressions:

Ride - very comfortable, confidence inspiring, and nimble.  I probably sound like every magazine review of this bike, but I was truly impressed by how solid and controlled the bike felt.  Not as anxious and rough as my past Duc S2R1000 and my 599 isn't even in the same league.  I'm afraid I would get into trouble with the law though, it is so composed that there is very little sense of speed - 55 feels like 35.

Braking - lacks the initial bite that even my 599 has.  I'm thinking this could be changed with a more aggressive pad.  Lever feel was a bit numb.  I didn't test out the ABS.

Engine - HOLY CRAP fuel injection has really improved in the last 9 years since I owned the ducati.  No snatchiness, good on/off throttle response.  Huge torque all over, very much tuned for the street rider.  Lacked the top end rush of every other bike I have owned though.  It actually felt electric motor like, just good steady thrust up to near redline.

Ergonomics - (BG: I'm 5'11" with 32" inseam, 33" shirt sleeves) I'll tell you just what I said to the salesman.  It's like a motorcycle office chair.  Good comfortable reach to the bars, slightly forward foot controls, upright posture.  Just like sitting in my office chair driving the keyboard.  Seat was comfortable, but nothing to write home about.  Throttle actuation was very light.  The gauges are sort of grey on white and not terribly legible at a glance.  I didn't really try to configure the dash, but I would be happier if the huge gear indicator in the top middle of the LCD portion of the display was a speedometer - would certainly help with the speeding.

Subjective - About the most boring engine sound on the planet, almost like a lawn tractor.  Hated the brushed aluminum finish on the tank/seat.  I like paint.  Nice polished, deep, shiny paint.  Also the rear wheel is hidden by the terrible sounding exhaust system and high pipes look out of place.  Spoked wheels are really pretty; just hate cleaning them.

Price was good too, from what I've seen, and the dealer was offering me decent money on my 599 as trade.  Verdict, for me, is that the subjective aspects say no deal on this one.  If you are in the market for a REALLY easy to ride and quite enjoyable "classic" standard, then this bike is worth a look.

 

[2FAST4U]

Although I've always been a sport bike and cruiser guy, I've always told myself that if I ever won the lottery, I'd buy half a dozen bikes and one of them would be a Café Racer (and that Café Racer would be a BMW R nine T). True story. I've never ridden one but they look cool.

[TimC]

Thanks for the quick review.  The seat looks like it would not be great for all-day rides.  I love the looks and design of this bike, but not the lack of versatility.  That's only an issue for me, though, as I'm a single bike owner.  Anyway, if I'm buying a BMW it'll be an R1200R.