BMW rolled into MY2021 with a handful of improvements to its base-model R nineT. The updated engine meets EU-5 emissions standards and the electronics suite delivers more safety- and ride-quality features right off the showroom floor. New suspension components boost comfort as well to finish out the improvements for the R nineT model.

The boxer-twin engine in the R nineT sports a classic design that fits quite well with the rest of the build. It maintains the large central case and opposed-twin configuration that have always marked Beemer’s signature engine style, but aesthetics saw a bit of an improvement with re-designed heads, valve covers, and throttle bodies that change the look.

Quite oversquare, the mill runs a 101 mm bore and 73 mm stroke to give it a total displacement of 1,170 cc and a relatively hot 12-to-1 compression ratio that will put you at the premium pump every time. Power output in the R nineT is a claimed 109 horsepower at 7,250 rpm with 85.5 pound-feet of torque at an even six grand.

If you’re thinking that’s one pony less than last year, you’d be correct, but this loss is the price to pay to make the MY21 engine meet the EU-5 emission requirements. The catalyst in the exhaust contributes to clean emissions, too.

It’s primarily an air-cooled engine with newly-redesigned cooling fins to deal with some of the waste heat. It also rocks an oil-cooler that takes care of the rest for double thermal protection overall and targeted protection for the engine’s very lifeblood.

Dual over-head cams actuate the poppets in the redesigned four-valve heads with a 39 mm intake valve diameter and 33 mm exhaust. A hydraulically-actuated clutch couples engine power to the six-speed transmission with a shaft-type final drive and a drive ratio that turns out an R nineT top speed that’s governed at 125 mph.

As for the new electronics package, it bundles traction control (ASC) with a pair of variable power-delivery Ride Modes as part of the stock equipment and offers the Ride Modes PRO in the optional equipment list.

From the BMW factory in Berlin, the base-model R nineT is the very epitome of the word “essential” with absolutely nothing in the way of the superfluous to weigh it down. Technically it’s billed as a roadster, but the sporty profile, somewhat relaxed rider’s triangle and old-school engine design call to mind the standard cruiser models of the Seventies.

Not much left to the imagination as there is nothing in the way of body enclosures. The pared-down front fender makes a custom connection to go with the laced blackout wheels. It pulls double duty with specially-shaped supports that steer wind and road grime around the swept inner-tube area of the inverted front forks.

A cyclops headlight housing makes another classic connection with its round shape and blackout housing treatment but the light itself is thoroughly modern. It boasts LED projectors for good, two-way visibility day or night and delivers improved cornering safety, particularly at night. The cornering-light feature illuminates the curve ahead, so you can see where you’re going instead of where you are pointing.

The LED tech spreads to the “disappearing” turn signals that, due to the blackout treatment and adjacent black components, tend to be rather inconspicuous when unlit to visually minimize the hang-on gear. That focus continues into the pared-down tail section and rear mudguard with LEDs to finish out the turn/tail/tag lights.

The stock saddle comes with a small p-pad. Subframe-mount, flip-up footpegs complete the pillion gear, but if you ride solo you can remove the rear of the subframe area in favor of a café-racer-style tail fairing.

The dearth of body panels on the R nineT leaves the tubular frame well exposed and visible to the world, but what isn’t as readily obvious is how it’s all put together. A single front frame section and three-part rear frame use the engine as a stressed member to complete the structure and lend it its final rigidity.

Inverted, 46 mm forks float the front end with adjustable preload and damping values. The central spring strut out back comes with handwheel-adjusted preload as well as a rebound-damping adjuster and a travel-dependent damping feature.

Components at both ends come with 4.7 inches of travel which should be plenty for riding in civilized areas. The steering head establishes a 26.8-degree rake angle with 4.3 inches of trail to make it relatively eager in the corners though you can forget about dragging a knee around a bend. It just ain’t that kind of bike.

Laced wheels add another classic touch. They have a high-speed, Z-rated rubber in a 120/70 ahead of a 180/55.

The brakes mean serious business with a pair of 320 mm discs and four-piston Brembo anchors up front opposite a twin-piston caliper and 265 mm disc. Beemer moves its ABS Pro and Dynamic Brake Control features out of the optional equipment list and onto the stock package for double-layer protection against loss of traction due to overbraking.

The DBC works through throttle modulation. Not only are there two separate systems between ABS and DBC, but they work entirely independently from each other to help safely brake to the max.

The 2022 BMW R nineT costs $15,945 MSRP. It comes in Black Storm Metallic, with a trio of Option 719 selections in a choice of Mineral White Metallic/Sunset Yellow, Aluminum, or Night Black Matte/Aluminum Matte.

As is so often the case, British giant Triumph rises to the occasion as a worthy competitor for the Bayerische. The Bonneville T100 Black looks to be my Huckleberry.

At a glance, the similarities are obvious. Both built as “Standard” streetbikes, they have a somewhat relaxed rider’s triangle, laced wheels, and a liberal application of blackout paint. The Bonnie enjoys a solid pedigree and is on fairly even footing with the Beemer as far as its impact on the biking culture at large and the custom culture, as well.

In the brakes, the Trumpet falls behind with only a single front disc and a non-cornering ABS feature. Triumph’s beating continues into the stems as the obligatory spring-preload out back is the only suspension adjustment.

The parallel-twin Bonnie engine is a 900 cc displacement – a skosh shy of the Beemer’s Boxer-twin engine – with a concurrent loss of power. Horsepower drops to 64 ponies and torque falls off to 59 pound-feet on tap against 109/85 from the BMW. Traction control makes it onto the Brit, as does a slipper clutch, but it still falls short of the fandanglery the R nineT brings to the table.

Price alone may be enough to buy Triumph some business, as a somewhat simpler machine, it rolls for $10,450 against the half-again-more BMW. Many might find the increased performance and improved electronics worth the extra money for the Beemer.

“Gotta’ love those Bavarians, they’re so meticulous. The R nineT is very much a natural evolution from BMW’s venerable Boxer-twin bikes of yesteryear, and it looks like it with clear genetic markers from the past along with modern touches that keep it current. What can I say? It’s a winning combination that is actually fairly common among the “old brands” around the world, and it’s impossible to argue with success.”

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “The R nineT is a nice bike. It has agile handling, a vintage look, and the performance promises a fun ride. The updated engine has more power and torque in the mid-range and for 2021, Ride Mode Pro is an option. For commuting or just having a fun ride on the weekends, I like the R nineT.”

“Comparing the R nineT and the R nineT Scrambler, the Scrambler is less expensive, but that doesn’t make it less. Seat height is a skosh taller to accommodate the longer suspension travel and the larger front wheel that folks expect on a bike billed as a scrambler.”

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2018 - 2020 BMW R nineT Urban GS

2016 - 2020 BMW R nineT Scrambler