In December of 1922, BMW chief designer, Max Friz, puts the first full-scale BMW motorcycle on the drawing board. At its heart is an air-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke boxer engine. The first BMW motorcycle, the R 32, was presented in September 1923. This heralded the beginning of BMW motorcycle production and launched an unprecedented success story.
To celebrate its 100-year history, BMW Motorrad PH presented one of two the protagonist of the Heritage experience world, the R nineT Roadster as 100 Years edition models. In keeping with the year in which BMW Motorrad was founded, both models are limited to 1923 units. BMW Motorrad Philippines unveiled the R nineT at Makina Motoshow to the public.
The reduced design language of the R nineT is shaped by 100 years of motorcycle construction and BMW Motorrad’s unbroken passion for the boxer engine. Classic roadster design skillfully sets the scene with a compact tank and upright seating position as well as high-quality materials and stylish design elements. The new R nineT 100 Years becomes an exclusive anniversary edition thanks to numerous other special features. The heart is still the air/oil-cooled, 80 kW (109 hp) two-cylinder boxer engine. In the anniversary edition the legendary engine is accompanied by a wide range of options and an elaborate surface concept.
Paint finishes in combination with chrome surfaces also have an almost 100-year tradition in motorcycle construction. Chrome surfaces, usually consisting of a copper, nickel and final chrome layer are characterized by their hardness and resulting high durability, very good protection against corrosion, but above all by a radiant, mirror-like shine. This made chrome a common stylistic device for designers from the late 1920s onwards, in combination with high-quality paint concepts. The BMW R 75/5 with chrome-plated tank sides and side covers, for example, is legendary at BMW Motorrad. With the new BMW R nineT 100 Year the Classic Chrome surface concept, BMW Motorrad is reviving this incomparably sophisticated interplay of paint and chrome.
The tank is a combination of black with chrome and white double-lining and is complemented by knee pads and a 100 Years badge. Classic chrome is also found on the seat hump. The front wheel cover is also painted in black and features white double lining. The seat bench in two-tone combination black/oxblood rounds off the high quality look.
Numerous black components such as fork tubes, air intake snorkel and some Option 719 components complement this harmoniously. The R nineT 100 Years includes the 719 Classic wheels option with black anodized rim rings, the Option 719 Shadow milled parts package with milled cylinder head covers, engine housing covers, seat holders, oil filler plug and the Option 719 Shadow II milled parts package, consisting of adjustable hand levers and a footrest system, pillion footrests as well as expansion tank covers and handlebar end mirrors. Adaptive turning light and the Comfort Package with heated grips, cruise control and Driving Modes Pro complete the extensive equipment of the edition model. An anti-theft alarm system can also be retrofitted as part of the optional equipment ex works or via the range of Original BMW Motorrad Accessories.
With the R nineT in the Heritage experience world, BMW Motorrad is paying due tribute to its almost 100-year history and tradition, which is inextricably linked with the legendary boxer engine. Tradition and history can also be found at the BMW Motorrad production plant in Berlin – the birthplace of almost every BMW motorcycle for over 50 years. The iconic design and the unmistakable boxer engine illustrate that it’s about the roots of BMW Motorrad, about historically inspired shapes and details, about an authentic riding experience and about reducing motorbikes to the essentials. In short: The Heritage world of experience is all about a unique attitude to life, shaped by the legendary boxer engine.
The Limited 100 Years Edition BMW R nineT is available at BMW Motorrad Philippines.