Next week, I’m heading to New York for the launch of the new BMW RnineT Scrambler. If you’ve been reading this site for a while, you know I’m a bit of a BMW fanboy. I liked the look of the RnineT though I haven’t had a chance to ride it yet. I really don’t care for the look of this Scrambler yet, but at least in a week I’ll know how it rides. Per usual, before I review a new bike for you all, I want to make sure I’m aware of any particulars that you have questions about. So…what do you want to know?
The short story is that it’s a lower spec version of the RnineT Roadster – and just like the Yamaha SCR950, it’s a Scrambler in name only. Cast aluminum wheels, 485 pound curb weight, and headers that travel under the engine are all things that you wouldn’t normally associate a scrambler in the traditional sense. At a certain point though, I just have to admit that the term “Scrambler” has taken on a new definition and move on. Ducati, Yamaha, Moto Guzzi, Triumph, and now BMW all have ‘scramblers’ that are less about riding off-road and more about offering cheap, easily approachable motorcycles that are easy to ride with a nostalgic sense of style. Plus, they won’t kill you if you want to ride a fire road every once in a while.
BMW’s attempt at the Scrambler market gets the same engine as the RnineT roadster, though it’s now Euro4 compliant (the roadster is still just Euro3). There’s lots of little changes: the Scrambler weighs four pounds less, has a 2 inch longer wheelbase (60.1″ vs 58.1″), slightly more suspension travel, and gets a better alternator (720W vs 600W). The Euro4 compliance kills 2 pound-feet of torque (down to 86, which is still a great number compared to the competition) and 7 miles per gallon (down to 45mpg). The big changes are the wheels, which are now narrower cast aluminum (front grows to 19 inches versus 17). Spoked wheels are an option that I would definitely be purchasing. The fuel tank is interchangeable with the roadster, but it’s now a cheaper steel unit instead of the original aluminum, and the only color is Monolith metallic matte gray. The gauge cluster has been simplified (tachometer is optional), the USD forks have been swapped out for conventional ones…the list goes on for a while and hopefully it signifies that BMW has put some thought into making this bike.
The main takeaway for now – it’s new, it’s different, and it’s over $2,000 cheaper (starting price of $13,000 versus $15,095) than the RnineT Roadster. That’s still significantly more than the scramblers from Ducati, Yamaha, and Triumph, but if it means that people start customizing this and leave the /5’s, /6’s, and /7’s alone, then I’m a happy man.
Photos from BMW.