BMW R nineT 5 2019 — Specifications

Remember 1969. Honda launches the CB 750 onto the global market and the European industry takes the hit. In Munich, there's no panic — out comes the Series 5 and its three variants, the R 50/5, R 60/5 and R 75/5, touring bikes built to swallow miles without flinching while the Japanese bet on mechanical flair. Fifty years later, Munich pulls out the archive drawer and unveils a limited-edition R nineT 5, an unabashed tribute to that pivotal era when German two-wheeler production left Munich to settle in Spandau, on the western outskirts of Berlin.

Visually, the work deserves a closer look. The Lupinblau Metallic paint, that deep blue with velvety undertones, catches the eye immediately before the details take over. Chromed headers borrowed from the NineT Racer, fork tubes treated with an aged silver finish, spoked wheels — mandatory for this kind of retro exercise — brushed aluminium on the side covers, fork gaiters plucked from the Scrambler catalogue, forged and anodised aluminium footpegs and yokes. On the tank, the 50 Jahre /5 badge reminds you why the machine exists. The cockpit, meanwhile, plays the minimalist card, without an intrusive TFT screen or digital fluff. An approach that cuts sharply against the Triumph Speed Twin 1200 or the Ducati Scrambler 1100, more modern in their dialogue with the rider.

Beneath the vintage dress, the engine remains a familiar face in the house. The air-cooled 1170 cc flat-twin boxer delivers 110 horsepower at 7,750 rpm and 115.7 Nm of torque at 6,000 rpm, figures that fall short of the new liquid-cooled Shiftcam fitted to the R 1250, but more than enough for anyone seeking a characterful mill rather than a statistical bomb. Torque arrives early, pushes hard from mid-range, and the six-speed gearbox paired with the shaft drive and Paralever single-sided swingarm seals the performance. Count on 219 kg wet on the scales, an 825 mm seat, a 17-litre tank and a top speed of 200 km/h. Braking holds up with two 320 mm discs pinched by four-piston calipers up front, a 265 mm disc and twin-piston caliper at the rear, ABS standard of course.

As for equipment, BMW throws in heated grips as standard, a welcome touch when you know the competition often charges extra for this comfort. ASC traction control rounds out the electronic package, without falling into the escalation of endless riding modes. The target is clear. This /5 isn't aimed at the track rider or the tourer clocking 30,000 km a year, but at the knowledgeable forty-something who wants a bike to contemplate in his garage as much as to ride on Sundays, ideally on winding country roads where the boxer sings its guttural tune.

That leaves the awkward question, the bmw r ninet/5 price set at 15,050 euros. A figure consistent with the finish, the limited run and the brand's goodwill capital, but one that places the machine above a Kawasaki Z900RS or a Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650, two obvious rivals in the neo-retro segment. At this price, you're not just buying a motorcycle, you're buying a piece of industrial history brought up to date. The most poetic expression of the NineT family to date, and probably the most coherent in its approach.