BMW R nineT Pure 2017 — Specifications

When BMW launched the NineT in 2013, no one would have bet on such a tidal wave. The classic boxer engine, the taut curves, the uncomplexed neo-retro DNA: Munich had hit the mark. A few years later, the family grew, and the BMW R nineT Pure arrived as the blank canvas version of this entire universe. Not the cheapest to be cheap. The cheapest for you to do the rest.

The design bias is clear from the first glance. Everything is painted black, from the tubular frame to the monobras, including the fork stanchions and the engine itself. Only the cylinder head covers stand out with their granite gray hue, recalling that beneath this austere dress beats a 1170 cm3 boxer twin. Compared to the reference NineT, the Pure traded the large-diameter inverted fork for a conventional 43 mm fork, abandoned the spoked wheels, radial calipers, and double exhaust. On paper, that looks bad. In reality, it gives a motorcycle that resembles a blank page more than a downgraded version. The anodized aluminum cover on the air intake, the plates under the seat, the BMW logo embedded in the headlight: BMW has not removed the style, it has simply distilled it.

Mechanically, nothing changes. The flat-twin boxer engine develops 110 horsepower at 7750 rpm and 116 Nm of torque at 6000 rpm, all contained in 219 kg when fully fueled. These figures have not changed during the Euro4 homologation, and that's good news. The 6-speed cardan transmission ensures smooth progress, typical of large BMWs, without the brutality of a chain. For A2 license holders, the R nineT Pure exists in a detuned version of 48 hp, with the possibility, after two years of practice and the supplementary training for A2 license conversion to a full A license, to de-restrict the motorcycle to regain the 80 kW, or 95 hp, of the intermediate version before total de-restriction. The price of a new BMW R nineT Pure was announced at 12,850 euros at launch, making it the least expensive entry-level model in the Heritage family.

The chassis retains the three-section steel structure with removable passenger frame, a detail that is not insignificant when talking about customization. The Paralever at the rear manages torque reactions, the wheelbase of 1493 mm offers satisfactory in-line stability, and the 805 mm high seat remains accessible for an average build. Braking relies on two 320 mm discs bitten by four-piston axial calipers at the front, a 265 mm disc with a two-piston caliper at the rear, all under the supervision of the standard ABS. No traction control as standard; you'll have to pay extra for the ASC. On a machine of this caliber and character, its absence as standard is a little surprising.

The real subject is the options catalog. BMW proposes to rebuild the Pure according to its desires, from the aluminum tank with visible welds to the steering stem with clubman handlebars, including the single-seat, the additional tachometer, or the scrambler-style headlight grille. This freedom of personalization is precisely what the BMW R nineT Pure sells above all else. It is aimed at the rider who has ideas, who wants a healthy and recognizable base, not a 100% finished motorcycle. Faced with the Triumph Bonneville T120 or the Ducati Scrambler Icon, the Pure plays in a slightly different category, heavier, more powerful, more Germanic in its seriousness. It suits both the experienced rider and the preparation enthusiast wishing to start from an almost blank sheet.