BMW R Nine T Pure Review :
Today I took my 2010 BWM R1200GSA for service at Charles Hurst BMW Motorrad, Belfast.
Whilst there I was kindly given the a bike to take whilst the service was carried out. So I had the privilege of taking this 2021 BMW R Nine T Pure for a few hours. Here is what I thought…
As I was in Belfast I took the opportunity to try out all different kinds of roads, a bit of motorway, a bit of city driving and a bit of back roads.
I enjoyed this bike far more than I should have!
On pulling away from the dealership I was instantly aware of how small the bike was in comparison to what I was used to. The R1200GSA is a big beast, and when I moved off on the R Nine T Pure I felt almost that what I was on was far too small. However by the time I reached the exit of the complex I forgetting this feeling of the bike being too small. I was starting to see the good side of this ‘smaller’ feeling and was already enjoying it.
The most noticeable thing for me was the engine. Remembering I ride an air cooled R1200GSA, the engine of the his R Nine T is the same. It was instantly familiar, it felt the same, it sounded the same, it just felt as I am used to, but then at the same time it felt lighter and more nimble, but it felt the same. Does that make sense? Probably not, but basically if you have or are used to a 1200cc BMW air cooled boxer engine, then you will instantly feel comfortable with this engine.
From the complex it was out and onto the motorway.
The Motorway :
Let’s get the negative out of the way straight away and that is motorway driving. With the obvious lack of fairing and no wind protection it can be no surprise that this is where the ride is less that enjoyable. At 70 mph there is an obvious pressure on your chest. It is manageable for a short zip along the motorway, noticeable and manageable, but I have no doubt that any long term motorway driving will be tiring and energy zapping. It wouldn’t stop me taking a R Nine T on a tour if there was a lot of motorway driving to get there, but I wouldn’t be keen on using it as a constant motorway muncher.
In fairness, dropping off to around 60 mph and the pressure exerted on you drops noticeably so when on the motorway or dual carriageway a simple / temporary reduction in speed may be all that is needed for a bit of respite.
From the motorway I went into town…
The Town :
The BMW R Nine T is a dream in the town. That is all.
Seriously though, it is nimble and with that 1200cc boxer engine there is obviously plenty of power for any town or city. You can easily filter through traffic and get yourself to the top of any traffic light queue and you have the power at your disposal to get away cleanly from the lights.
Slow manoeuvres are easy, the weight and balance of the bike are just lovely and nipping around town is effortless. Parking a bike is easy 99% of the time so with this form factor you certainly. won’t have any issues parking up. If you do lots of town riding this machine will give you no hassles.
From the town I headed off back to Belfast via some back roads…
The B-Roads :
If you like B-Roads, you are in for a treat. If you don’t like B-Roads then I am speechless.
As in the town this bike excels on B-Roads. Switch it over to dynamic mode and enjoy.
The torque and power are there to enjoy, whether you need it for an overtake or to power out of or through a corner you have plenty of beef when you twist your wrist (86 ft-lbs torque and 110hp).
The bike feels tight though the corners, the power comes on smoothly but there is plenty of aggression sitting inside that boxer engine should you require or want it. The bike can have two faces, you can absolutely have a nice chilled out ride, with smooth power delivery and a relaxed feel, or you can twist a little bit harder and a little bit faster and that chilled out retro looking machine will become much, much, more spirited.
The size of the bike again comes into play, and with that size comes superb manoeuvrability, you can move about on the road finding your perfect line with ease and with that size and manoeuvrability you can easily make fine adjustments should you need too.
Conclusion :
For the town and the B-Roads the BMW R Nine T is a superb choice. Motorways are not this machine’s forte, but that’s ok, it isn’t meant to be. See motorways as a necessity to get to A-B, B being the B roads that this bike gobbles up with ease. A brilliant machine that I really enjoyed. Personally, for me, the choice would be the R Nine T Urban GS, but that is just because I love that old skool Dakar look. Now I need to get my six numbers up!
Thanks to Charles Hurst BMW Motorrad, Belfast for letting me take the bike out. As with every review on this site this write up is not paid for, nor even requested, just my thoughts on the loaner I got when my bike was in getting her annual service.
