R 12 nineT

The R 12 nineT keeps the air/oil-cooled 1170cc boxer, now Euro 5+, in a new single-piece steel trellis frame with a cleaner rear subframe. The tank is a new aluminium design, the airbox moved under the seat, and the wet weight dropped by around 4 kg. Suspension is a 45 mm inverted fork and a Paralever shaft-drive rear, and brakes are radial four-piston calipers.

Ride modes, cornering ABS, and traction control are standard, with an optional quickshifter.

The boxer's character is the whole point: the sideways rock at idle, the lazy torque from 2,000 rpm, and the way the shaft drive lifts under throttle. The nineT is faster than a Bonneville and calmer than a Z900RS, and it handles better than a bike with cylinders sticking out the sides has any right to. Comfort is good with the low 795 mm seat.

Heat from the cylinders on your shins is the boxer tax in traffic.

Boxer valve checks are the easiest in motorcycling: the heads are right there, and it is a screw-and-locknut job at 10,000 km. Shaft drive means no chain. BMW's air-cooled boxer is a proven design with decades of history. The trade-off is BMW parts pricing.

The rider who wants the boxer character in a roadster and is willing to pay for German engineering. Also a great base for customisation, which BMW encourages.