I don't.

 

I like the older ones better

 

I don't... but was wondering the same.

 

For me motorbikes are like horses some I liked and some I didn't. Then again some didn't like me all that much. There were even times when we didn't like each other. The new bike is something I haven't ridden and the one (well two actually) I have are still going strong. The new bike may be .......................well a wee bit too new ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, looking. My R11GS is like me, old and a tad on the worn side. My Pop would have said "ridden hard and put away wet". The Racer is more the colt and I think I'll keep them both. Don't hate the New Girl just might be a bit outa of my league.

 

I don’t hate it, just like the older one better.

 

I don't hate it, but it might take a few years to get used to.

 

I like the new one. Not so much the cruiser but the roadster, yes.

 

Because dinosaurs are inherently resistant to change and look what happened to them!

 

Hate is a strong word, but can anyone name anything about the new bike which is objectively better or cooler than the old one? From where I'm sitting it looks like they've done what they had to do in terms of emissions, made it cheaper to produce and jacked the price up - all whilst making it look more generic

 

I don't hate it, I simply think it is a definite step backwards aesthetically and dislike it. It's absolutely not for me and I am holding out hope that perhaps it'll look better in the flesh.

For me motorbikes are more of an emotional purchase than a logical one, though logic does have it's place. The bike could be the most beautiful thing to look at but if it handled rubbish or had a reputation for unreliability or being really expensive to run, then I would walk away unless I'd loads of money that I could pour into that two-wheeled money pit.

What I suspect might be the case with the new model, is that it is uglier (IMO), comes with all sorts or riding aids that I personally simply don't think has a place on what's meant to be a retro and "back to basics" naked bike. My view is the original 2014 bike hit the target dead centre. It looked fantastic, handled well and the engine had a long-standing reputation for ease of maintenance and reliability. I thought the amount of modern features on the original model was just about right given the bike's intended main use (for me anyway). Any areas that needed improvement (suspension) could be done at my pace and were at least partially resolved by subsequent model revisions.

The new model has what seems to me to be unnecessary features and just looks wrong and ungainly, especially if you look at the two models side by side. If I didn't know anything about bikes and was shown pictures of both bikes, I'd actually say that the original bike was the new incoming model, and built partially to resolve the looks of the old bike, which looked incohesive and poorly thought through.

Quite happy to hold onto my 2014 bike, thanks...

 

Could't agree more with you!

 

I was trying to see some sort of comparison side by side .. anyone seen something like that?

 

I was trying to see some sort of comparison side by side ..

You cannot - there's a natural rejection reaction of your 9t......

 

The new model is not as good looking as the old one. With a design more akin to the Mystic, and R100GS I am very excited to see how a new Urban GS model will turn out, but that is about it. I expect it to look much better than the current model, however I can't imagine a very sleek racer model coming off that chassis.
Moving forward I will wait and see how things unfold. After 2008 I started to dislike where Ducati was going with their designs, maybe from here on out I stop caring about what BMW does with their new stuff as I did with Ducati and only buy their older bikes. I do really miss my R1200S...

 

I don't hate it, but I'm also reserving judgement until I see one in person. (Same goes with the cruiser variant.) I am really looking forward to seeing the new bikes, plus the new R1300GS!

One of my favorite car YouTubers says people always hate the new generation of an established model, saying they prefer the looks of the old one, but then come around to liking the new version after a year or two. I think that same scenario applies to many motorcycles, and I wonder if it will be the case with the new bikes.

 

I fell in love with the 2014 R9T when I first saw a picture of one. I don't think that would have happened with the new one, though I'm now biased because I have the original and still enjoy looking at it in my garage every day! However, I really like the look of the new cruiser version, and would be looking at it if I wanted such a bike.

 

The R nineT has had a very good run showing how good the original concept and design was. I’m ambivalent to the R12 nineT although the next time I’m in a BMW dealer I’ll be interested to see if it looks better in the flesh. I’m pleased that BMW have retained the air/oil-cooled engine for the two new models. They must have reached the end of the line with the engine as far as development is concerned due to emission regulations so no surprise that it is the same as the previous R nineT model.
I like the looks of the R12 cruiser more although I’m not a fan of cruisers so my opinion probably doesn’t mean much !

 

From initial photos, I think the original R Nine T looks better. That being said, I haven't seen or ridden any of the new R12 series, so I'm not sure what I think yet.

 

I don't hate it and agree with pretty much what's been said. I have the 21 Pure. This model is probably a step too far for many! What Dave was saying, I agree. Do you/we need the bells and whistles which are on the bike? A bike which is supposed to be "retro". Always loved the look of the R9T from day one. I was looking at a retro bike and ended up with a bike with all the bells and whistles on. Much to the amusement of mates. Cruise control (in the UK!), adaptive lighting, three riding modes, heated grips (nice). Could less have been more? Progress and all that.

Hats off to BMW for keeping the engine going though. That's a feat in this day and age.
I still think the price will be a factor though.

 

I like the new 2024 bike. It carries on the legacy quite well in a more streamlined execution. It's now got a horizontal line from tank to tail, whereas the current NineT has the brackets under the seat that break up the lines. . I prefer the ornate brackets and detailed carved shade of my 2021. But If had replace mine, I'd get a new 24. I do like the new optional TFT display.

 

Don’t hate the new model, just like the previous models a little better

 

I don't hate it, but I don't consider it an R NineT, its an R12. totally diff animal..

 

True. I thought they were going to call it the R12T. But I guess the 9T name has so much legacy and recognition they stuck with it even though it doesn't make sense by moto naming conventions.

 

I don't like they are abandoning the vintage style of the line. All of them are doing it. I have a Ducati scrambler and the new scramblers are more modern looking. The xsr did a good job of blending old and newer and now it's just another yammy triple with a striped paint scheme. And the Indian FTR just got more chunky and modern too.

The bikes were huge hits BECAUSE they were basically reliable but older looking.

 

I do agree I liked the whole concept bikes like the Thruxton were about history of the machines and there was room for them. Now they are trying to make the motorbikes look ultra-modern but still vintage. For me an unattainable goal.

 

I just don't like the new design. Mainly the tank. The bike looks like more of a tourer to me now. I definitely won't ever buy this version. Each to their own though. I'm sure most people will like it

 

Dislike
1. New head pipe shape is too pointy. The old shape better mimicked the nice radius of the airheads.
2. Rear subframe looks plastic or stylized. Much prefer the tube/trellis subframe.
3. Tank shape isn't quit as aesthetic. Hard to put my finger on why. New one has sharper angles in both the rear of the tank and the knee cut-outs.
4. Side covers under the seat are too big and cover too much. Personally liked the exposed vertically oriented rear shock of the original.
5. Front brake lines frame mounted instead of bottom yoke mounted. Now they just sort of hover in the breeze
6. There was a nice linear continuity from the head pipe as it enters the exhaust port, through the cylinder head cover, up the frame rail, in to the rear sub frame on the old...no such continuity on the new.
7. The air intake covered up some of the messy bits below the tank but above the cylinders previously. The could have made a better panel to cover up the modern garbage under the tank? Im not sure what would look good there.


Like
1. Rear fender and light looks better
2. Cruise control (but none of the other electronic stuff). The R Nine T makes a great elemental sport-touring bike


What's clear to me is just how difficult it is to get the Aesthetics bang on. So much so, that is is difficult to explain what elements just don't work. The original designer is gone, and the new team didn't quite do as well.

 

Thanks for the detailed run-through. I really had wondered if there were substantive differences.

Incidentally, cruise control is not new to the new model. My '21 has it -- great for killing motorway miles while getting to the proper roads. So you actually have just one like!

 

I think the R12NineT just looks super clunky, especially the tank and tail. Even the name is a lot clunkier. I'm sure it will be fun to ride in spite of what I see as steps backward in geometry (rake and trail went in the wrong direction), but I find it a lot less enjoyable to look at than the original. I think BMW nailed it with the original and the R12NineT is going to suffer from the impossibly high bar set by the R NineT.

 

Man, they relaxed the steering geometry too? That sucks. Ignoring the retro part of the bike, it is the lightest and sportiest boxer naked they have. It makes an excellent high torque naked bike for sport riding with some good suspension and wheels. At least my 2014 does....

 

I'm pretty interested in this thread and have been since my first post. I find it interesting that a few think the model is going away from the retro theme and moving towards a more modern design. If you're familiar with old BMWs the R nine T doesn't really look like anything that they've produced in the past, where as the new R12 nine T is very similar to the late model 247 airheads from '87 to the end of the run in '95. This leads me to feel like BMW is actually going more retro by mimicking previous models more closely. I find myself appreciating this more and more, even if the execution isn't what i appreciate yet as i never cared for the Mystic at all, I do love the old tombstone GS' though and that's why I'm excited to see a new urban GS model.
As a side note I even love the R18 and all it's throwback design elements to the R5 iirc, but riding the bike for me was atrocious comfort wise.
At this point I assume that a 'retro design' as previously mentioned is it's own design genre, and doesn't actually incorporate any elements from the past. Kind of like when they came out with 'reality tv'. Just a few thoughts that crossed my mind.

 

What you have convinced of is beauty us truly in the eye of the beholder. I have always liked the minimalist look of the flat twins where you can see right through the bloody thing. It's true that, that has been replaced by a lot of extra emission and electronics (hell I even once owned a 750 brick ) but I still felt the minimalist tickle. Maybe I'll get used to a wee bit more junk stuck to the 12. I guess I can go out to my shop and hug my Thruxton if I need to feel the Ace Café vibe

 

They're definitely related. I think I prefer the longer tank on the original. I also prefer the steeper drop of the initial part of the headers. Have they done away with the spoked wheels?

 

I know it won't happen, but it would be interesting if the Racer was reintroduced with the new generation. With the current bike's very long tank, the reach to the clipon bars of the Racer was too long and too uncomfortable for some people. With a shorter tank, and a shorter reach, maybe a new Racer would fare better than the original did.