[cherry street]

The NineT is supposed to be a bike that celebrates BMW Motorrads 90 years of history, an airhead boxer wrapped in a package that cuts quite the dash. However NineT has less to do with BMWs past than it does with the future.

The Future, what do you mean the future? Well the NineTs modular design which will allow owners to tailor their bikes to specific tastes and uses.

The true brilliance of the NineT is the ability to build multiple variations of motorcycles on the same platform, right now the options are limited to the rear subframe and seat but that could change going forward.

For years BMW has been sharing engines across applications, its a simple and effective cost saving measure. The next logical step is for the entire chassis to follow the trend. Think about this in concept. Would the accountants at BMW or any OEM for that matter not like the ability to produce one chassis and offer multiple bikes based off, one chassis, different rear subframe options, different tanks and different front end options. Already this is common practice in the automotive world, and another german company leads the charge, VW.

Imagine if you could go in and have your choice of a Duolever, traditional telescopic of maybe hub center steering?

Of course this is down the line but just looking at NineT gives an excellent insight into where BMW is thinking about taking Motorrad. The final question remaining is will this become industry trend?

 

[Georg]

Modular means:

Throw away new weels and get some tireless .....;-(

 

[Maverick]

I am very excited to see what tuning shops do with the BMW nineT. The bike is made to be customized. There will be plenty of inspiration for me to decide what I will ultimately like to do with my won nineT.

 

[petrichor]

Customisation should not mean waste

There is a huge difference between waste and customising a bike to reflect an individual's aesthetic / ergo preferences and maximising safety and functionality e.g. Tubeless wheels; at least as a dealer provided option/alternative even if at a modest premium if it is a matter of cost.

I really don't like the prospect of having to live with a retrograde wheel set. If it was a retro design look great but retro safety and convenience is a great big turnoff.

 

[9T33]

Retro looks = Yes
Retro safety = NO thanks


Keeping things up with the times are key

 

[thompcat]

Very good write up on th econcept at work here...
Asphalt & Rubber

 

[ClearwaterBMW]

This TUBED-tire design has really bitten BMW in the rear end
their history of arrogance of not caring about what their customer thinks (because they, and many other manufacturers always think THEY KNOW BEST) is surely being challenged at this very moment
I can almost guarantee that
and while we may not see any changes because it is too close to the time of actual production of these bikes
you can bet they are talking about the dismay that is seemingly all over the planet about their choice to not include tubeless rims
the fact that we are getting Z-rated tires is even more of an insult
the notion of tubes has been argued here almost incessantly, but what is most important to remember:
no motorcycle manufacturer on earth is making bikes that have rims which require tubes
it isn't safe and they are not desirable
while some have said it shouldn't matter the truth is it should because there has to be a reason why no one else on earth makes them
when you find a better way
when you find a safer way
you should never go back to the old way no matter what
and now that BMW is writing every single place they can that this is not a retro bike the fact that tubes will be in our rims is even more of an embarrassing choice for them

I will, once again, step off my soapbox

 

[NSX]

The Moto Guzzi base V7 comes with very nice alloy wheels and tubeless tires (which you probably already know), but their upscale versions revert to wire wheels with tubes, just like the nineT.

 

[NineTJoe]

The Moto Guzzi base V7 comes with very nice alloy wheels and tubeless tires (which you probably already know), but their upscale versions revert to wire wheels with tubes, just like the nineT.

Interesting....

 

[ClearwaterBMW]

The Moto Guzzi base V7 comes with very nice alloy wheels and tubeless tires (which you probably already know), but their upscale versions revert to wire wheels with tubes, just like the nineT.

as Joe said above...
very interesting

 

[BlueBrick]

Tube tires YUK!

And the first thing my buddy that bought a V7Racer had was a flat tire.
Had it been on my R90S, no problem. It came with a pump and I have spare tubes and changing equipment.
I know the R nine T doesn't have such backup so I will be modifying my rims for tubeless and will carry plugs and pumps.

 

[9T33]

And the first thing my buddy that bought a V7Racer had was a flat tire.
Had it been on my R90S, no problem. It came with a pump and I have spare tubes and changing equipment.
I know the R nine T doesn't have such backup so I will be modifying my rims for tubeless and will carry plugs and pumps.

i can see a good amount of people doing that, maybe someone should get a poll going on this to see what the split will be like.