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BMW unveils the R nine T /5 tribute

Written by Nizam Shaikh

BMW Motorrad has unveiled the R nine T anniversary model in recognition to the /5 series models of the ’60s. The original R50/5, R60/5 and the R75/5 are regarded as the inception of a new chapter for the BMW brand which started in Berlin. 

In terms of styling, the brand uses the popular neo-retro R nine T model with features like a new tank and knee pads, chrome accents, a commemorative badge on the tank which says 50 Jahre (50 years) and also marks the date (1969-2019) and comes with a special Lupine Blue paint job. The bike also gets spoked wheels, fork gaiters, chrome mirrors and advanced features like stability control and heated grips which were every rider’s dream in the ‘60s. Other features are 2-in-1 exhaust system made of stainless steel with chrome manifolds and chrome finishers, double seats with decorative elements, fork bridges and footrests in forged clear anodised aluminium and double line markings on the tank.

The standard BMW R nine T in India is powered by an 1170 cc, air/oil-cooled flat twin, boxer, with two camshafts and four radially aligned valves per cylinder and a central counterbalancer shaft on the engine which develops 110 HP of power and 116 Nm of torque. The engine is paired to a claw-shifted 6-speed transmission with helical-cut splines and a shaft drive along with a hydraulically operated single plate dry clutch.

The mechanical hardware on the R nine T is a four-section frame with a load-bearing engine and removable pillion sub-frame for solo riding. The suspension includes a 46 mm upside-down telescopic fork on the front, but the R nine T /5 gets a conventional fork setup and the rear gets a BMW Motorrad Paralever – central spring strut with spring pre-load hydraulically and stepless adjustable shock absorber with adjustable rebound damping. The braking duties are performed by 320mm twin discs on the front and 265mm single disc on the rear.