BMW R NINE T URBAN GS (2017 - on) Review

The BMW R nine T Urban G/S may look like a retro adventure bike, but underneath the cool bodywork is little more than a re-styled urban scrambler model.

That said, it does look fantastic and when the base bike is as good as the BMW R nine T Scrambler, this is no bad thing at all. If you like the look, you will love the air-cooled boxer’s spirit.

It's also a great way to get a bike infused with the retro charm of the original R80 G/S with modern running gear and comfort. What's more, it will tackle the odd gravel track, just don't expect to take it greenlaning in November.

The entire BMW R nine T range got a facelift in 2021 and then in 2023 a new BMW R 12 nine T was unveiled with a reworked engine to meet stricter emissions regulations.

Despite their heritage looks, the R nineT models never fail to impress when it comes to handling and the Urban G/S retains this trait. With the same chassis and wheels as the Scrambler, it comes as no surprise it handles identically and that means loads of grins and more angle and corner speed than you would rightly expect from such a bike.

And all backed up with brakes that are also thoroughly modern in their performance levels and have ABS as standard. The seat is a touch hard and the cowl pretty ineffective, so it’s a short hop bike rather than a serious mile-muncher like the modern GS.

The boxer motor suits the G/S’s attitude perfectly, as you would image seeing as that is what has always powered a G/S (or GS) model! It has bags of grunt as well as a really raucous exhaust note and spirited attitude that is quite unexpected on a modern BMW. It’s not the smoothest, and lurches when you blip the throttle due to the torque reaction, but these traits only add to the bike’s character.

The build quality on the whole R nineT range is beautiful with a high attention to detail, as you would expect on a bike with a price tag north of £10,000. The boxer’s reliability record is proven and so there is nothing to worry about mechanically – even the residual values are generally very high!

With a price tag of £10,550 for the basic model, the higher specification X seems quite good value considering all the extras you are getting for the added £635. They certainly aren’t the cheapest scrambler style retro bikes, but they go a long way to justifying their price tags through build quality and lovely attention to detail.

There's no shortage of retro-styled scramble models on the market these days, starting off with a model from the firm that arguably started the genre, the Triumph Scrambler 1200. Another possible contender comes from Italy in the shape of the super-cool Ducati Scrambler 1100.

Or fresh for 2023 is the Fantic Caballero Scrambler 700, a bigger version of the popular retro range from the Italian firm that uses Yamaha's CP2 parallel-twin engine.

The whole point of the R nine T range is stripped back with a lack of electronics and as such the Urban G/S is fairly basic with only ABS as standard. The X model adds spoke wheels and a choice of on or off-road tyres as well as a chrome exhaust, LED indicators and heated grips for £11,185. ASC traction control is an optional extra.